Living in Cheltenham
As a child raised in East Oak Lane by two Philadelphia schoolteachers, I wanted strong public schools for my children, so my husband and I chose Cheltenham. Twenty years and three children later, my community continues to delight me through its activism and honest dialogue, but most of all because of the people who choose to live here – artists, writers, teachers, professors, scientists – people who are changing the world for the better (“It’s ‘wonderful,’ but taxing,” March 3).Yes, we do have high taxes, but my home would cost double across the river on the Main Line. And our schools are grappling with developing strong citizens within the constraints of No Child Left Behind and in a world filled with gratuitous violence, inequity, and poverty.
I spent a recent weekend enmeshed in community: Saturday evening at a local dance to support High School Park, where thirtysomethings danced alongside senior citizens; and Sunday morning over tea and scones at our new co-op, where I find I must factor in an extra hour to chat with neighbors and friends. Cheltenham is a place you live by choice, and I find myself thankful each day that it is our home.
Rachel Ezekiel-Fishbein, Elkins Park