Sage - Your Exclusive Buyer Agent for Wayne Real Estate

Wayne is small town America to many of its residents and one of the "true" towns along the Main Line.  The Wayne business district and surrounding neighborhoods have sidewalks to take the residents to the commuter trains, fashionable shopping, post office, movies, community library, various churches, the Radnor Middle School, and several banks, restaurants, and other commercial establishments. In 2003 during Radnor township's planning process it adopted a "master plan" for the Wayne Business District. Within the master plan are detailed goals to "maintain and enhance the small town/village character of the town". This plan includes goals for the type/mix of businesses, architectural standards, traffic, landscape, historic significance and more. The goal the of plan is to ensure the continued quality and success of the town--the reason why Wayne is quaint and beautiful. 
 

Wayne´s development began when a railroad stop called Cleaver's Landing was established. It was renamed Wayne Station after General Anthony Wayne, a revolutionary hero with a reputation of being "mad".  Parcels in the area totaling 293 acres were then bought by banker J.H. Askin, who built the fabulous Louella House located in the center of town and developed some of the first homes in the area. His and surrounding land were bought in 1880 by banker A.J. Drexel and newspaper editor G.W. Childs, to form a larger development they called Wayne Estate. In a brochure from 1887 about their development they described Wayne Estate as follows: "Wayne is not an accidental aggregation of cottages; it is a town built by design, and provided at the start with all the conveniences to which residents of cities are accustomed and which they are so apt to miss and long for when they go into the country or even into the suburbs of a great city. The scheme of the town was well thought out and planned before any of the new cottages were built, and, as it was undertaken by liberal gentlemen of abundant means, no expense was spared in the preliminary municipal work." It remains so to this day.

The Wayne regional train station is still a major asset to the town. It is a 14.5 mile ride to Philadelphia's Suburban Station and trains carry an average of 650 weekday riders. The station itself is Victorian in design and was added to the National Register of Historical places in 2004.

If the small town feel and the train line with its assessible commute into Philadelphia are not enough of a draw, Wayne's "walkability" is the 2nd most important asset. Wayne has a 94 "walkability" score, making it "a walkers paradise". This was one of the factors that lead to its being added to the Delaware Valley Planning Commission's Classic Towns of Greater Philadelphia. The marketing initiative started in 2008 to bring a focus to the area's established communities by promoting them as desirable places to live, work and play. There is not one definitive factor to be a "Classic" town but some include walkable, have diverse housing, historic elements and accessible transportation. It is a chance for each town to convey its unique attributes. Wayne was one of nine area communities chosen for the second phase of the program.

The residential neighborhoods that surround are split into South and North Wayne. South Wayne historic district was listed on the national register of historical places in 1991. The area was developed in a park-like manner with homes in the Queen Anne, Shingle and Tudor and Colonial Revival styles. It is a sought after area to live and its real estate is always in high demand. The Delaware County zip code area of 19087 median home price has increased 84% in the last 7 years.

Interesting fact about Wayne's history: From 1895 to 1903, residents of Wayne could swim in one of the largest fresh water pools in the country. The Natatorium was a block long pool created by damming the Gulf Creek in the 1800’s and was used to cool local residents off in the summer or ice skate on in the winter. All that remains in memory of the pool is part of the building that used to be a clubhouse, the women’s changing room, which is now a private residence. The neighborhood which has built up around this old poolis sometimes referred to as Little Chicago.

To find you perfect Wayne home contact Sage, your exclusive buyers agency for Wayne real estate.