Philadelphia area natives Marc and Sandy Alch celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary Memorial Day Weekend at their beach home in Margate, New Jersey. The proud grandparents try to spend as much time Down the Shore with family during the summer months, but call AVE Newtown Square their home, along with their three-and-a-half-year-old dachshund-poodle mix Jax.
The couple watched AVE Newtown Square being built. Sandy, a retired teacher and guidance counselor with Delaware County Intermediate Unit, said to her husband one day while driving by the construction site, 'We're going to live there some day.' The Alchs knew they wanted to downsize, but like most area empty-nesters, it needed to be the right fit to justify the move. "We were looking for a building with amenities, and we wanted an apartment that was light and airy," Sandy says.
After shopping an upwards of 15 apartment communities, Sandy's hunch about AVE Newtown Square was validated. "I saw the light, literally," she laughs. "When I walked into this corner apartment, it was so light and airy, and I said to Marc, 'This is it.'"
"I saw the light, literally," she laughs. "When I walked into this corner apartment, it was so light and airy, and I said to Marc, 'This is it.'"
Service is important to Marc, a retired pharmacist who created an open and friendly environment at his Shadeland Pharmacy in Drexel Hill for 23 years where all customers were greeted by their first name. He considers the team at AVE Newtown Square friends, and often stops by Resident Services just to say hello and catch up with General Manager Carly and the rest of the team Samantha, Nicole, Danielle, Kate and Alexa.
When the Alchs aren't spending time with their children and grandchildren, they can be found working out in the community's 24-hour, state-of-the-art fitness center, walking Jax around the property or at nearby Rosetree Park, dining at Fellini Café in town, or grilling up their favorite steaks in the courtyard outside their building. "We really do feel like we live at a country club," Sandy says. "The property is so pretty."
While the Alchs are outgoing and their neighbors know them well, what you might not know is Marc is a crack bowler. He started playing when he was 9 and dreamt of the pros – he even received some sponsorship offers – but instead he put his heart and soul into his business. He just started playing again, so if you're a neighbor looking to hit the lanes, Marc is your guy.
"We really do feel like we live at a country club," Sandy says. "The property is so pretty."