Preserving the Victorian Era on Marietta Avenue

Billy Borowski and Tiffany Ngan are a young couple with an older home, perfect for building the bonds of close family connection.

Billy and Tiffany with their dog, Annie.

When asked what they love about living in the neighborhood, the Borowski and Ngan family kept their answer close to home. “We love historical architecture and feel honored to be stewards of a beautiful Victorian home. When you walk the streets of this neighborhood it is so clear that people love their homes, you can feel that peope care. We know how rare this place is.”
 
These are common themes among residents of School Lane Hills, and the Borowski-Ngan family is keeping with tradition and getting out and enjoying their neighborhood. “We really appreciate how walkable the area is,” said Tiffany Ngan. The family lives in one of the stately homes that line Marietta Avenue, perhaps the cultural division point between classic and modern School Lane Hills properties, so they have access to every genre of the neighborhood.
 
Billy Borowski is originally from Westminster, Maryland and Tiffany is from Morgantown, West Virginia. They carefully selected their Victorian oasis three years ago after years of house hunting with the design to bring Billy's parents to PA. His father William Borowski Sr and his mother Susan Borowski now live in an in-law suite on the same property. "My husband grew up with a really large family who gathered for every holiday," said Tiffany. "The whole extended family would go to grandma and grandad's house. My family, however, is spread out across the globe (USA, Hong Kong and Australia) so I never got to experience that bond. It was so important for us to keep family close.” Also occupying the home are Sumie the orange cat and Annie the dog.
 
When asked about family traditions Tiffany and Billy answered, “We are a young family so we haven’t established too many traditions yet.” They've sold themselves short, as they already have an impressive tradition of celebrations! Friends and family travel to attend Chinese New Year celebrations at their house every year, with accompanying traditions like lantern making and mahjong. A Fourth of July summer bash and a Thanksgiving celebration for the full extended family follow.
           
On the work front, Tiffany and Billy are focused on local endeavors. They are both dentists at their practice, White Willow Family Dental in Willow Street. They strive to create a dental home for their patients where they feel listened to and individually cared for. Tiffany graduated from Bryn Mawr University and pursued a career in medical research before returning to school in order to make a more personal difference in healthcare. Billy, who is a true jack of all trades, tried his hand at many jobs ranging from carpenter, salmon fisher, to balloon artist, before finding his calling in dentistry. They met at West Virginia University School of Dentistry where they graduated together and decided they were meant for each other.
           
Favorite activities for Tiffany and Billy include hiking, traveling, food adventures and music festivals. These activities are enhanced when family members and friends are involved. When sampling local food haunts they often choose Passerine’s French-inspired small plates and local breweries. Their current favorite is Cartel Brewing and Blending on Landis Avenue.
           
When on vacation, Tiffany and Billy's favorite place is Switzerland. With so many transplanted Maryland natives around, the family roots for the Baltimore Ravens and the Baltimore Orioles. When relaxing, the family enjoys doing projects to preserve their home and hanging out by the pool. They even find time to serve as the school dentists for the Lampeter Strasburg School District. They donate all proceeds of their teeth whitening campaign to the local Power Packs Project, which provides nutritious weekend meals to families with food insecurity.
           
Sometimes, artistic homes draw the best neighbors.