Although she denies it, Curley is an unofficial Upper Darby historian of sorts. Everyone came here to shop, especially around the holidays!”Īnd Curley would know. The big department stores around then-in the 50’s and 60s- were you know, Gimble’s, Lit Brothers, Woolworth’s. Her blue eyes take on a dreamy quality as she reminiscences about bygone years: “People used to come from the outer suburbs to shop here. Indeed, the local businesses are ripe with interesting finds from catchall shops run by local Sikhs to large chain stores, filled with glossy posters of the latest Nikes.īut Curley remembers the real glory days of shopping in Upper Darby. “The high school is very good, and it’s very close to downtown Philadelphia too.” And Routh’s favorite thing about her newfound home? “The shopping!” she gushes. “I moved here because of the diversity” said Monica Routh, a new resident who moved to Upper Darby a year ago. Local residents are just as likely to have spicy homemade ceviche for lunch as Guyanese dhalpuri roti (a hot, buttery flatbread stuffed with ground yellow split peas, garlic and pepper, usually served with savory curry). The crowded streets are framed with colorful restaurants and grocery shops from almost every imaginable place. A trip down 69th street is a linguist’s dream, where a slow stroll will treat the astute listener to over 50 languages. Now Upper Darby is a smorgasbord of ethnicities, home to over 100 ethnic cultures earning it the nickname “The United Neighborhood”.

Curley has lived in Upper Darby Township, PA for over 60 years and has been a witness to the rapidly changing demographics. “I remember when Upper Darby was mostly Irish Catholic, White Protestant, Jewish and Italian, there weren’t many minorities at all” said Helene Curley.

The largest township in the country has seen its fair share of change. New people are arriving, new problems are arising

Demographics of haverford township