Nancy Barch was born in Philadelphia, PA and currently lives in Delaware County, PA
The smell of wet sidewalks after a summer rain, roofing tar, playing under the water of a fireplug, walking to the library and the movies, playing hopscotch and red rover in the street, these are all memories of growing up in the city.
I was born and raised in a rowhome, you may know it as a townhouse depending upon your age, there were forty to a street, twenty on each side. I would wake up in the morning to see William Penn atop City Hall from my bedroom window everyday. I dressed and walked to public school with my friends. It was a comforting routine. Good citizenship was mandatory and everyone knew everyone else on your street, so you always behaved (until you got out of sight.)
Then, as you got older, you ‘hung out’ at the hoagie shop, went to dances and out for pizza. You many even walk to the drug store for a milkshake with friends after school. Yep, that was home to me then and, to my mind, it still is. You can see Nancy’s website here.
Diane Podolsky 