The Philadelphia Inquirer unpacked greater Glenside’s sometimes confusing geography through the celebrity of Bradley Cooper.

According to their coverage, Cooper “is often reported to be from Jenkintown, but he is not.” He is actually from Rydal, an unincorporated community in Abington Township.

He attended Rydal Elementary School in the 1980s and later enrolled at Germantown Academy in Fort Washington. His childhood mailing address is in Jenkintown, and he calls the borough his hometown from time to time, The Inquirer said.

Glenside Local has been addressing the Oscar-nominated actor as a Jenkintown/Abington native due to the conflicting opinions on the matter (we will go with an Abington-only approach going forward).

The article goes on to discuss the nature of informal neighborhoods in our area and beyond:

Many Abingtonians think they live in J-town, borough manager George Locke has said — so much so that his staff starts resident service calls by asking for an address. Otherwise they could spend 45 minutes on the phone, Locke said, before realizing the caller is in Abington.

Residents of unofficial neighborhoods like Glenside, or towns that span counties like Telford, may be more aware of their official designation. Some Glensiders attend school in Cheltenham, while others attend Abington School District.

Nye Stevens, a longtime Postal Service expert for the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the Congressional Research Service, told The Inquirer that today’s zip codes “are basically a delivery system. They’re not a neighborhood recognition system.”

The story concludes by noting that Cooper “supposedly owns an estate in New Hope. But he really lives in Solebury Township.”

Below is a “Before They Were Famous” segment featuring a young Bradley Cooper:

For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here.

Photos: Wikipedia, Classmates.com