The New York Times recent coverage on the appeal of Yardley Borough was certainly good news to residents and the officials who represent them. Jeff Arnold covered the reactions to the national spotlight in the Yardley Patch.

Many of the grassroots opinions recognized that the article merely cited the attractiveness of an area locals knew was terrific in the first place.

Mayor Chris Harding, who was reported as being on a first-name basis with just about everybody in town, said the coverage “…kind of lets everyone know why we live the borough.”

Harding is presently seeking another mayoral term.

His challenger, David Applebaum, also appreciated the rosy glow in which Yardley was cast. But he sees the attention as an opportunity to plumb its potential as a tourism destination. He sees great promise in the economics of visitors to the area.

Harding, on the other hand, viewed the Times coverage as confirming that the town is moving in the right direction as is. He happily notes the residential real estate growth, driven in part by work-from-home employees seeking an appealing place to ride out the rest of the pandemic and beyond.

The current mayor implied that what The New York Times said may signify that Yardley is on the right path. “And that’s something to celebrate,” he concluded.

More on Yardley’s reaction to its New York Times coverage is in the Yardley Patch.