Directions to the Thursday Night Contra Dance

Commodore Barry Club / The Irish Center

Regular Thursday night contra dances, as well as occasional special events, are held at the Commodore John Barry Arts and Cultural Center, a.k.a. the Commodore Barry Club or the Irish Center.

The Irish Center, 6815 Emlen St., Philadelphia, PA 19119
theirishcenter.com

Look for the contra dance signs. The ballroom entrance is past the driveway, furthest from Carpenter Ave.

Public Transportation

Train: SEPTA Chestnut Hill West train to Carpenter Station. 

The last weekday train to Center City Philadelphia leaves at 9:58 pm (as of June 2024). For current schedule information and phone numbers, visit SEPTA - Southeastern Pa. Transportation Authority. Later travel options include the Chestnut Hill East train, or bus route 23 from Germantown Ave. and Carpenter Lane.

From north and west of Philadelphia via Stenton Ave:

  • Take the PA Turnpike or I-476 to Exit 333 (Norristown).
  • Stay left and follow signs for Plymouth Rd.
  • Turn right onto Plymouth Rd. and continue straight on Flourtown Rd.
  • Turn right at a light onto Stenton Ave.
  • After 1.8 miles, turn left then right to continue east on Stenton Ave.
  • After 1.5 miles, turn right onto Cresheim Valley Drive.
  • Cross over Germantown Ave and continue onto Emlen St. (*)
  • Continue straight at the Lincoln Drive traffic circle.
  • After the Carpenter Lane SEPTA station, turn under the tracks. The Irish Center will be on your right.

From Bucks County, Princeton, North Jersey, and New York via PA-309:

  • Take the Jersey Turnpike, US-1, PA-611 to the PA Turnpike.
  • Take exit 339 (Fort Washington) and continue onto PA-309 south to the Easton Rd exit.
  • Turn right on Easton Rd then turn right on Cheltenham Avenue (Sunoco Station).
  • Turn left onto Ivy Hill Road (last block of apartments)
  • Turn right on Stenton Ave and a quick left on Cresheim Valley Drive.
  • Cross over Germantown Ave and continue onto Emlen St. (*)
  • Continue straight at the Lincoln Drive traffic circle.
  • After the Carpenter Lane SEPTA station, turn under the tracks. The Irish Center will be on your right.

From Center City Philadelphia:

  • Take the Schuylkill Expressway (I-676) or Kelly Drive and exit onto Lincoln Drive. (**)
  • Proceed to the traffic light at Carpenter Lane (at Church of the Annunciation). From City Ave/Kelly Drive, that's about 3 miles.
  • Turn right on Carpenter Lane
  • Continue under the SEPTA tracks. The Irish Center will be on your right.

From Cherry Hill and South Jersey

  • Take the Ben Franklin or Walt Whitman bridge to the Schuylkill Expressway west, and exit onto Lincoln Drive. (**)
  • Proceed to the traffic light at Carpenter Lane (at Church of the Annunciation). From City Ave/Kelly Drive, that's about 3 miles.
  • Turn right on Carpenter Lane.
  • Continue under the SEPTA tracks. The Irish Center will be on your right.

From Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia

  • Follow I-95 north to the Philadelphia Airport.
  • Exit on PA-291 to connect to the Schuylkill Expressway west.
  • Exit the Schuylkill onto Lincoln Drive. (**)
  • Proceed to the traffic light at Carpenter Lane (at Church of the Annunciation). From City Ave/Kelly Drive, that's about 3 miles.
  • Turn right on Carpenter Lane
  • Continue under the SEPTA tracks. The Irish Center will be on your right.

Summit Church

Third Saturday contra dances, as well as occasional special events, are held at Summit Church, just a few blocks southwest of the Irish Center.

Summit Presbyterian Church, 6757 Greene St., Philadelphia, PA 19119 (entrance to the hall is on Westview Ave.)
summitpres.net

Public Transportation

Train: SEPTA Chestnut Hill West train to Upsal Station, with an approximately 7-minute walk to Greene and Westview. 

The last weekend train to Center City Philadelphia leaves at 9:27 pm (as of June 2024). For current schedule information and phone numbers, visit SEPTA. Later travel options include the 23, 53, H, and XH buses and the Broad Street Line.

From north and west of Philadelphia, or from Bucks County, Princeton, North Jersey, and New York

  • Follow Irish Center directions above until (*).
  • Turn right on Lincoln Drive at the traffic circle. (Second quick right, immediately after Ellet St. and the Germantown Jewish Centre sign on the right.) Continue on Lincoln Drive for about 1/2 mile.
  • Sharp right on Greene St.

From Center City Philadelphia, Cherry Hill / South Jersey, or Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia

Summit Church will be on your right at the end of the block. The entrance to the hall is around the corner on Westview Ave.

Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill

Occasional special events will be held at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, next to Chestnut Hill Hospital, approximately 3 miles north of the Irish Center on Germantown Avenue.

The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19118 (Widener Room; enter in back)
chestnuthillpres.org

From North of Philadelphia or Central New Jersey

  • Take the PA Turnpike to Ft. Washington Exit (#339), and get on Rte. 309 South.
  • Take Rte. 309 approximately 2.3 miles to Paper Mill Road exit, and turn right.
  • Take Paper Mill approx. 1.5 miles to traffic light at Stenton Ave, and turn left, then immediately bear right onto Bethlehem Pike.
  • Take Bethlehem Pike to 1st light, and turn right on Chestnut Hill Ave.
  • Go 0.3 mi. on Chestnut Hill to 1st light, and turn right on Germantown Ave.
  • Go 0.2 mi. on Germantown Ave. to the Presbyterian Church on the right, #8855.
  • Park behind the church.

From Center City

  • Take I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) West from downtown Philly to Exit 340A, Lincoln Drive.
  • Take Lincoln Drive until it ends, and turn right on Allens Lane.
  • Take Allens Lane until it ends, and turn left on Germantown Ave.
  • Take Germantown Ave. approximately 1.7 miles to the Presbyterian Church on the right, #8855.
  • Park behind the church.

From South and West of Philadelphia

  • Take I-476 (Blue Route) North to Exit 19 (Germantown Pike), or take the PA Turnpike to Exit 333 (Norristown), and get on Germantown Pike eastbound.
  • Go approximately 4.4 miles on Germantown Pike (eventually changes to Germantown Ave.) to the Presbyterian Church on the left, #8855.
  • Park behind the church.

By Public Transportation

Chestnut Hill West line, with an approximately 9-minute walk:

  • Take the Chestnut Hill West commuter train to the end of the line, the Chestnut Hill West station.
  • Exit the station onto Germantown Ave, and walk 0.4 miles west (to the left).
  • The church is just past Chestnut Hill Hospital. Enter the building from the rear.
Chestnut Hill East line, with an approximately 10-minute walk:
  • Take the Chestnut Hill East commuter train to the end of the line, the Chestnut Hill East station.
  • Turn left on Bethlehem Pike, then an immediate soft right onto E. Chestnut Hill Ave.
  • Walk 0.2 miles on E. Chestnut Hill Ave. to Germantown Ave.
  • Turn right (west) on Germantown Ave., and walk 0.2 miles.
  • The church is just past Chestnut Hill Hospital. Enter the building from the rear.
For current schedule information and phone numbers, visit SEPTA. The last Chestnut Hill West train returning to Center City Philadelphia leaves at 9:51 pm weekdays, 9:18pm weekends (as of June 2024). Later alternatives include the Chestnut Hill East train (11pm as of June 2024), and bus route 23 from Germantown Ave. and Bethlehem Pike.