West Chester, PA Journey Information
A walkable historic downtown, 65+ eating places, a speakeasy beneath your lodge, and gourmand chocolate. Your information to an ideal West Chester winter getaway!
West Chester PA: A Borough That Feels Like a Small Metropolis
The foyer at Resort Indigo makes a robust first impression. | Photograph: Higher DwellingSomeplace between dinner at Limoncello and a late cocktail within the speakeasy beneath our lodge, we realized we had been underestimating West Chester, PA for years.
We’d visited loads of occasions earlier than, the best way lots of people do: lunch at a favourite spot, a day of procuring, Eclat Chocolate on the best way out. Good journeys, however surface-level ones. Staying over for 2 nights and three days confirmed us a very totally different model of this place. Whenever you park the automotive on day one and don’t contact it once more till you try, West Chester stops being a day journey and turns into someplace you really dwell in for a number of days. You stroll in every single place. You linger. You discover a speakeasy beneath the lodge on a quiet weeknight and savor each second.
Whereas technically a borough, staying in West Chester appears like a getaway in a captivating, walkable small metropolis. The streets are large and lined with pink brick, the structure spans centuries, and the power downtown has a density and confidence you don’t typically discover at this scale.
Historical past is carved into each block right here. The previous West Chester firehouse doorway has been right here since 1799. | Photograph: Higher DwellingHistorical past is embedded in each block, from carved stone doorways dated 1799 to the courthouse that has anchored the city middle because the 1840s. There are over 65 eating places, bars, and eateries inside straightforward strolling distance, a eating scene that genuinely rivals cities many occasions its measurement, and impartial boutiques, report retailers, a world-class chocolatier, and distinctive finds round practically each nook. In the event you love discovering weekend getaways from Philadelphia that punch properly above their weight, West Chester belongs close to the highest of your listing.
Why Winter Is a Nice Time to Go to
We traveled midweek, which we are likely to desire for the quieter tempo. However West Chester is equally well-suited to a weekend getaway, and the itinerary and suggestions on this information work simply as properly both manner.
We got here in February and would select winter once more with out hesitation. The eating places really feel private and unhurried, the heated patios are unexpectedly atmospheric, and the entire downtown settles right into a tempo that makes every thing extra gratifying. That stated, West Chester earns its status throughout each season. Spring and fall exhibit the historic structure fantastically, and summer time brings each outside patio absolutely to life. No matter time of yr brings you right here, this information will make it easier to take advantage of it. It is usually a pure companion to a Southeast Pennsylvania foodie highway journey if you wish to make an extended run of it.
📍 Journey at a Look
🗺️ Begin Right here: The Chester County Welcome Middle
The immersive map room on the Chester County Welcome Middle – not your typical customer cease. | Photograph: Higher DwellingEarlier than you do anything in West Chester, cease right here. We all know that’s not what anybody expects to listen to a couple of welcome middle, however this one is genuinely totally different.
The Chester County Welcome Middle, tucked contained in the Historic Chester County Courthouse on Market Road, is one of the best customer middle we’ve ever walked into. The workers treats you want a buddy who simply arrived on the town slightly than a vacationer to be processed. On a chilly February morning, free sizzling cocoa is ready on the counter alongside free snacks together with Herr’s chips and sweet. That alone earns the detour.
What Makes It Definitely worth the Cease
What units this welcome middle aside is how substantively helpful it’s. Step into the immersive map room, the place floor-to-ceiling projections and life-sized location markers put your complete Chester County area at your ft. Browse the bvTV theater room, the place quick video options on native sights play on demand. Discover the augmented actuality room, or sit down on the interactive Brandywine Valley touchscreen desk and begin planning your itinerary. A digital planner takes your pursuits and sends a custom-made plan straight to your telephone.
The digital itinerary builder sends a customized plan straight to your telephone. | Photograph: Higher DwellingThe workers can level you to the correct desk on the proper restaurant, flag what is occurring downtown that week, and fill in all of the gaps that no web site ever covers. It’s like having a private concierge proper within the coronary heart of the borough.
Households will discover free exercise kits, toys, and video games for teenagers as properly. You may as well request a free Chester County tourism information upfront at brandywinevalley.com to begin planning earlier than you arrive. Plan for not less than 20 minutes on the Welcome Middle itself. You’ll depart higher ready and, on a chilly day, considerably hotter.
