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Peanut Gallery Tavern: A Friendly Norristown Pub

April 19, 2016 by

There’s something comforting about a neighborhood pub – it can serve as a gathering place for times both happy and sad, and endure through generations. A great example is Norristown’s Peanut Gallery Tavern. This family-owned watering hole has been open since 1974, originally named the Cork and Crown. In 1992, its name was changed to the Peanut Gallery to reflect the owner’s lifetime love of peanuts. The second generation took over in 2005 and has been continuing the pub’s mission of good drinks, good food and friendly service. This place has a serious contingent of locals, but they happily welcome new faces. The jukebox is kept loud and the pool tables in the back are usually packed. The food is pretty standard pub grub, but their Buffalo wings are nice and spicy. The beer selection is decent, with some local microbrews on offer, and the bartenders mix inexpensive, strong cocktails. There’s nothing fancy about the Peanut Gallery, but they take care of business quite well.

Peanut Gallery Tavern
1832 Markley Street
Norristown, PA 19401
(610) 275-4777

www.pgtavern.com
www.yelp.com/biz/peanut-gallery-tavern-norristown

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Rainbow Arts and Crafts: Express Yourself

February 16, 2016 by

Creative pastimes are a great way to exercise parts of your brain that don’t normally get a workout. Making art can be stimulating or relaxing, especially if you’re doing it with no expectations. One of the best places in the Norristown area to get started is Rainbow Arts and Crafts, a full-service art supply store on Germantown Pike that is packed to the rafters with everything you’ll ever need. Customers rave about the exceptional selection of art and craft supplies on offer here. In addition to the traditional stuff used in sewing, knitting and scrapbooking, they also sell professional artist’s tools, brushes, canvas and more. Although the floorspace isn’t big, it’s well-organized and the staff makes use of every inch of it. If you can’t find something, just ask and they can special order it. Rainbow Arts and Crafts also hosts a panoply of classes to help you develop your budding skills.

Rainbow Arts and Crafts
521 W. Germantown Pike
Norristown, PA 19403
(610) 275-5110

www.rainbowartsandcrafts.com
www.yelp.com/biz/rainbow-arts-and-crafts-norristown

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Norristown Public Library: Where Education Meets Recreation in Norristown

January 26, 2016 by

At their best, public libraries are not just places to find and borrow books. They are neighborhood gathering spaces, storehouses of public resources, and staging areas for community and educational outreach. Norristown Public Library offers locals and residents across Montgomery County access to a range of collections, services, resources, and programs. First and foremost, the building houses an impressive collection of books, magazines, newspapers, audio recordings, and films, as well as a highly-trained library staff who can help you navigate through the offerings.

Young kids can get involved in story hours, science and engineering activities, and arts and dance nights. Teenagers are welcome to participate in weekly game nights (video games, cards, or board games). Library patrons of all ages are welcome to sign up for basic computing skills classes or attend one of the library’s community days. The library can also assist you set up a public meeting, file your taxes, learn a new language, or research your family tree.

Norristown Public Library
1001 Powell Street
Norristown, PA 19401
(610) 278-5100
www.mnl.mclinc.org/main-library-info
www.facebook.com/mcnplonline

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What’s Your Favorite Froyo and Toppings Combo at Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt?

June 23, 2015 by

Whether you are popping by for a post-work pick-me-up or taking the kids for a treat on the weekend, Menche’s Frozen Yogurt in East Norriton does its best to make frozen yogurt, well, fun! This colorful little cafe is tucked into the Swede Square shopping plaza at the corner of Swede Road and Germantown Pike.

Froyo offerings include non- and low-fat, sugar-free, gluten-free, non-dairy, and low carb options, so customers with any dietary restrictions and preferences can generally find something to enjoy. (The shop regularly rotates its yogurt flavors, so be sure to check the website if there's a particular flavor you're set on having.) Regulars especially recommend the sea salt caramel pretzel froyo and the mango sorbet. Your choices for toppings are almost endless, with candies, cookies, fresh fruit and nuts, breakfast cereals, and syrups galore.

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
2953 Swede Road
East Norriton, PA 19401
(610) 277-2722
www.menchies.com/frozen-yogurt-shops/frozen-yogurt-swede-square-pa
www.yelp.com/biz/menchies-frozen-yogurt-east-norriton

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For a Wild Time, Take the Family Out to Elmwood Park Zoo

May 19, 2015 by

For almost a century, Elmwood Park Zoo has worked to educate Pennsylvanians on the importance of animal and habitat conservation. This little zoo in Norristown is also fully accredited, so you can rest assured that the animals are cared for and the facilities are above board.

