Seniors Travel Through Southeast Pennsylvania

This senior didn’t know much about Swarthmore except that my friend Jack went to Swarthmore College. Jack and I traveled together all over Europe on our Lambretta motor scooter right after I had graduated from college. We had a great learning experience as a couple of 21 year old adventurers.

We collected 46 passport stamps crossing borders, had a wreck in the Pyrenees, a flat tire, got chased by gypsies in Spain, nearly got gassed with fumes in the seven mile tunnel between Italy and France and suffered a broken rear axle in Brussels. We had a highly memorable cycling experience in the rain and a great snowball fight up above the clouds in Andorra, a country high in the Pyrenees between Spain and France.

Ah yes, we are visiting Swarthmore today… a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Swarthmore is located in extreme southeastern Pennsylvania along the Delaware River at the New Jersey border, in a lovely bucolic setting.

Swarthmore was originally named Westdale in honor of noted painter Benjamin West, who was one of the early residents of the town. The town changed its name to Swarthmore after the College was founded in 1864.

Seniors Find A Senior Friendly Town

With a population of just over 6,000. Swarthmore is a tree-lined residential community of distinctive homes and quiet neighborhoods, anchored by the campus of Swarthmore College. At the center of the Borough is a downtown core of unique, independent shops and services.

The Swarthmore Senior Citizens Association has something for everyone. Seniors, age 65 years or older, ride free at all times on bus, trackless trolley, subway, and trolley service. Regional Rail fares vary depending on your final destination and that’s a pretty good deal for seniors.

The school district has one high school, one middle school, and three elementary schools. Wallingford-Swarthmore schools are highly regarded, and the district is one of the best in suburban Philadelphia.

 Swarthmore Is ‘One Of The Best’

Swarthmore is loaded with parks and 3 super B&Bs,  the Longfellow House, the Magnolia House and the Purcell Darrell House. The Friends Historical Library at Swarthmore College can fill in the past history of the borough, which began with its development as a college town and commuter suburb.

Access to good roads and public transportation encouraged the development of its residential and business community in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The 21st century finds Swarthmore to be the home of one of the best liberal arts colleges in America. Equally impressive is its award winning public school district, its ideal location and transportation system and its strong sense of community.

Sound interesting? It is. Senior travelers, plan to swing through  Swarthmore the next time you’re in Pennsylvania. -jeb