✨ What You Will Discover Inside
Immersive map room — floor-to-ceiling projections of your complete Chester County area
bvTV theater — on-demand video options on native sights and occasions
Augmented actuality room — interactive regional exploration
Digital itinerary builder — solutions a number of questions, sends a customized plan to your telephone
Free sizzling cocoa, items, + snacks — sure, actually. Water, espresso, restrooms, and charging areas too.
Free youngsters exercise kits — video games, toys, and exercise kits for households
💡 Professional Tip: Cease right here earlier than you verify in if timing permits. The itinerary builder and workers suggestions will form the way you spend your first afternoon in the absolute best manner.
🏨 The place to Keep: Resort Indigo West Chester
Resort Indigo West Chester sits proper within the middle of downtown on East Homosexual Road. | Photograph: Higher DwellingResort Indigo is without doubt one of the latest locations to remain in West Chester, and its location alone is tough to beat. The 108-room boutique property from IHG sits proper within the middle of downtown, shut sufficient that when you arrive you may neglect about your automotive for the remainder of the journey.
The Foyer and Frequent Areas
The foyer makes a robust first impression. A tiered chandelier hangs above a herringbone flooring, surrounded by tufted leather-based seating and gallery partitions layered with native paintings and historic imagery that ties the lodge to the city round it. There’s nonetheless that refined new-hotel scent within the air, and the entrance desk group was welcoming and environment friendly, checking us in shortly and handing over our parking move so we may head straight to our room.
The Suite
The nook king suite. Quiet, properly laid out, and comfy. | Photograph: Higher DwellingWe stayed in a nook king suite that was quiet, properly laid out, and genuinely comfy to spend time in. Despite the fact that the room is spacious, seating is proscribed to a chair slightly than a sofa, which is price noting if you happen to plan to lounge for prolonged durations. For us, it labored completely as a spot to calm down and get some work performed within the evenings. The mattress stood out particularly, with a comfortable mattress and comfortable linens that made gradual mornings with espresso particularly gratifying. We slept extraordinarily properly each nights.
The lavatory is smooth and trendy, completed with Zenology toiletries and a bathe that provides each rainfall and therapeutic massage settings. On a chilly Pennsylvania morning, that element was a lot appreciated.
What to Know Earlier than You Arrive
A number of sensible notes are useful earlier than you arrive. Resort Indigo West Chester is deliberately compact, with the foyer, health middle, visitor rooms, and the linked WC Seafood Kitchen together with the Room 109 speakeasy under. The Nook Cafe off the foyer affords grab-and-go breakfast gadgets, pastries, and specialty espresso drinks. Throughout our go to we opted to stroll to Market Road Grill as a substitute, which is just a few minutes away and affords a full sit-down breakfast for about the identical price.
Rooms embody a small espresso setup, although ours was stocked for one particular person slightly than two, so we wanted to request further pods from the entrance desk. Bottled water isn’t offered in visitor rooms and you should buy it within the foyer, or use the refill station within the health middle if you happen to carry a reusable bottle. A Wawa and grocery retailer are additionally a brief drive outdoors the borough if you must top off.
🛎️ Good to Know
Eating: WC Seafood Kitchen (dinner solely throughout our go to) + Room 109 Speakeasy under + Nook Cafe for grab-and-go mornings
Espresso: In-room setup included — request further pods on the entrance desk if you happen to want them for 2
Water: No in-room bottled water — buy within the foyer, use the health middle refill station, or choose up at Wawa close by
Pet coverage: 🐾 Pet-friendly
Location: Every little thing on this information is inside a 10-minute stroll
Health Middle
The health room is properly outfitted with cardio machines and free weights, a handy solution to offset the additional journey energy.
Room 109 Speakeasy
One of many highlights of the keep sits simply downstairs. Room 109, the lodge’s speakeasy, has an intimate ambiance with a mixture of locals and vacationers, and shortly grew to become one in every of our favourite spots of the journey. It’s cause sufficient to remain right here, and there may be extra on it under.
Parking and Location
Parking is dealt with on the Chestnut Road Storage subsequent door, the place lodge friends have devoted spots at a validated charge of $10 per night time with in-and-out privileges by means of your keep and till 2pm on checkout day. The lodge can also be pet-friendly, so no want to depart anybody behind.
The Verdict
Native artwork and historic prints cowl the foyer partitions. | Photograph: Higher DwellingWe’d completely keep right here once more, particularly for an additional food-focused journey exploring extra of West Chester’s eating places and bars with out worrying concerning the drive residence.
