Northern Living

Bourbon aficionado, avid reader, and outdoorsman Scott Frith leaves Knoxville for love in the Falls.

Fly fishing in Iceland

He’ll miss the Great Smoky Mountains and kayaking the Mississippi, but Scott Frith moved to the Falls for a different kind of beauty. Now that he’s settled in with his fiancée, Bridget McCullough, on Sunnyside he’s found all sorts of reasons to love his new home town.

How did you find East Falls?

I didn’t find East Falls. East Falls found me. I followed my fiancée Bridget McCullough here in December 2017. I had already fallen in love with her, but East Falls wasn’t tough to love, either.

Hobbies or special talents?

Love hiking, cycling, and being out on the water. Looking forward to longer evenings this summer to spend more time outside!

Proudest possession?

If the house was on fire, I’d probably grab my paperback copy of Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” or Emerson’s essays. Like music, our books (and especially our notes in the margins) take us back through time and remind us of how we once were.

Hiking the Grand Tetons

Happiest day?

Bridget and I did a 20-mile hike up to Lake Solitude in the Grand Tetons National Park in 2016. I can’t get back there soon enough. Close second would be fly fishing and trail running in Iceland last summer.

Other jobs?

I am a recovering trial attorney. I practiced in Knoxville for four years. I had a great practice but I’m excited to be back in the real estate business. Before going to law school, I spent ten years in residential real estate sales with Realty Executives and worked a short time in government.

Reason you’re in the business you’re in now?

I love being a realtor and helping my neighbors. With a law degree and ten-years of real estate sales experience, I am uniquely qualified to guide families through a complicated process.

One thing that makes you glad to go home at night?

Bridget is an aspiring chef. Not really! But she won’t let me cook anymore. I’m not sure if that’s because I’m a terrible cook or because she enjoys making dinner!

Biggest change/adjustment from Knoxville?

Parking! Parking is like oxygen. When there’s plenty of parking, you never even think about it. When there’s no parking, it’s all you think about. You never had to think about finding a parking spot in Knoxville. In East Falls, and in Philly in general, parking requires you to think ahead.

Best thing so far about the Falls?

East Falls is human-scaled. With sidewalks, outstanding green infrastructure in Fairmount Park, access to transit, and great small businesses, East Falls is a great American community.

What’s missing?

A grocery store.

Biggest challenge?

Ridge Avenue needs work. It’s the front door to our community. Excited to see LeBus open at Midvale. No one wants to see Ridge Avenue become Main Street Manayunk, but we can do better. I believe we will.

Favorite spots?

No question — Billy Murphy’s, especially for wing night.

How would you compare East Falls to Knoxville?

It’s difficult to compare. Knoxville is a great, mid-sized southern city. But East Falls has so many advantages with our proximity to center city Philadelphia, a world-class Fairmount Park, and a community-identity reinforced by this newspaper. Of course, I miss being an hour drive from Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Smoky Mountains

Any tips about Knoxville for Fallsers who might travel there?

Go play outdoors. Stay downtown but visit outdoorknoxville.com to find the right adventure for you and your family.

What’s a typical winter in Knoxville?

January in East Falls was cold! Seriously though, Knoxville is blessed with four distinct seasons but the winters are nowhere near as harsh as East Falls!

Are you an outdoorsy type?

Are you kidding? I love the outdoors. I have hiked most of the trails on the Tennessee side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I visited the Midi-Pyrenees region for the Tour de France in 2004 to climb some of the mountain stages on my road bike. One of my favorite trips was a three-day paddle in a sea kayak down the Mississippi River. We slept on sandbars and drank good bourbon. Here in East Falls, I hope to learn to row and I’m looking forward to getting out on the river.

Location of proposed river landing site in East Falls. Click on image for more info.

What’s your brand of bourbon?

Jefferson’s “Ocean Aged at Sea.” It’s extremely small batch bourbon that they age in a ship at sea. As for why I prefer it, choosing a bourbon is like choosing a work of art. Why do you prefer a painter or sculptor? In terms of local bourbon cocktails, LeBus has a great boulevardier. In Riva just removed their Zoli bourbon cocktail from the menu, but I heard a rumor from a friend that they’ll still make it!

Looking for home?

If you’re thinking about moving or just looking, contact Scott at Keller Williams at 215-738-5737 or scottsellsphilly.com.

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