The Mt. Airy-Nippon-Bryan-Cresheim Town Watch was originally started as a town watch 25 years ago but has become so much more since.
Steve Stroiman, the coordinator for the neighborhood association, realized in order to stay relevant to their community, they would have to diversify.
Stroiman realized patrolling a block would only do so much. He needed to put faces to the homes he passed by every day.
“My mantra has always been the more you know your neighbors, the more you tend to care,” said Stroiman.
The town watch consists of more than 200 households. Neighbors involve themselves by taking part in annual civic or social activities and monthly meetings.
One of the bigger projects the town watch took on was the renovation of the Allen’s Lane train station.
“[The train station] was a lawsuit waiting to happen,” said Stroiman.
Stroiman wrote to a politician who brought a high ranking SEPTA official to one of their monthly meetings. Afterward, a large project was undertaken to beautify the train station.
Another member of the town watch, Bobbie Horowitz, feels there is a sense of community over self. Horowitz has been a member of the town watch for 12 years.
“I knew I wanted to become involved and, hook or crook, I wanted to get involved,” said Horowitz.
Horowitz, originally from New York City, understands the detachment anyone can easily have from their neighbors. In her community of Mt. Airy, being detached just isn’t in their mindset.
“The opposite of love isn’t hate, its apathy,” said Horowitz. “That’s what we don’t see in Mt. Airy.”
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