Fairmount feels very much like a small town. Even its physical position, set off to the side, as it were, and bordered by park and wall for at least some of the distance, gives it a fairly distinctive geographical identity.

Yes, Fairmount Avenue is our "main street." There's a lot of useful stuff along the Avenue - Klein's, the tiny local grocery store; pharmacies; restaurants; Garden Fresh for good fresh produce & deli foods; Sunoco; post office; hardware store etc. Nevertheless, I'm personally hoping that Fairmount Ave. can continue to improve, especially east of 20th St., where there are some interesting old storefronts. At the moment they're rental properties, but it would be great to see some new commercial business there.

If you're curious to get a feel for the neighborhood, wait for a nice day, preferably in mild or warm weather, and stroll up 24th St. to Aspen (near Bridgid's bar & restaurant). You'll see Ward Park, named after Patrick Ward, a local son who was killed in Vietnam. It's a quirky but charming little pocket park, kept tidy and cheerful by a group of long-time Fairmount guys who have become fixtures, hanging out in the park in warm weather. Children play there too, and sometimes our Townwatch meets there to go on patrol.

Or stand at the corner of 23rd and Fairmount on a weekday afternoon after work and get the feel of a busy but relaxed urban neighborhood - people going in and out of Garden Fresh with their evening groceries, diners sitting outside at London, people waiting for the bus.

There are a lot of evocative things for me about Fairmount, but I'll leave it at that for the moment. I know friends and neighbors of mine from Fairmount read this blog too - let's hear from some more of you.