💡 Arrival Tip: Test in first to get your parking move earlier than heading into the storage. With two folks, it’s best to drop luggage on the entrance entrance whereas one particular person checks in, then park after you have the move. A small step that makes arrival noticeably smoother.
🍽️ The place to Eat and Drink in West Chester
West Chester has over 65 eating places, bars, and eateries packed right into a walkable downtown grid, and the standard is persistently spectacular. This isn’t a scene carried by a number of standouts surrounded by filler. The impartial eating right here is actual, numerous, and rewards displaying up hungry. Right here is the place we ate and what stood out.
🦞 WC Seafood Kitchen
The blue shelving wall at WC Seafood Kitchen units the tone the second you stroll in. | Photograph: Higher DwellingWC Seafood Kitchen is hooked up to Resort Indigo, which makes it handy, however the meals earns its personal go to no matter the place you might be staying.
The eating room is anchored by a sweeping wall of blue shelving stacked with books, bottles, and maritime curiosities, together with a classic deep-sea diver’s helmet that catches your eye the second you stroll in. The ambiance is upscale and relaxed in equal measure, precisely the correct mixture for a seafood restaurant in a historic downtown.
Our server Anne was unbelievable all through the night, and her ideas steered us towards the correct dishes at each flip. The room had nice power on each visits: busy and buzzing with out ever feeling too crowded or loud. It’s excellent for a date night time.
What We Ordered
The Spicy Salmon over Crispy Rice. The standout of the night, and excellent for sharing. | Photograph: Higher DwellingThe wild-caught Spicy Salmon over Crispy Rice was the standout of the night. It arrived as particular person bites, each a thick sq. of golden crispy rice topped with spicy salmon, a pop of tobiko, and a tangle of microgreens, with aioli and eel sauce drizzled throughout the plate. The portion was excellent for 2 to share as a starter, and the flavors have been precisely proper: clear, brilliant, a little bit warmth that constructed slowly. The Seared Blackened Ahi Tuna Crisps have been an in depth second. Consider every thing you like a couple of spicy tuna roll, then add a satisfying crunch from the wonton crisps and a lovely presentation.
Seared Scallops with mushroom orecchiette and garlic cream. The appropriate alternative on a chilly night time. | Photograph: Higher DwellingThe Seared Scallops with mushroom, orecchiette, and garlic cream sauce have been one thing else fully: three massive scallops with a deep amber crust, cooked completely by means of, sitting on high of a beneficiant bowl of pasta with mushrooms and crispy shallots. Wealthy, warming, and the correct alternative on a chilly night time.
Bananas Foster in a copper pan. Simply sufficient for 2 and a robust solution to shut the meal. | Photograph: Higher DwellingDessert was a Bananas Foster served heat in a copper pan with candied pecans and a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into the caramel. Simply sufficient for 2, and a robust solution to shut a very good meal.
After dinner, the speakeasy is one flooring under. Undoubtedly head there for a nightcap.
🍸 Room 109 Speakeasy
Room 109 earns the speakeasy title. The Eagle Resort mural ties the house to almost 200 years of historical past on this nook. | Photograph: Higher DwellingTake the elevator down from Resort Indigo and also you land someplace that feels fully separate from the world above. Room 109 is a correct speakeasy, and it earns that phrase. The house is rooted within the historical past of the location: the Eagle Resort stood on this actual nook from 1803 to 1900, and the mural painted throughout the again wall of the bar room makes that historical past inconceivable to overlook. An embossed tin ceiling, uncovered brick partitions, a floor-to-ceiling wood card catalog, and low candlelight pull the entire room collectively into one thing with real character.
What makes it particularly good is how properly it really works for various moods. Pull up a stool on the full bar and watch the bartenders work. Sink right into a velvet couch for an extended, extra relaxed night. Discover a quieter nook at one of many smaller tables towards the again. Heat, intimate, and unhurried in a manner that’s more and more exhausting to search out.
The seasonal Purple Flag at Room 109, completed tableside with a pour of prosecco. | Photograph: Higher DwellingWe had the Smoked Outdated Customary, which arrived in a theatrical column of smoke and tasted each bit nearly as good because it appeared, and the seasonal Purple Flag, made with blanco tequila, strawberry-infused Aperol, lemon, agave, and prosecco. Each have been glorious. The bartenders listed below are doing work they clearly take critically.
