Glenside, Pennsylvania
Glenside is a census-designated place (CDP) located in Cheltenham Township and Abington Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It borders Northwest Philadelphia. The population was 7,737 at the 2020 census on a land area of only 1.3 square miles. Glenside is most notable for its entertainment like the Keswick Theatre, restaurants, recreational facilities and parks. The Glenside station is one of the busiest in the SEPTA system. Glenside is located about six miles from Center City, Philadelphia. Glenside is bordered to the south by Wyncote, the east by Jenkintown, west by Laverock and Cheltenham Township section  of North Hills, and to the north by the Abington Township neighborhoods of North Hills, Ardsley, Roslyn, and Abington. According to Niche, a new set of rankings claim that Glenside has been named one of the best places to live in Pennsylvania for 2019. "Glenside was ranked as the 37th best place to live in Pennsylvania, and also placed high on several other lists." Geography. Glenside is located at (40.102960, −75.152264). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all of it land. Glenside is split into two townships: Abington Township, and Cheltenham Township , with the latter being where the following are located: United States Post Office, Glenside Library, and Glenside Memorial Hall. The altitude ranges from 232 feet near Glenside Memorial Hall to 405 feet on Sunset and Lindley Roads. The majority of Glenside is around 300 feet in elevation; it is 238 feet at the intersection of Waverly and Easton roads, the center of Glenside, Pennsylvania. Demographics. As of the 2010 census, the CDP was 85.4% White, 7.2% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 1.0% were Some Other Race, and 1.7% were two or more races. 2.9% of the  population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. As of the census of 2000, there were 7,914 people, 3,103 households, and 2,013 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 6,217.4 people per square mile (2,406.0/km). There were 3,181 housing units at an average density of 2,499.1/sq mi (967.1/km). The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.97% White, 6.66% African American, 0.10% Native American, 3.02% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.44% of the population. There were 3,103 households, out of  which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.21. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.8 % who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $58,868, and the median income for a family was $74,025. Males had a median income of $48,378 versus $35,629 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $26,393. About 1.6% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18  and 3.6% of those age 65 or over. Transportation. Glenside is located at about a 30-minute drive to downtown Philadelphia, 2 hours to New York City, 2 hours to the Pocono Mountains, and 1.5 hours to the Jersey shore. Glenside has nearby access to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and is within relative proximity to many major US highways, such as US Route 1, Interstate 95, Interstate 76, and US Route 30. SEPTA. Glenside is served by SEPTA Regional Railroad at the Glenside Train Station. The station, originally known as Abington Station, has its roots back with the North Pennsylvania Railroad  and the Reading Railroad. Trains north split at Carmel Interlocking, just north of the station, and either go to Lansdale/Doylestown Line or the Warminster Line. Trains going south go to Philadelphia, which is about a 25-minute ride to Jefferson Station and 35 minutes to 30th Street Station. Express trains make it to Center City in as little as 21 minutes. With two lines serving the station, plus a handful of trains terminating in Glenside, the frequent train service makes Glenside an attractive place to live. Glenside is also served by SEPTA buses, in particular, routes 77 and 22 . Roads. Glenside also has several major local roads, such as: Pennsylvania Route 73 provides a connection with western Montgomery County and New Jersey. In Glenside, it is known as Church Road. Pennsylvania Route 309 also known as the "Fort Washington Expressway" or just "309," is a 2-lane highway providing a direct access to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The southern terminus of 309 is about 1 mile from downtown Glenside. Pennsylvania Route 152 also known as "Limekiln Pike," runs through Glenside, after it intersects with 309. It then proceeds to intersect with 73, and eventually continues north into Bucks County Glenside  is located in relatively close proximity to several national roads: Climate. Glenside has a typical Northeast climate. Summers are hot, with highs averaging . The middle of summer sees several days breaking , with only one or two days rising above . Summer nights can be erratic, ranging from . Spring and Fall are pleasant, with the highs usually hovering around , and lows of . Winters are cold, with highs averaging and lows of . Numerous days in the winter remain below the freezing mark, with lows of . In addition, several days in late December and early January, high temperatures are and lows can plummet to  . The following is a chart of the average temperatures in Glenside. Education. Primary and secondary education. Since Glenside is located in Cheltenham, and Abington Townships, not all Glenside residents go to schools within the same district. A Glenside resident will follow one of these paths, depending on which township they live in. Saint Luke Catholic School in Glenside, Abington Township, is a parochial school part of St. Luke The Evangelist Roman Catholic Church with approximately 315 students as of 2019, including 42 in their pre-school program. Universities. Glenside is home to Arcadia University, a private co-educational four-year  liberal arts university. Arcadia is well known for its Study Abroad programs, which two-thirds of their students participate in. The University offers majors in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Health Sciences, School of Education, and School of Global Business. The campus is set on National Historic Landmark Grey Towers Castle, which was built in 1893. Other institutions. Glenside is also home to Westminster Theological Seminary, a Presbyterian and Reformed Christian graduate institution. There is a satellite campus in London. Catholic education in Glenside is supported by Saint Luke Catholic School on Fairhill Ave. Students from this  school often attend the local Catholic high schools including LaSalle College High School, Roman Catholic High School, Lansdale Catholic High School, Springside-Chestnut Hill & Mount St. Joseph Academy. Media. Glenside is served by two weekly newspapers: "Times Chronicle" and "Glenside News", both papers a division of Montgomery News. The following is a list of radio stations that can be heard in the Glenside area. Independence Day Parade. The annual Independence Day parade held in Glenside every July 4 is reported to be the largest such parade in the greater Philadelphia area. The parade began in 1904 and is now sponsored  by the Greater Glenside Patriotic Association. It is a very traditional parade, including all the area volunteer fire companies, a variety of bands and other musical performers, church groups and community organizations, and local and state elected officials (Former-Governor Ed Rendell has been a frequent participant). One unique and much-anticipated show is the Schuylkill County Motorcycle Drill Team. It is one of the nation's longest consecutive Fourth of July parades.