Most mornings, area commuters listening to the traffic report hear about back-ups at the “Conshohocken curve,” a stretch of I-76 that bends sharply around the Montgomery County neighborhood. And, well, that’s pretty much all they know about Conshohocken.
But “Conshy” is more than the curve, promises Kevin Tierney, who spells out that idea out on his website, MoreThanTheCurve.com.
Tierney uses the site, which “started as a lark” and is now his full-time job, as both a community message board and a tool to promote the area to outsiders with news stories and ads for local businesses. He also organizes Conshohocken Restaurant Week.
“Conshohocken has become where you move to when you’re out of college and you already lived in Manayunk,” Tierney says. “The website is geared toward the new people coming in — the ones who are 25-45, looking for the restaurants, bars, yoga places.”
Conshohocken has a mix of twin homes and rowhomes, as well as a few newer condo and apartment buildings that draw a younger crowd. Since the area is small, no matter where you buy or rent you’ll have quick access to the highways, the Regional Rail line to Center City and the restaurants and bars along the main drag, says Jessica Dubin, a realtor with Prudential Fox & Roach.
“It attracts young professionals who would live in the Manayunk/Roxborough area — but can get more home for the money, and still have a nightlife scene,” Dubin says.
Going out in Conshy
Conshohocken’s retail scene is slowly but surely becoming hipper, Tierney says.
Obvi, a trendy women’s clothing boutique, recently opened at 515 Fayette St. On the dining scene, the closed 401 Diner (401 Fayette St.) has reopened with the same name — but instead of standard diner fare, the new owners promise “comfort with a conscience” in the form of organic, locally sourced ingredients.
The price tag
Dubin is seeing three-bedroom homes under 1,000 square feet going for around $250,000. Add at least another $50,000 for the bigger homes. Looking for a condo? At The Grande at Riverview, one-bedroom units start under $200,000.