Even if you’re not staying on the lodge, find time for this one. It is without doubt one of the most memorable spots in your complete borough.
🍋 Limoncello Ristorante
The Pescatore Fra Diavolo at Limoncello. Order it. Belief us. | Photograph: Higher DwellingThis was our greatest meal of the journey, and we’re nonetheless speaking about it.
After we arrived at Limoncello, we didn’t count on a secret hall. You flip off Walnut Road and end up inside a slim brick passageway, tall partitions on either side draped in Spanish moss and climbing ivy, two stacked lanterns hanging from the arch above, fairy lights working the complete size as much as the doorway. It appears like a hidden backyard passage, and by the point you step by means of into the patio, you might be already someplace particular.
The brick hall entrance to Limoncello’s heated patio. | Photograph: Higher DwellingThe eating space itself is absolutely enclosed and heated, with marble-top tables, a twig-and-candle chandelier overhead, a dwell flame heaters across the room, and a complete wall glowing with fairy lights and planters on the correct facet. On a chilly February night time it was genuinely heat and comfy, no jacket required. There’s an indoor eating room, bar, and occasion house too. But when the patio is obtainable, positively go for it.
The Story Behind the Restaurant
Household-owned since 2006, Limoncello carries a narrative price realizing. In 1963, Giuseppe Mingrino and his future spouse Maria LaSpada arrived in America on the identical ship from Italy. They didn’t meet on the voyage. It was solely a yr later, in Philadelphia, that they found that they had crossed on the exact same day. They fell in love, raised a household, and that household finally constructed a restaurant across the Sicilian recipes handed down by means of the Mingrino and LaSpada households for generations. You’re feeling that historical past in each a part of how the place runs.
The Ricotta Board with honey and heat focaccia. A beneficiant begin to one of the best meal of the journey. | Photograph: Higher DwellingOur server Sol was heat and enthusiastic all night, guiding us confidently towards dishes she clearly liked. The arancini have been fried to an ideal crisp, wealthy and melty inside, with a brilliant marinara alongside. The lobster bisque was deeply flavored and loaded with actual chunks of lobster all through. The Ricotta Board with honey and heat focaccia is a large portion with a delightfully rustic presentation. For mains, the Hen Limoncello delivered on each entrance: egg-dipped rooster over asparagus with lump crab in a lemon wine cream sauce over spaghetti.
The Limoncello Cake. Order it even if you happen to suppose you haven’t any room. | Photograph: Higher Dwelling🌟 Do Not Depart With out Making an attempt
Pescatore Fra Diavolo — a mountain of shellfish in a deep bowl: lobster tail cracked open on high, mussels, clams, shrimp, calamari, throughout linguine in a spicy tomato broth with a warmth that builds and lingers. It arrives wanting like a celebration. Order the fra diavolo if you happen to crave spice. Marinara or white wine garlic are choices too. It’s simply shared between two, and their home Chianti pairs with it completely.
Limoncello Cake — a dense golden slice, aromatic with the liqueur, dusted with powdered sugar, with a scoop of vanilla gelato on high and recent strawberries and blackberries alongside, completed with a rosette of whipped cream. Elegant with out being fussy. Order it even if you happen to suppose you haven’t any room.
⚠️ Reserve Properly in Advance: This place fills up, and it deserves the hassle. E-book earlier than you permit residence.
🍺 Sedona Taphouse
The Gorgonzola Chopped Salad with Steak at Sedona Taphouse | Photograph: Higher DwellingSedona Taphouse is the form of place that works on virtually any event: an informal lunch, an early dinner, or a protracted afternoon with over 200 beers on faucet and no explicit cause to rush. The room is heat and ethereal, the meals displays are sharp, and the kitchen places significantly extra thought into the menu than a taphouse is predicted to.
Value realizing: Sedona has donated practically $1 million to native charities by means of their ongoing Dine Out for Charity program, which runs each Monday with a portion of proceeds going to a rotating native trigger.
The Desert Hearth Jalapenos, bacon-wrapped and full of 4 cheeses, arrived with a calming cilantro-lime sauce and simply sufficient warmth to remain fascinating all through. The New England Clam Chowder, thick with clams and potatoes and completed with crispy bacon, was notably good. The Gorgonzola Chopped Salad with Steak got here with grilled steak cooked and sliced precisely proper, laid over a vibrant, well-dressed salad that felt indulgent and lightweight on the identical time. The Prime Rib Sandwich, with sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, fontina, and horseradish sauce on a toasted Cuban roll, is one thing we’d order many times.
