Gallery Walk Struts Its Stuff
By: Dot Kennedy

  Gallery Walk debuted in downtown West Chester in June 1990 and quickly became a highlight of each spring and fall. Now in its 20th year, the tradition remains an integral part of the downtown events scene.

  Held the first Friday in June and October, Gallery Walk provides the perfect opportunity to experience the historic Borough’s blend of urban sophistication and small town ambience. Each Gallery Walk welcomes an estimated 2,500 visitors, many who return each year to enjoy the best of West Chester’s art, dining and shopping.

  Along with finding familiar favorites, Gallery Walk participants also see emerging talents. Exhibits over the years — featuring styles from traditional to contemporary and everything in-between — have included sculpture, photography, jewelry, ceramics, textiles, watercolor, acrylics and oils by local, national and internationally-known artists and craftsmen.

  In addition to the eclectic mix of galleries participating in Gallery Walk, the evening also includes one-night shows focusing on the work of an individual or group of artists. Businesses, such as banks, restaurants and retail shops, have opened their doors to give up-and-coming craftsmen, local educational facilities and hospital art therapy programs a venue for work that might not otherwise be viewed by a wide audience.

  The 2009 Spring Gallery Walk, on June 5, from 5 to 9 p.m., promises to uphold this 20-year tradition. Seven galleries and nine art shows will be featured within walking distance in and around the downtown district.   

  Event sponsor, Sunset Hill Jewelers & Fine Arts Gallery, will feature photographer John Cox and painter Kelly McConnell Cox, both of Unionville. Among the one-night shows, artist John Pompeo, of Wayne, who specializes in pet portraits, will show his animal paintings at Wag Your Tail.

  For a brochure and map for the self-guided Gallery Walk, visit greaterwestchester.com or contact the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce: 119 N. High St., West Chester; 610-696-4046.

  For more events and entertainment in the West Chester area, visit County Lines Events page and search feature.

Outdoor Dining in West Chester
By: Malcolm Johnstone

   When the weather’s nice, there’s no place quite like downtown West Chester for watching the world go by from a seat at an outdoor café. About a dozen years ago, the Borough first allowed outdoor dining and the rest, as they say, is history. Restaurants have expanded seating to the sidewalks and have even gone so far as to extend into parking lanes using removable patios!

  But the sidewalks aren’t the only spots for dining under the stars. Restaurants have built patios sheltered from street noise and as havens for those who smoke. One of the largest is Barnaby’s of West Chester (15 S. High St.), where there’s a patio bar, flat-screen TVs, and even heaters for chilly nights.   

  Looking for a view? Coyote West (Market & Walnut Sts.) has the only rooftop dining in town. Perched three stories up, it’s a great place to collect sights, sounds and tastes of downtown.

  Several restaurants have shown their creativity in creating outdoor dining options. Three Little Pigs (131 N. High St.), known for great lunches and catering, has added a stone and tile patio, mostly glass enclosed, giving the sense of a greenhouse, complete with fireplace. For a more traditional venue, The Lincoln Room (28 W. Market St.) has the only downtown courtyard directly accessible to the sidewalk.

  The widest sidewalks are found on Market Street where Pietro’s Prime  (125 W. Market St.) has a European-style café in the front, plus a more intimate patio in the rear for additional al fresco dining. Across the street, Carlino’s Specialty Foods (128 W. Market St.) is a great place to pick up a sandwich or salad and sit outside in their new sidewalk seating area.

  But Gay Street is where it all started. Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant (High & Gay Sts.) was among the first to set up outdoor dining and is a particularly good spot for people watching. At the other end of Gay Street, you’ll find that Doc Magrogan’s Oyster Bar (117 E. Gay St.) recently installed a café “deck” into the parking lane. This idea is catching on:  Limoncello (9 N. Walnut St.) isn’t far behind in its plans.

  Also along Gay Street, it’s fun to walk through the Teca seating area (38 E. Gay St.) to share the energy where the restaurant and wine bar have extended outside. And across the street at Spence Café (29 E. Gay St.), you’ll find white table cloths on the outdoor tables for a bit of uptown ambience.

  Continuing your stroll to the corner of Gay and Darlington Streets, you’ll find it’s much more social there now that Kooma (151 W. Gay St.) and Landmark America (158 W. Gay St.) have opened to the outdoors with full service menu and bar service.  A perfect stop for an after-dinner drink.

  But perhaps the best sidewalk dining is also the oldest: sitting on the historic Courthouse wall. The cuisine is often Wally’s Weiner World hotdogs, but the ambiance is enhanced by the sound of the fountain and the knowledge that the clock in the tower will never fail to strike precisely on the hour. A quintessential West Chester experience!