Children’s space NEST to close after three years

Posted 5/31/18

Nest has closed after three years. by Brendan Sample After nearly three years of providing local children with a place to both play and learn, NEST Chestnut Hill, at 10 W. Gravers Lane, will be …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Children’s space NEST to close after three years

Posted

Nest has closed after three years.

by Brendan Sample

After nearly three years of providing local children with a place to both play and learn, NEST Chestnut Hill, at 10 W. Gravers Lane, will be closing on June 16 after its current session ends. Although the location has helped many families during that time, a lack of financial success ultimately led to the decision to close.

NEST has one other location in Center City, Philadelphia, which is separately owned and operated. While this site will soon be undergoing renovations, it will ultimately not be closing, which will leave it as the franchise’s only active location.

Kara Hertzog, owner of the NEST building, said that it was a difficult decision to close the Chestnut Hill space. Her priority has been to maintain a high quality of education, cleanliness and safety, but there simply wasn’t a high enough volume of participating families to justify the growing costs. Despite the impending closure, Hertzog also expressed her gratitude for being able to help the families that did participate in NEST’s programs.

“The best part of this business has been being a small part of the village that helps kids grow and thrive,” Hertzog said. “I have some families who started baby music when their children were newborns who are now graduating from our Preschool Bound program. Watching them grow and develop has been the pleasure of a lifetime for me, and I feel so honored that NEST got to be a tiny part of that.”

With no plans to re-open at a later date, the closing appears to be a permanent one. Though she may not get to keep running the space, Hertzog can take comfort in knowing that the impact that she and the facility have made over the past few years will continue to influence the children who participated going forward.

“The joy NEST CH has brought me and the team is something that will never be forgotten,” Hertzog said. “Seeing kids walk or talk for the first time, turning shy kids into social butterflies and seeing parents connect and make lasting friendships was a regular occurrence here, and I felt so lucky and special that I was able to help foster that through NEST. I will miss these families and staff terribly, but look forward to seeing the kids on the Avenue while they continue to thrive and grow.”

news