The Salted Caramel Cheesecake at Sedona. Wealthy, clean, and sufficient for 3. | Photograph: Higher DwellingThe Salted Caramel Cheesecake arrived as a beneficiant, fantastically plated slice. Wealthy, clean, and sufficient for 3 folks to share.
🍳 Market Road Grill
Half diner, half rotating artwork gallery. Market Road Grill is the place West Chester eats breakfast.| Photograph: Higher DwellingMarket Road Grill is the place West Chester eats breakfast, and after a morning right here we utterly perceive why.
Half basic diner with pink vinyl cubicles and a counter, half rotating artwork gallery with unique work masking each wall and out there for buy, it has a persona that’s fully its personal.
The Nook Cafe at Resort Indigo is grab-and-go and tremendous for what it’s. However the three-minute stroll to Market Road is the correct name each morning you’re right here. The espresso was one of the best we had anyplace in West Chester. The service is pleasant and unhurried. The parts are the type that carry you thru a full day of strolling without having to consider lunch for a number of hours.
Two eggs, legendary hashbrowns, and crispy bacon. The plate that units up your complete day. | Photograph: Higher DwellingThe hashbrowns are the explanation folks come again. Crispy, golden, and seasoned excellent, they arrive with most plates and genuinely earn their status. We ordered two eggs over straightforward alongside, and the entire plate, eggs, hashbrowns, and crispy bacon, was precisely the form of breakfast that units a day up proper. The Bruno plate, with sizzling honey rooster, two eggs, hashbrowns, cheddar, and sausage gravy, is a full morning in a single bowl. If you need one thing lighter, the yogurt parfait with seasonal fruit and home made granola is recent and lightweight. Both manner, begin your mornings right here. You’ll not remorse it.
🥙 La Tartine
The Beef Shawarma Wrap at La Tartine. Don’t neglect the home made sizzling sauce on the facet! | Photograph: Higher DwellingLa Tartine was a spontaneous cease that changed into one of many highlights of the journey. We noticed crepes and shawarma on the menu by means of the window and rotated mid-stride. Value each step again.
This informal cafe attracts on Lebanese and Mediterranean roots and commits absolutely to creating every thing recent and to order. The menu covers falafel, crepes, paninis, salads, wraps, and glorious espresso, juices, and smoothies. The workers is heat and the power within the house is simple and welcoming. It will possibly get busy throughout peak lunch hours, so be affected person when it does. The meals justifies the wait each time.
The Beef Shawarma Wrap, with naturally raised beef in shawarma spices, pita, tomato, onion, and tahini, is filled with taste and satisfying sufficient for a correct mid-afternoon cease. Order a facet of the home made sizzling sauce and apply it to every thing. It’s that good. The Ham and Cheese Crepe was easy and made with actual care, precisely what you need from a spot like this. Quick, recent, inexpensive, and private in all the correct methods.
🏛️ Historical past and Tradition: Chester County Historical past Middle
Over 70,000 objects spanning 300 years of Chester County historical past. Plan for not less than 90 minutes. | Photograph: Higher DwellingHistorical past museums will not be at all times our first intuition on a getaway. We walked into the Chester County Historical past Middle anticipating to offer it 45 minutes. We stayed practically two hours and left wanting to return again.
The distinction was our information. Ellen Endslow, the museum’s curator, led our tour with a depth of data and a stage of enthusiasm that was contagious. She loves this assortment and this materials, and it reveals in each room she walks you thru.
The gathering spans greater than 70,000 objects masking over 300 years of Chester County historical past: furnishings, instruments, quilts, trend, pottery, manuscripts, and pictures. The rotating displays draw from an in depth analysis library with supplies relationship again to the 1600s.
The displays transfer from early colonial life by means of the Civil Battle period, the commercial age, and into the twentieth century, all of it curated with clear intention and evident care. The present store carries a choice of books, craft kits, and domestically made gadgets. Browse it in your manner out. In addition they provide personal strolling excursions the place you may discover totally different themes and matters round West Chester.
Plan for not less than 90 minutes, and e book a guided tour slightly than going by means of by yourself. The expertise is considerably richer with somebody like Ellen main the best way. If exploring Pennsylvania’s historical past and small cities is your factor, this area delivers at each flip.
