In the days when railroad was king, there was no nobler line than the Pennsylvania Railroad's Main Line, serving Philadelphia's northwestern suburbs. Running from Center City to Paoli, the rail line, which is still in service today, is a major reason you will find some of the Philadelphia area’s wealthiest families living on the Main Line, as they have for generations.

The towns on the Main Line – such places as Gladwyne, Wayne, St. Davids, Villanova, Rosemont, Haverford, Bryn Mawr and Ardmore – are notable for their small-scale business districts, many private schools (The Agnes Irwin School, Shipley School, The Baldwin School, Episcopal Academy, The Haverford School, to name a few), desirable public schools (many people favor Radnor and Lower Merion districts) and sophisticated suburban neighborhoods. To research public schools in this area, please visit School Matters.

Main Line real estate ranges from modest twins (often called “duplexes” in other areas of the U.S.) to over-the-top mansions on large parcels set securely behind privacy walls and gated entryways. The Main Line is home to many historic mansions built by some of the area’s most storied families. Some are still intact as estates, while others have been subdivided. Main Line real estate offerings also include many stone homes built in the Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, or Romantic Revival styles popular in the early 20th century. Indeed, exceptional, graceful architecture is a hallmark of the Main Line area.

Culturally, the Main Line offers a wide range of activities, not least because of the concentration of colleges and universities there. Main Line schools include Villanova University, Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, Rosemont College, Cabrini College and some smaller schools.

Notably, one of the world’s most important collections of French Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early modern paintings was in a museum in Lower Merion on the Main Line. The Barnes Foundation is renowned for its collection and was assembled by Dr. Albert C. Barnes beginning in 1922. In a move that is quite controversial, the collection is scheduled to relocate in the third quarter of 2011 to a new building on the Ben Franklin Parkway in Center City Philadelphia.
 
The Main Line restaurant scene is lively, with some of Center City’s best restaurateurs setting up shop in the ‘burbs. Georges Perrier, scion of famed Le Bec Fin in Center City, has opened Georges in Wayne, while Susanna Foo, formerly of Center City, launched Susanna Foo Gourmet Kitchen in Radnor. Even if you dine out every night, you won’t run out of fine dining options up and down the Main Line. And if you enjoy being in the kitchen, then rest assured there are some excellent shopping options in the area, including the Ardmore Farmers Market, an Amish farmer’s market in Wayne, and an array of gourmet grocery stores.