Burb vs. burb

Ardmore Jenkintown

Two Montgomery County contenders, matched on money, and two different ideas of a Saturday. The tale of the tape:

Quick verdict

  • On price it's a wash. Both sit around $531K.
  • Ardmore takes the food question. More kitchens worth arguing about.
  • Ardmore owns the night: more taprooms, later rooms.
  • Ardmore wins the browse. The shops are the afternoon.

The read, side by side

Food scene
Nights out
Shops & browsing
Arts & festivals
Trails & outdoors
Family Saturdays
Train to the city
Main-street walk
Peace & quiet

Scored 0–5 by us, the way we’d brief a friend. Not by a formula.

The numbers

Ardmore Jenkintown
CountyMontgomeryMontgomery
Typical home$539K$524K
TrainArdmore, about 30 minJenkintown-Wyncote, about 25 min
Drive to Center City~25 min~25 min
SchoolsLower MerionJenkintown
Population13,5664,719
In our guide112 places74 places

Home values: typical figures checked against Zillow and Redfin, mid-2026. Train times: typical scheduled rides to Jefferson Station, rounded. Verify before you commit to anything with a mortgage on it.

A Saturday in each

Ardmore

  • Felicia's Pizza Kitchen: Pizza on West Lancaster Avenue, run as a takeout counter with a handful of seats.
  • Pilot and Powell: A clothing boutique on Parking Plaza, the block behind Lancaster Avenue where Ardmore keeps its municipal lots.
  • Axiom Contemporary: Contemporary art gallery in a Coulter Ave storefront, a block off the Lancaster Avenue strip.

The full Ardmore guide →

Jenkintown

  • Philly Cheesecake Lady: Cheesecake as the whole point, in more flavors than you'd expect one bakery to carry.
  • Mine By Design Etsy Shop: A West Ave maker's shop that moved from Etsy to a storefront, selling handmade goods and gifts you can hold before you buy.
  • The Sewing Room: A sewing studio on the lower level at Homestead Road, running classes for kids and grown-ups who want to actually learn the machine.

The full Jenkintown guide →