📚 Information Value Figuring out
Frederick Douglass delivered his remaining public speech at what’s now West Chester College
Penicillin was first mass-produced for human use proper right here in West Chester
The Battle of Brandywine — one of many largest engagements of the American Revolution — was fought in Chester County on September 11, 1777
The gathering spans greater than 70,000 objects masking over 300 years of native historical past
💡 Professional Tip: E-book upfront. Stroll-in availability may be restricted, and a guided tour is the model of this go to that really stays with you.
🛍️ Issues to Do in West Chester: Procuring, Chocolate, and Extra
In terms of issues to do in West Chester, PA, you’ll discover one of many strongest impartial procuring scenes within the Mid-Atlantic. Boutiques, galleries, present retailers, and specialty shops line practically each block of the downtown grid, with one thing genuinely price discovering for each style: trend and classic, residence items and unique artwork, information and uncommon chocolate, handmade jewellery and domestically crafted skincare. The 5 retailers under have been our standouts from this go to, however you might spend a full afternoon wandering and turning up one thing new on each block. That form of discovery is half the pleasure of being right here. It’s an analogous power to what you discover at Peddlers Village, simply with a extra city, walkable downtown really feel.
🍫 Eclat Chocolate
The Fallingwater Bars at Eclat Chocolate. Impressed by Frank Lloyd Wright and an ideal present to carry residence. | Photograph: Higher DwellingBon Appetit known as Eclat “one of the best chocolate in America”, and thirty seconds inside, you begin to consider it.
Proprietor and Grasp Chocolatier Christopher Curtin skilled with Europe’s premier guild of pastry cooks in France earlier than turning into the primary American ever awarded the dignity of German Pastry Chef and Chocolatier in Cologne. He then spent years learning with main chocolate makers throughout Belgium, Switzerland, France, Germany, and Japan earlier than opening a small store on South Excessive Road in West Chester.
On a winter go to, complimentary sizzling cocoa samples could also be ready on the counter. Settle for with out hesitation. The Fallingwater Bars, impressed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural landmark in western Pennsylvania, are a lovely present. The total vary at Eclat Chocolate contains signature assortments, spiced and fruit-infused bars, caramels, and vegan choices. Give your self extra time right here than you suppose you want.
🌿 Pine and Quill
Pine and Quill. A curated residence items and present store | Photograph: Higher DwellingPine and Quill is a one-minute stroll from Resort Indigo and a store price constructing time round. This women-owned residence items and present vacation spot carries a considerate mixture of distinctive trendy and vintage-inspired gadgets: unique paintings, handmade jewellery, terrariums, books, residence decor, and one-of-a-kind finds you merely is not going to come throughout elsewhere. Proprietor Dianna has a robust eye, and the store at all times feels present and punctiliously curated.
In addition they carry furnishings and wallpaper from Thibaut and Anna French if you’re searching for one thing bigger. Month-to-month workshops and pop-up occasions add an interactive aspect. Test their calendar earlier than your journey.
👗 Malena’s Classic Boutique
Shopping by shade at Malena’s Classic Boutique. A West Chester fixture since 2003. | Photograph: Higher DwellingMalena’s is what a classic retailer seems to be like when somebody with actual experience has edited it all the way down to solely what’s price your time. A West Chester fixture since 2003, the store has earned Better of Philly from Philadelphia Journal and Better of the Mainline from Mainline At present, and each make full sense the second you stroll by means of the door.
The gathering spans ladies’s classic trend, jewellery, and equipment from the 1870s by means of the Nineteen Seventies, organized by shade throughout well-maintained racks that make shopping a pleasure. Whether or not you might be attempting to find a structured coat, a beaded robe, or one thing with fringe and persona, the workers will information you straight to it. The form of classic retailer you look forward to finding in a significant metropolis, positioned on a road in a small Pennsylvania borough.
✨ Kaly Store
Exhausting to depart Kaly and not using a West Chester sweater. | Photograph: Higher DwellingKaly is the store the place you go in for one factor and are available out carrying three. Handmade jewellery, clothes, skincare, candles, residence decor, and equipment, working the vary from genuinely sentimental to gadgets that can make somebody chortle out loud. The workers is welcoming and the power is relaxed. A dependable cease if you happen to nonetheless want one thing to carry residence.
