A new food hall brings over a dozen restaurants to Media | Inquirer Greater Media
Plus, Middletown Township has its first full-service hotel.
Hi, Greater Media! 👋
It’s a big week for a short stretch along Route 1, where two new businesses are opening. Food hall Wonder is hosting its grand opening today, and less than a mile down the road, Middletown Township has welcomed its first full-service hotel. Also this week, Nether Providence Township police are searching for the person who left a large amount of cash in a South Providence Road mailbox, plus Swarthmore College is mourning the death of a beloved former professor.
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Good news for parents of chronically picky eaters: Wonder, the fast-growing food hall chain, opens at the Promenade at Granite Run today.
It will offer a wide-ranging array of foods from over a dozen restaurant brands, including Bobby Flay Steak, Detroit Brick Pizza Co., comfort food spot Bellies, and Burger Baby.
“I have children who never really could settle on the same food. So it was like, ‘Oh this makes sense,’” said Eddie Jefferson, the location’s operations leader.
Middletown Township’s first full-service hotel opened this week at the former Franklin Mint site.
The long-planned 107-room Hilton Garden Inn opens at a fortuitous time for the region, with a swell of tourists expected in 2026 for FIFA World Cup matches, semiquincentennial celebrations, the MLB All-Star Game, and the PGA Championship, The Inquirer’s Denali Sagner reports.
The new hotel also provides an additional option for local visitors, including those coming in for events at one of the county’s 12 colleges and universities or visiting major corporations like Wawa, which has its campus just a short drive down the road.
Read more about the new hotel and its restaurant, which is open to the public.
💡 Community News
Delaware County saw plenty of snow during the first storm of the season on Sunday, reporting between 5 and 7.5 inches. Swarthmore clocked in at 5 inches, while Media saw 5.5. Check out this map of snowfall totals to see how much snow fell around the region.
The so-called “Delco Pooper” appeared in court earlier this week after being arrested earlier this year for rage pooping on another driver’s car. Christina Solometo will enter a rehabilitation program for first-time offenders and can have the case expunged and her record wiped clean if she meets all the conditions.
Nether Providence Township released its 2026 budget, which calls for real estate millage of 3.7206, up from 3.5950 mills this year. Mill rates are used to calculate property taxes by charging the rate for every $1,000 in the value of a property. Recycling costs next year will decrease slightly to $116 per unit. See the full 2026 budget here.
Nether Providence police are investigating “a significant amount of cash” left in the mailbox of a home on the 300 block of South Providence Road earlier this month and are looking for the public’s help in identifying the man that left it. One theory about the mysterious cash is that perhaps it was left because the home was reportedly once a psychiatrist’s office.
Heads up for drivers: Road closures will continue on Forge Road between Stephen Drive and Paul Lane in Middletown Township through Dec. 24 as contractors do work related to the water main replacement. Closures are taking place weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Riddle Hospital in Media is among Pennsylvania’s 2026 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care, according to a new ranking from U.S. News & World Report released last week.
Speaking of Riddle, the hospital has made strides toward reducing nighttime noises. Once considered the loudest hospital in the region, only 12% of patients from a recent federal survey said the area around their room was “sometimes” or “never” quiet, a decrease from the 26% who said it was noisy the year prior. See how Riddle compares to other hospitals in the region for nighttime noise.
The community is mourning the death of 38-year-old Eduard “Teddy” Einstein, a Philadelphia resident who recently completed a three-year teaching term at Swarthmore College. The beloved professor and mathematician died earlier this month after being hit by a car while biking in Upper Darby.
On Saturday, Media borough will celebrate Mayor Bob McMahon’s tenure over the past 34 years with a mini-parade in his honor. McMahon will retire in January, when Joi Washington will become the first woman and person of color to hold the office.
Santa will join Middletown Fire Company No. 1 at 11 a.m. on Saturday to visit township residents.
🏫 Schools Briefing
Springton Lake Middle School was recently recognized among Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools’ “Schools to Watch” for the 2025-26 academic year. This is the third time Springton Lake has been recognized since the program was launched during the 2006-07 school year. It recognizes schools based on a number of factors, including academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity, and organizational structures and processes.
In Wallingford-Swarthmore, there are fifth grade winter band and chorus concerts today, a school board meeting Monday at 7 p.m., and winter classroom parties on Tuesday. WSSD begins its winter break on Wednesday. See the district’s full calendar here.
In Rose Tree Media, winter parties kick off tomorrow and continue Monday, when there are also winter concerts. There are early dismissals Tuesday, and no afternoon kindergarten. RTMSD’s winter break begins Wednesday. See the district’s full calendar here.
🍽️ On our Plate
For those in search of Christmas Eve reservations, Fava Ristorante Italiano and Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar, both in Glen Mills, will be open. Prefer to dine in? White Dog Café, also in Glen Mills, is offering a “Christmas at Home” package with options for beef tenderloin, glazed ham, and beef lasagna. (Main Line Today)
If you’ve already got your eye on New Year’s Eve plans, Wallingford BYOB Fond is offering a five-course dinner for $135. It includes oysters, tuna tartare, seared foie gras, scallops, pork belly, and dessert.
🎳 Things to Do
🎄 Lenora: A One-Woman Christmas Carol: Kate Brennan puts a modern twist on A Christmas Carol with this show centered on a woman who gets trapped in her apartment on Christmas Eve and ends up assessing how technology and devices both connect and disconnect us. ⏰ Thursday, Dec. 18, 12:30 p.m., and Friday, Dec. 19, 7 p.m. 💵 $21 📍Park Avenue Community Center, Swarthmore
🎭 Hello, Dolly!: PCS Theater will put its spin on the hit musical. ⏰ Friday, Dec. 19-Sunday, Jan. 4, times vary 💵 $28.50-$30.50 📍PCS Theater, Swarthmore
🍪 Teen Activity Days: Teens 13 to 18 can decorate holiday cookies at this month’s event. ⏰ Saturday, Dec. 20, 1-3 p.m. 💵 Free 📍Rocky Run YMCA, Media
💫 Winter Solstice: Celebrate the darkest day of the year with luminary lights, poetry readings, and carolers. ⏰ Saturday, Dec. 20, 5:30-8 p.m. 💵 Free 📍Plum and State Streets, Media
🎙️ Lights Out: A Very Valli Holiday: This tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons features classic hits and festive tunes, as well as audience participation. ⏰ Saturday, Dec. 21, 7 p.m. 💵 $41 📍The Media Theatre
🏡 On the Market
Located in Spring Oak Estates, this four-bedroom home feels light and bright thanks to a number of vaulted ceilings and skylights. The first floor features a two-story foyer, a living room with vaulted ceilings and a marble fireplace, a dining room, a kitchen with granite countertops, and a family room with exposed wood beams, vaulted ceilings, and a fireplace within a stone accent wall. It also has a spiral staircase leading to a loft. The primary suite, also with skylights, is on the first floor, while three additional bedrooms are upstairs. The home has a finished walk-out basement, a deck, and a fenced yard.
See more photos of the home here.
Price: $1.049M | Size: 3,302 SF | Acreage: 1.1
🗞️ What other Greater Media residents are reading this week:
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