Local Gem: North Montco Technical Career Center

You may have driven past it dozens or even hundreds of times, but did you ever know that the North Montco Technical Career Center on Sumneytown Pike has a salon, restaurant and bakery that are open to the public? I only recently learned about these services myself at a Home & School meeting a few months back. Today I decided to check out the salon!

The North Montco Technical Career Center opened in 1967 and, today, serves approximately 1,100 students from the North Penn, Souderton Area, Wissahickon, Methacton, and Perkiomen Valley School Districts. The school has undergone significant renovations, but the salon, restaurant and, most recently, bakery are now complete and ready for business!

I stopped in to the salon this morning for a manicure (the sacrifices I make for interesting blog posts!) and was impressed by the bright, clean and modern appearance of the NMTCC building. A guard greeted me as I entered and asked for my driver's license, then promptly produced a sticky photo ID for me to wear while inside the building. He then pointed me to the salon which turned out to be right behind me. I was temporarily blinded by the restaurant offerings I saw over his shoulder. (Perhaps another investigative trip is in order!)

Once inside the salon, I was immediately greeted by Hannah who took me back to get me settled in for my manicure. The salon was busy, but not unpleasantly crowded. Hannah told me she typically sees a few clients each day and "With each new client you meet, you learn something new." Most of the students in the salon are Juniors, Seniors or young adult students. They have a good base knowledge of their craft and are gaining real-life experience from customers in the community.

My manicure was a pleasant vacation from my usual weekday morning and the conversations between student stylists and other adult clients was light and entertaining. The usual salon talk of politics and other grown-up drudgery was replaced by talk of Prom and future plans. The optimism and wonder found in these young people embarking upon their new career was inspiring and, dare I say it...cute!

My nails look fantastic, my wallet is scarcely any lighter, and a local student has one more experience to add to her portfolio. 

The NMTCC salon is open Monday through Friday from 8:10 - 11:30AM and 12:15 - 2:00PM. You may call 215.368.1177 x 113 for an appointment or drop in (on the earlier side is best). The salon will be offering summer hours, as well, due to the addition of a new summer program. For more details on hours, the Bakery or the Restaurant, visit NMTCC online or check out the NMTCC blog.