Seniors Drop by Bala Cynwyd

Another city with an interesting name. Bala Cynwyd. Seniors, let’s go there and do a bit of exploring. Bala Cynwyd is a contiguous suburb of Philadelphia and explains the many business offices on site.

Bala Cynwyd lies in the Welsh Tract of Pennsylvania, and was settled in the 1680s by Welsh Quaker settlers, who named it after the Welsh town of Bala and the Welsh village of Cynwyd. “Cynwyd”, pronounced “kinwid” is often pronounced locally as”kinwood”.

Cynwyd is on a hillside, though its main street is flat. It was originally two separate towns, Bala and Cynwyd. Hang around town very long and you will certainly see dragons. The dragon has been recognized as the emblem of Wales for more than one thousand years. The town of has many scenic spots… which is one reason seniors come for a visit.

Senior Art Aficionados Seek The Barnes

Bala and Cynwyd are commonly treated as a single community since the US Post Office was constructed to service both towns (The “Bala Cynwyd” Branch). Bala Cynwyd is home of the Barnes Foundation, established by Albert C. Barnes in 1922 to “promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts and horticulture.”

The Barnes holds one of the finest collections of Post-Impressionist and early Modern paintings. It is a popular stop for senior visitors who appreciate fine art. Most of us have heard of Kobe Bryant, an NBA Basketball player. He attended Bala Cynwyd Middle School and Lower Merion High School. General Alexander Haig called Bala Cynwyd home as well.

Seniors Appreciate Welsh Heritage

The Welsh Tract, also called the Welsh Barony, was a portion of Pennsylvania settled largely by Welsh-speaking Quakers. It covers 40,000 acres to the west of Philadelphia. The original settlers, led by John Roberts, negotiated with William Penn in 1684 to constitute the Tract as a separate county whose local government would use the Welsh language, since many of the settlers spoke no English.

Comprised primarily of residential houses and apartments Bala Cynwyd is also home to two commercial corridors, several parks, including the Cynwyd Heritage Trail, and numerous historic landmarks. These neighborhoods include some of Lower Merion Township’s oldest and finest stone mansions, constructed from 1880 into the 1920s.

And leave it to TripAdvisor to come up with some great places for seniors seeking good food.  They also put in a plug for Tudor House B&B on Bryn Mawr Avenue. So set your GPS for Bala Cynwyd and spent some quality time enjoying the amenities of the village. -jeb