On Our Gaydar: Mt. Airy

Gay couples with kids – they’re pretty much the norm in the sweet, safe, northwest hamlet of Mount Airy. “People tell us we’re a ‘non-traditional family,’” says one neighborhood dad. “We think having a son is about the most traditional thing we could do.”

Most of the schools within a 10-mile radius actually advertise that they’re “gay-family-friendly.” Says one lesbian mom: “One of my daughter’s friends from school couldn’t understand why we weren’t married.” (That’s out of the mouths of babes, Governor Corbett.) Plus, you can bring kids to almost any restaurant without a single person glaring at you like you’ve ruined their life.

EAT

“If it weren’t in Mount Airy, a sports bar would be the last place I’d ever go,” says one dad. But the dark, basic, pub-y McMenamin’s Tavern (7170 Germantown Avenue, 215-247-9920) is where everyone goes. And if you haven’t tried the bread pudding at The Night Kitchen Bakery (7725 Germantown Avenue, 215-248-9235), something is wrong with you.

SHOP

The intersection of Green and Carpenter makes you feel like a better person. First, there’s the Weaver’s Way Co-op (559 Carpenter Lane, 215-843-2350), where you can get your organic on (and where there’s an unfathomable selection of pet food). Then, there’s the independent (and gay-owned!) Big Blue Marble Book Store (551 Carpenter Lane, 215-844-1870) that says “yes” to local authors and “no” to Disney.

PLAY

Jenks Playground (corner of Germantown Avenue and Southampton Road) is totally old-school (i.e., made of wood!) with tunnels and ropes and slides and giant bells, plus a huge sandbox, dump trucks included, for you … um … we mean, for toddlers.

PAMPER

For some, relaxation means downward-dogging it at Blue Banyan Yoga (7153 Sprague Street, 267-974-6527) for the super-cheap $7 community class on Sundays from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. For others, it means strolling the aisles at William A. Kilian Hardware (8450 Germantown Avenue, 215-247-0945) looking for nuts.

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