🎵 Hop Constancy
Data and chilly beer beneath one roof. Plan for thirty minutes and finances for an hour. | Photograph: Higher DwellingHop Constancy is a report retailer and nano brewery that takes each halves of that description critically. The vinyl choice runs from basic rock and punk by means of jazz and soul, with new releases alongside classic finds throughout well-maintained bins. The brewery produces small-batch beers on faucet on the bar, alongside cans, wine, and non-alcoholic choices for everybody on the desk.
Plan for thirty-minutes and finances for an hour. The workers is aware of their stock, the ambiance is enjoyable, and a chilly beer whereas flipping by means of information on a quiet weekday afternoon makes it straightforward to lose observe of time.
🍷 Wine and Small Bites: Turks Head Wines
Turks Head Wines. A California vineyard pouring Napa wines within the coronary heart of West Chester. | Photograph: Higher DwellingTurks Head Wines is a California vineyard with a Pennsylvania tasting room, sourcing, producing, and bottling all of its wines in Napa earlier than pouring them right here within the coronary heart of West Chester.
The tasting room occupies a hovering industrial constructing with a glass skylight ceiling, uncovered timber trusses, and oak barrels lining the higher balcony. On the middle of the bottom flooring, a life-sized indoor tree anchors the house in a manner that earns a real pause whenever you stroll in. An extended marble bar runs the size of the decrease stage, and past it, a number of seating areas with their very own distinct moods offer you choices relying on the way you wish to spend the time.
An incredible spot for a wine tasting and a few bites, the meals menu is small and centered, constructed to enrich slightly than compete with what’s within the glass. Whether or not you agree in for a tasting flight, a glass by the hearth lounge, or a bottle shared over a protracted dialog, Turks Head earns its place in any West Chester weekend. There may be additionally a bottle store on web site for taking one thing residence.
🌿 A Quick Drive Away: Longwood Gardens and 1906 Restaurant
Lush indoor winter gardens within the Conservatory District of Longwood Gardens | Photograph: Higher DwellingNo information to this nook of Chester County could be full with out mentioning Longwood Gardens, one of many world’s nice horticultural locations and only a 20-minute drive from West Chester.
🌸 Why Add Longwood to Your Journey
Spanning over 1,000 acres in close by Kennett Sq., Longwood is a year-round landmark, however winter is an particularly compelling time to go to. The conservatories are lush and blooming even when the outside grounds are blanketed in snow, and the Winter Surprise season (usually January by means of March) transforms the indoor gardens into one thing genuinely magical. Stepping inside after a chilly stroll by means of the grounds appears like arriving someplace utterly totally different. Now we have written a full information to planning a winter getaway to Longwood Gardens if you’d like the entire image.
For a very particular night, plan dinner at 1906, the tremendous eating restaurant positioned inside the Conservatory District and named for the yr Pierre S. du Pont bought the property. Reopened in fall 2024 as a part of Longwood’s $250 million reimagining undertaking, 1906 is the form of dinner that stays with you. The eating room sits behind signature arched home windows overlooking the snow-dusted gardens, with mid-century trendy furnishings, pink orchid centerpieces, and repair that matches the environment. The menu modifications with the seasons and the kitchen plates every thing prefer it belongs on this explicit room. The cocktail program is equally thought-about, and desserts listed below are genuinely extraordinary: whimsical, technically completed, and value ordering even whenever you suppose you haven’t any room left. Now we have a full 1906 at Longwood Gardens assessment with every thing you must plan the dinner.
One sensible observe: reaching 1906 requires a five-minute stroll by means of the outside gardens, so gown for the climate. Backyard admission is required to dine right here, however the conservatories are included, making the complete go to very a lot price constructing a night round.
🗓️ Fast 3-Day Itinerary
Right here is how we might construction three days in West Chester to cowl the highlights with out feeling pressed. We traveled midweek and located the quieter tempo, attentive service, and decrease charges made the journey even higher. The identical itinerary works equally properly over a weekend.
Day 1 — Arrive, Discover, and Eat Properly
Test into Resort Indigo, drop your luggage, and head to the Chester County Welcome Middle earlier than it closes. Get oriented, seize a cup of cocoa, and let the digital planner construct you a custom-made itinerary for the times forward. Spend the afternoon on foot: Pine and Quill, Eclat Chocolate, Hop Constancy, and a stroll previous the carved stone doorways on Excessive Road are all inside straightforward attain of one another. Within the night, dinner at WC Seafood Kitchen, then a drink downstairs at Room 109. That may be a first night time in West Chester performed precisely proper.
