Rolling hills outside historic Boyertown
The winding hills and green landscape in Gilbertsville provide a contrast to its close neighbor and primary source of everyday necessities, Boyertown. “Boyertown is a quaint town, and up the main street, it has a really cute old town feel,” says Andrea Balkiewicz, who has been a Realtor with Springer Realty Group for the last 11 years. While residents often have to drive at least a mile to get to the main street, Pennsylvania Avenue, they can walk along the sidewalks, crossing at the crosswalks to shop at the local bookstore and grab a bite to eat. From the more condensed city streets to the big box stores on the outskirts, such as Giant and Walmart, residents never have to travel more than 2 miles.
Queen Annes and Colonial Revivals
Around Gilbertsville, there is a wide variety of housing types, each with accompanying driveways and off-street parking. The homes may date as far back as the early 1900s and feature architecture as unique as Queen Annes with turrets or date closer to the 1970s and feature Cape Cod elements. Other Colonial Revival homes were built as recently as the early 2000s. These homes list between $197,000 and $552,000. “A four-bed, one bath, for $240,000 is on par for the median price for the area,” Balkiewicz says. When driving toward Boyertown, narrow, paved walking paths appear, providing locals with added access to the local shops and restaurants further in town.
Saville’s Diner and Weis Markets
Locals dine at Doc’s Irish Pub, sipping down one of the 20 beers on tap while staying current on all the game scores from the more than 20 televisions set up throughout the bar. “Close to Philadelphia Avenue, which is like a small quaint main street with a couple of shops, there is a pet store and a really good brunch place called Grind,” Balkiewicz says. There are many more local restaurants and shops along Philadelphia Avenue, including Saville’s Diner, known for its homemade eclairs. Additionally, there are a variety of chain retailers in the area, such as Walmart and Weis Markets, for everyday grocery and household needs.
Colebrookdale Railroad’s celebratory train rides
During the summer at Boyertown Park, locals attend events sponsored by the Park and Recreation Board, such as Earth Day and the Fall Festival. All year round, the Colebrookdale Railroad takes people out on scenic tours and offers dining experiences. Not just a tourist excursion, the company also provides railbikes for a scenic and active way to view surrounding nature. As the holidays come and go, the railroad hosts different themed events, such as their Polar Bear Express and New Year’s Eve events.
Bussing over to Boyertown for class
Within the Boyertown Area School District, students may attend Boyertown Elementary School, which holds a Grade of B-minus from Niche. Starting in sixth grade, students may attend Boyertown Area Middle School West, which also earns a Grade of B-minus from Niche. Entering ninth grade, students may attend Boyertown Area Senior High School. Niche gives this school a B grade and ranks the school as the seventh-best public high school in Berks County. Senior High School offers students a range of course levels, including Advanced Placement (AP), dual enrollment and honors.
Douglass Park to Boyertown Park
Douglass Park provides an open space for locals to practice their sports, from the two basketball courts, tennis courts, baseball field and neighboring soccer field. Children run free from the playset to the picnic shelter on sunny afternoons. At Boyertown Park, locals walk along the one-mile trail and try their best on the 18-hole disc golf course open to the community. Meanwhile, amateurs and golfing professionals appreciate the challenge on the two 18-hole Hickory Valley Golf Club courses.
All roads lead to Boyertown
Philadelphia and Reading avenues connect Gilbertsville with Boyertown, setting residents on course to downtown dining and shopping. “They also have proximity to Pennsylvania Route 100, one of the major highways there,” Balkiewicz says. Whether jutting across town to pick up groceries or traveling to the many outdoor recreation opportunities across the area, residents appreciate the convenience of having multiple main paths of travel interconnected in their backyard.
