Suburban living in Western Pottstown
On the western side of Pottstown sits Stowe, a quiet strip of gridded residential streets and highly rated schools flanked by big-name shopping and a municipal airport. “Stowe is the most western end of Pottstown, close to the Berks County border,” says Kathy Cicala, a Realtor with RE/MAX Achievers and neighboring Douglassville resident of more than 20 years. “Pottstown is like its own little city, and Stowe is an extension of that.” In fact, Stowe residents are only a mile from downtown Pottstown, where beer gardens, boutique shops and other businesses, including new restaurants, have opened along the revitalized High Street corridor. Not too far away, outdoor enthusiasts have direct access to a portion of the popular 120-mile Schuylkill River Trail on the south side of town. “There’s also a direct access point to the Schuylkill River Trail from the main street in Stowe, just behind the Turkey Hill convenience store,” Cicala says. “You can run, walk the dog, push strollers on the trail. It goes all the way from Center City to Reading.”
Trendy eateries and bars on High Street
High ceilings and velvet blue seating sets the mood in The Blue Elephant, an Asian fusion restaurant and lounge located inside a historic bank in downtown Pottstown. Another foodie favorite is JJ Ratigan Brewing Company, a pub with a full dining menu. “They do karaoke, and downstairs there’s a pool table and shuffleboard, while up another set of stairs is an axe throwing place,” Cicala says. “And across the street from JJ Ratigan’s, there’s a beer garden that does live music.” Outdoor seating and live bands are on the menu at Iron Gate Biergarten. But there's no shortage of beer gardens in the small neighborhood. Right next door, a pop-up venue known as The Alley serves up craft beer from local breweries. Also on High Street is the Pottstown Farmers Market, open on Saturdays. Local eateries within Stowe include El Limon, an unassuming Mexican restaurant, and Valentino’s Pizzeria. Residents can shop at Walmart on the east side or venture north to the retail section of Upland Square Mall, which includes Target, Giant and a movie theater.
Beer, Brats and Racing Goats
Just past the Pottstown Municipal Airport, Sly Fox Brewing offers brewery tours, a tasting room of the rotating craft beers on tap and a simple menu with pizza and sandwiches. The brewery also hosts the highly anticipated Bock Fest and Goat Race in May, which welcomes a big crowd to celebrate Spring with beer, brats and racing goats. And Flannels and Flames, a lumberjack competition, is in October. “Sly Fox also has a running club,” Cicala says. “They host a lot of races like 5Ks there.” Next to the brewery is Manatawny Still Works, a rum, vodka and whiskey distillery that offers tours on the weekends.
Open air at Memorial Park and Schuylkill River Trail
While there are a few neighborhood parks with playgrounds scattered throughout Stowe, the more popular park is Memorial Park. Located to the east, this 70-acre park features basketball and tennis courts, baseball and softball fields and miles of walking trails. Every September, the Annual Pottstown Pet Fair brings animal lovers to Memorial Park, where they can adopt, take advantage of free vaccines for their pets or simply give love to furry friends at the petting zoo. Pottsgrove Manor, a Georgian estate from the 1700s that hosts the annual Colonial Mayfair festival, is located across the road. The festival celebrates the arrival of spring and includes a Maypole dance, puppet show, games, music and local vendors.
Brick twin homes and Cape Cods
Stowe’s residential streets feature a few quaint pocket parks, sidewalks and street parking outside of twin homes and single-family dwellings. However, some properties offer driveways and both attached and detached garages. “Stowe is affordable, so it’s a good place for first-time homebuyers,” Cicala says. “There’s not a lot of new construction; there’s mostly older homes.” Townhomes with balconies and parking around the back and colonial-style twin homes with fenced-in backyards typically range between $140,000 and $270,000. Stand-alone homes come in a variety of styles including ranch, bungalow, Cape Cod and Split level – some sitting on almost an acre of land. Houses ranging from 700 to 2,000 square feet are priced anywhere from $235,000 to $400,000, depending on the size.
Pottsgrove public schools
"We're seeing values go right up in the surrounding neighborhoods because of downtown," says Jennifer Davidheiser, Realtor with The Real Estate Professionals. Students can begin with an 11-1 student-teacher ratio at West Pottsgrove Elementary School, a kindergarten through second-grade school with an A-minus Niche grade. They can finish their elementary years at Lower Pottsgrove and advance to Pottsgrove Middle School, both of which receive a B-minus from Niche. High school students attend Pottsgrove Senior High, which Niche grades a B-plus and ranks in the top 22% of Best Public High Schools in Pennsylvania.
Commuting on U.S. Route 422
Stowe residents are also centrally located between Allentown, 30 miles north, and Philadelphia, 45 miles southeast. Travelers have convenient access to U.S. Route 422, which leads to Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania Route 100, which leads to Allentown. For those without a vehicle, the Pottstown Area Rapid Transit, known as the PART bus system, services the Stowe community.
Photography Contributed By
Jay Ratchford