Day 2 — Historical past, Lunch, and Limoncello
Breakfast at Market Road Grill. Two eggs, legendary hashbrowns, and one of the best espresso within the borough. E-book your guided tour on the Chester County Historical past Middle for mid-morning and provides it not less than 90 minutes. Lunch at La Tartine: beef shawarma, home made sizzling sauce, don’t skip both. The afternoon is for Malenas Classic, Kaly Store, and no matter else catches your consideration alongside the best way. Dinner at Limoncello. Make that reservation earlier than you permit residence.
Day 3 — A Sluggish Morning, One Final Pour, and Longwood
Sedona Taphouse for a relaxed late breakfast or early lunch after checkout. Strive the Prime Rib Sandwich if you happen to missed it earlier within the journey. In case your schedule permits, the drive to Longwood Gardens takes about 20 minutes and makes an ideal afternoon addition earlier than the journey residence. Dinner at 1906 would make it an unforgettable near the journey.
💡 Sensible Suggestions for Your Go to
🚗 Getting ThereAbout 45 minutes from Middle Metropolis Philadelphia, 35 minutes from Wilmington, roughly two hours from New York Metropolis, 1 hour and 45 minutes from Baltimore, and about 2 hours and 20 minutes from Washington DC. Quick access from I-95, Route 202, and Route 30.
🅿️ ParkingResort friends: Chestnut Road Storage, $10/night time validated, in-and-out privileges. On-street parking free Saturdays till 5pm, free all day Sundays, excluding the Chester County Justice Middle Storage. A number of floor heaps and extra garages out there all through the downtown space.
🚶 WalkabilityWhen you park, depart the automotive. Each restaurant, store, and attraction on this information is inside a ten to fifteen minute stroll of Resort Indigo.
💧 Pack a Water BottleResort Indigo doesn’t present in-room bottled water. A refillable bottle works with the dispenser within the health middle. A Wawa and grocery retailer are a brief drive outdoors the borough if you must restock.
🌤️ Each Season WorksWe got here in winter and would select it once more for the comfy, unhurried tempo. However West Chester is definitely worth the journey in any season. Spring and fall exhibit the historic structure fantastically, and summer time brings each outside patio absolutely to life.
🧥 Winter ClimateCostume in layers. The brick sidewalks are beautiful however that is Pennsylvania in February. Good strolling sneakers will matter greater than you count on.
❓ Continuously Requested Questions
Is West Chester walkable?
Exceptionally so. When you park, you’ll not want your automotive once more till checkout. Each restaurant, store, and attraction on this information is inside a cushty stroll of Resort Indigo.
How far is West Chester from Philadelphia?
About 45 minutes by automotive from Middle Metropolis Philadelphia. It is usually roughly two hours from New York Metropolis, about 1 hour 45 minutes from Baltimore, and about 2 hours 20 minutes from Washington DC, making it a simple lengthy weekend vacation spot from a variety of beginning factors.
What number of days do you want in West Chester?
Two nights and three days is the candy spot. One night time works in case your schedule calls for it, however the second night time is the place the journey begins to really feel like an actual getaway slightly than an prolonged go to. There may be genuinely extra right here than a single day can maintain.
Is West Chester good in winter?
It’s an exquisite time to go to. The eating rooms really feel private and unhurried, the streets tackle a quiet appeal, and the heated patios at Limoncello and elsewhere are unexpectedly atmospheric when it’s chilly outdoors. Combining the journey with a go to to Longwood Gardens makes it even higher.
What’s the finest restaurant in West Chester?
Limoncello, based mostly on our go to, with WC Seafood Kitchen an in depth second. In the event you can solely select one, select Limoncello. If you’re staying at Resort Indigo, find time for each.
Is there parking in downtown West Chester?
Sure, and simpler than most cities this measurement. On-street parking is free on Saturdays till 5pm and free in every single place on Sundays. Resort Indigo friends have the added comfort of the devoted Chestnut Road Storage subsequent door at $10 per night time.
Is West Chester price a weekend journey?
Greater than we anticipated, and we anticipated fairly a bit. A compelling eating scene, probably the most participating historical past museums in Pennsylvania, impartial procuring with real persona, and a walkable historic downtown that rewards slowing down. The Philadelphia Inquirer as soon as known as it one of many world’s most excellent small cities. After two days right here, that lands as a very cheap take.
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