West Chester: Chester County’s Walkable Hotspot for Shops, Dining & Entertainment

Expériences à ne pas manquer

1. Shop independent boutiques

Having revived its downtown commercial district in the early 2000s, West Chester’s community understands the value of supporting small local businesses. The result is great shopping for all visitors.

Pick up a box of handcrafted artisan truffles at the award-winning Éclat chocolatiers; load up on vintage Eagles jackets and other sports gear at Jawn Supply; pair your records with microbrewed beer at Hop Fidelity; and find rare and antiquarian books, maps and literary artifacts at La grange à livres de Baldwin.

  — Photo courtesy Hop Fidelity

2. Eat your way through town

West Chester offers an impressive array of dining experiences.

Pick up a morning coffee and croissant at French patisserie La Baguette Magique, or a cinnamon bun from Yori’s Church Street Bakery.

For lunch, grab a floppy slice of pizza from Lorenzo and Son’s, or sit down for a relaxed platter of souvlaki at the sunny dining room at Opa Taverna. Then, for dinner, enjoy delicate handmade pastas at the James Beard award-winning Andiario, or the casual American walk-in fare (burgers and more) at Stove & Tap.

At the elegant — and award-winning — Turks Head Wines, you can order a tasting flight of reds alongside a charcuterie board, while  Slow Hand, a craft cocktail emporium, offers fun and casual Southern bites.

3. Take a whirl at the American Helicopter Museum

The nation’s largest aviation museum dedicated to rotorcraft, the Musée américain de l'hélicoptère et centre d'éducation invites visitors to see a collection of over 40 planes, copters and autogyros.

Learn about the history of rotary wing aircraft, play with the Cobra helicopter simulator and climb into the real helicopters on display to get a glimpse of life in the cockpit.

4. Learn more about local history

Itself a historic establishment founded in 1893, the Chester County Centre d'histoire holds an extensive collection of 80,000-plus artifacts from Southeastern Pennsylvania’s past.

These appear in its rotating exhibitions, while the library’s archive includes more than 500,000 manuscripts. You’ll also find traveling exhibitions in the galleries.

  - Photo par Visit Philadelphia

5. Ride the rails

Le West Chester Railroad Company dominated local rail transport in the 19th century, making West Chester a major hub for travel and trade.

You can take a 90-minute round trip along the Chester Creek to Glen Mills, stopping at historic stations with scenic countryside views.

Où séjourner

A Victorian mansion located a short drive outside the center of the town, The Bookhouse at Faunbrook charms with literary-themed guest suites. Closer to the epicenter, the Hotel Warner was built on the site of an Art Deco theater.

The Bookhouse at Faunbrook   — Photo courtesy The Bookhouse at Faunbrook

Conseils locaux

Vous êtes prêt à découvrir la région de plus près ? Voici quelques conseils pour vous aider à démarrer :

• Street parking can be tight, so make use of the Chestnut Street Garage et Bicentennial Garage.
• Live music fans can find entertainment here on most nights: West Chester features multiple music venues (The Social, Station 142, Good Bad & Ugly) and a thriving scene of local and touring acts.
• The town hosts many events throughout the year, y compris Semaine des restaurants de West Chester in winter, the Gay Street Open-Air Market from spring through summer, Fête de la bière kicking off the fall and more.