The zoo provides a home for over a hundred species of animals, including bald eagles, timber wolves, howler monkeys and giraffes. True, Elmwood Park isn't nearly as large as the Philadelphia Zoo; however, past visitors say that for families with young children, the Elmwood Park Zoo is just the right size! It's large enough to keep the kids entertained, but not so big as to overwhelm or exhaust the little ones. Another perk: There's an on-site ice cream parlor as well as a small cafe, and you can pack your own picnic lunch.

Parking is free, but the lot does get crowded on busy days, so make sure you arrive early on weekends.

Elmwood Park Zoo
1661 Harding Boulevard
Norristown, PA 19401
(610) 277-3825
www.elmwoodparkzoo.org
www.yelp.com/biz/elmwood-park-zoo-norristown

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Norristown Farm Park: 690 Acres’ Worth of Outdoor Recreation

May 5, 2015 by

Norristown Farm Park is one of Montgomery County’s most treasured public resources and one of the region’s most unique parks. This sprawling preserve spans 690 acres of land and attracts visitors of various interests.

Nature lovers appreciate the unspoiled landscapes and diverse wildlife. Fitness enthusiasts enjoy miles of paved running, biking, and walking trails, as well as baseball and volleyball facilities. Sportsmen can enjoy trout fishing in two stocked streams or set up at Farm Pond. History buffs might visit some colonial-era structures that are among Norristown’s oldest buildings. Locals also utilize the park’s multiple picnic areas and pavilions for parties, reunions, weddings, and other special events.

Perhaps the most unusual aspect of Norristown Farm Park, however, is that it continues to operate as a working farm. Nearly 80 percent of the park is active farmland, which allows visitors to get a close-up view of the agricultural process.

Norristown Farm Park
2500 Upper Farm Road
Norristown, PA 19403
(610) 270-0215
www.montcopa.org/index.aspx?nid=874
www.yelp.com/biz/norristown-farm-park-norristown

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Facenda Whitaker Lanes: Entertaining Montco Residents Since 1959

March 17, 2015 by

For a rainy day, weekend afternoon, or Friday night, Facenda Whitaker has something for everyone. This neighborhood institution has been in operation since 1959 and has entertained generations of people in Montgomery County. The main draw, of course, is the bowling. Facenda Whitaker boasts more than 50 lanes, so you never have to wait to long for your turn to play. Players range across all skill levels, from kids rolling with ramps and bumpers to thousands of league players enjoying some friendly competition.

The enormous Game Galaxy arcade hosts hundreds of skill, table, and video games, as well as the opportunity to win prizes. Steppy’s, the attached sports bar and grill, offers multiple televisions, all the pro and college sports subscriptions available on satellite, and a menu full of pub food favorites.

Facenda Whitaker Lanes
2912 Swede Road
East Norriton, PA 19401
(610) 272-6547
www.facendawhitaker.com
www.yelp.com/biz/facenda-whitaker-lanes-east-norriton

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Elmwood Park Zoo: Animal Kingdom

April 15, 2014 by

When the doors of the Elmwood Park Zoo opened in 1924, Norristown finally had a place for locals to experience the untold splendors of the world’s animals. A local farmer had a group of various animals and he deeded them, plus sixteen acres of land, to the city in order to establish a zoological garden. The collection has grown steadily since then, but the mandate of the organization has remained the same: it’s dedicated to exhibiting animals native to the Americas in comfortable, safe habitats. It doesn’t have the popular African animals but instead makes up for it by showing off cool creatures like jaguars, Chacoan peccaries, golden eagles and timber wolves. The varieties of habitats on display is very impressive. The staff is friendly and there is a bounty of educational materials to peruse. Admission prices are kept very reasonable and parking is free, which is a nice bonus.

Elmwood Park Zoo
1661 Harding Boulevard
Norristown, PA 19401
(610) 277-3825
http://www.yelp.com/biz/elmwood-park-zoo-norristown

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Perkiomen Trail: Put on your Hiking Shoes

September 24, 2013 by

Put on your hiking shoes or pump up your bicycle tires and hit the trail – the Perkiomen Trail, that is. The ‘Perky’, as it’s called by aficionados, provides a great way to immerse yourself in the glory of the natural world while working off excess calories and getting a great workout. It covers 20 miles along Perkiomen Creek, beginning in Oak and ending in Green Lane Borough. The majority of the trail occupies a former Reading Railroad bed and intersects the Schuylkill River Trail and the Audubon Loop. Hiking or biking along the trail gives you access to a variety of parks and historic sites, including Perkiomen Valley Park, the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove, Pennypacker Mills, and Evansburg State Park. If you traverse the entire trail, you’ll pass through the towns of Arcola, Collegeville, Schwenksville, Spring Mount, and Green Lane.

Perkiomen Trail
New Mill Road
Norristown, PA 19403
(610) 278-3555
http://www.montcopa.org/index.aspx?NID=1153
http://www.yelp.com/biz/perkiomen-trail-norristown

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