A trolley rides through town on the Colebrookdale Railroad tracks that transported iron ore to neighboring communities in the 1800s. A museum honors Gen. Carl Spaatz, a resident who was the first chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force. Colonial-style windows, Gothic ornaments and Victorian-inspired Queen Anne towers adorn established housing and family-owned shops along a traditional Main Street-style thoroughfare. Boyertown, a quaint borough in rural southeast Pennsylvania, embraces its history. “The appeal of Boyertown is how we still focus on our culture and history,” says Kim Welch, a Realtor with Herb Real Estate and lifetime resident of the area. “It’s very idyllic.” Yet residents do not live in the past, as the borough is home to several active service groups and recently unveiled its newest project, a state-of-the-art baseball field named after a longtime youth coach. “There are numerous organizations that have a passion for the town, all run by local people who are pillars of the community,” Welch says.
Philadelphia Avenue is the heart of a charming downtown
Philadelphia Avenue is the heart of a walkable downtown district. The Book Nook, housed in the former Rhoads Opera House building; The Peppermint Stick Candy Store; and Semper Pie, a bakery known for its vast selection of cheesecakes, illustrate the variety of independent businesses found along the corridor. Old-school eateries include The Grill Shop, which has been serving up comfort food favorites since 1945. More contemporary dining options include Grind, which features a tapas lounge, and The Ironstone, a casual American restaurant that opened in 2023 in an 1800s-era building that once housed a hotel and saloon. Other downtown-area attractions include the State Theatre, the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles and the Boyertown Area Historical Society. The BAHS sponsors the town’s biggest annual event, a Halloween Parade along Philadelphia Avenue that has been a holiday tradition since 1912. It also hosts Old Soul Strolls on Saturday nights for your inner ghosthunter.
Colonial influence is prominent among a collection of historic homes
Away from downtown and its eclectic collection of row-style twins and duplexes, truncated residential streets feature established housing that is heavily influenced by the Colonial Revival style. Offerings range from cozy Cape Cods to multi-level homes with imposing, window-heavy facades to quirky American Foursquares with welcoming porches to Dutch-inspired dwellings topped with iconic Gambrel roofs. “There’s a lot of character in those old houses,” Welch says. Midcentury ranch-style homes on more spacious lots also can be found in town among housing typically priced from the mid-$100,000s to the mid-$300,000s. Similar housing is typically more expensive on the outskirts of town. As of early 2024, the median home price had risen almost 15% year-over-year to $285,000, but it remains the most affordable of the surrounding communities. “The area has been constantly growing for years,” Welch says. “A lot of people are moving up from Philadelphia and the Main Line. Just a few years ago, twins were going for 160, 170,000, and now they’re selling for up to 250,000. That shows you the kind of growth.”
Students can complete their educational journey at borough schools
Students can attend kindergarten through 12th grade at a trio of conveniently located schools. Boyertown Elementary School and Boyertown Middle School West are B-minus-rated institutions located within blocks of one another. Boyertown Area Senior High School, a particular point of pride for the community, is a B-rated school known for its award-winning music program, which manages the football marching band and is instrumental in school musical productions.
Renovated Mackey Field is a borough gem
Located in a wooded setting on the south side of town, Boyertown Community Park is the center of community activity. Mackey Field, named after a longtime youth coach Donald “Ducks” Mackey, is the centerpiece of a $945 million renovation. The project provides the town with a modern facility that also includes an irrigated grass infield, an LED scoreboard and ADA-accessible bathrooms. The Boyertown Rotary Club and the Boyertown Lions Club, two of the town’s service organizations, were heavily involved in the project. The Boyertown Optimist Club provides organized youth activity in baseball, softball, basketball, field hockey, lacrosse and cheerleading. The sports complex also includes a public pool, a disc golf course, pickleball courts, a ramp-accessible playground and picnic pavilions that town residents can rent for special occasions. The Boyertown YMCA provides additional recreational amenities and offers classes for children, adults and seniors. The Center at Spring Street, part of the Boyertown Area Multi Service organization that serves the town’s older residents, provides the 55-plus community with recreational and socializing opportunities.
State routes provide travel to Reading, Allentown and other regional points of interest
While the Secret Valley Line of the Colebrookdale Railroad connects Boyertown to Pottsville about 7 miles away, there are quicker alternatives for travel in and around the region. Philadelphia Avenue, which is technically Pennsylvania Route 73, connects directly to Pennsylvania Route 100 in neighboring Gilbertsville. They are among a network of state roads that provide access to communities in Berks, Bucks and Montgomery counties. Reading and Allentown, two of the state’s biggest cities, are 16 and 23 miles away, respectively. Philadelphia, the largest city, is about 50 miles south.
Crime rate is moderate to low
Based on a crime rate of 10.46 per 1,000 residents, Crimegrade.org gives Boyertown an “A.” Theft, at a rate of 3.042, was the most common offense. The CAP Index, however, gives the borough a 4-out-10-rating, which translates to a moderate level of crime. Almost half of all offenses fall into the category of property crimes, which tend to be concentrated in areas where a lot of people gather, such as shopping districts and parks, of which Boyertown has both.
Rich Sachetta is an expert real estate agent with Bold Realty in West Reading, PA and the nearby area, providing homebuyers and sellers with professional, responsive, and attentive real estate services. Want an agent who will really listen to what you want in a home? Need an agent who knows how to effectively market your home, so it sells? Give Rich a call! He is eager to help and would love to talk to you.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
