Ardmore is a lovely Philly suburban for a visit, especially the most beautiful place to hang out. It was the heart of Philly’s Main Line suburbs with a shopping area. It was the most famous for “Oldest Shopping Mall.” The shopping mall was “Suburban Square,” first opened in 1928.
Suburban Square is located in downtown Ardmore on Lancaster Avenue (PA Route 30).
The high-rise building was Times-Medical Building, used for the clothing distributor. Its first-named Strawbridge’s Clothier’s Men’s Store (Closed), then replaced with the Macy’s. Macy’s was closed in 2017, renamed the place Life Time Fitness.
Why Suburban Square is a great place to shop?
It was the first time I visited since I moved to Philadelphia when I wondered where is the excellent place to shop. I didn’t know that there is a shopping area known as “Suburban Square,” an outdoor shopping mall near the Ardmore Amtrak Station. The bus routes 44, 103, and 105 are in the shopping area.
How to get to Ardmore?
There are several ways to get to Ardmore. Public Transportation is an easy way to get there, including the shopping area.
Public Transportation:
- Septa Regional Rail:
- Paoli/Thorndale Line – Get off at Ardmore Station
- Septa Bus Routes:
- 44, 103, and 105
Driving:
To get to Ardmore, you can take the PA Route 30 south from King of Prussia or Norristown and turn left on Anderson Avenue. You can take the PA Route 30 north and turn right on Anderson Avenue from Philadelphia.
Another way is to take 1-476 and exit at St. David (exit #13), which is said (PA Route 30 – Lancaster Avenue).
Note: It is best to park near Suburban Square to save some money.
What are features in Ardmore?
There are lots of sights and sees in Ardmore, especially Suburban Square. Recently, I visited the Christmas Tree, an Ironic Building (Times-Medical Building), and a fountain. Besides shopping for clothes, there are also locally owned stores such as Ardmore Farmer’s Market, Ardmore Oral Surgery, Ardmore Seafood, etc. Hence, some shops aren’t locally owned, such as Trader Joe’s, Gap, Starbucks, Urban Outfits, etc. You can check out that stores once you get there.
Also, besides Suburban Square, there are plenty of shops on Lancaster Avenue, where you can take a stroll and stop by to take a glimpse look at the local shops, such as a thrifty store, Merion Art & Repro Center (art store), and some dining area along.
Plus, a newly opened Japanese shop called “Maido! A Marketplace of Japan“ opened in 2016. It is located at Anderson and Lancaster Avenue (near Ardmore Train Station). I highly recommend stopping by a place to try out the experience of visiting Japan. I enjoyed a visit when I start planning a dream trip abroad.
-Updated on December 6, 2021
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