BEST OF BUCKS

A Glimpse of the Renowned Region

Small towns, covered bridges and pastoral farms merge with excellent schools, sophisticated shopping, an active cultural scene and a wealth of recreational opportunities, producing the quality of life that gives Bucks County its internationally renowned identity.

Bucks County was founded by William Penn in 1681,and named for Penn’s homeland in Buckinghamshire, England. The region played a pivotal role in turning the tide of the revolutionary war when George Washington led his troops across the Delaware, just south of New Hope.

The region has been captured by artists hailing from the New Hope School established by famed impressionist Edward W. Redfield. Painters from across the country found inspiration in the river valley and surrounding landscape. James A. Michener, Pearl S. Buck and Oscar Hammerstein proudly called Bucks County home. The James A. Michener Art Museum, housed in the former county prison, includes in its permanent collection, a tribute to the creative spirit in Bucks County. This spirit continues today with painters, sculptors, writers and actors creating contemporary art in Bucks County.

A variety of manufacturing plants, technology producers and retail operations combine with a wealth of small business to create a strong economy in Bucks County. The county’s highly educated workforce is an attractive feature for new business development and companies looking to relocate in the region. Byers’ Choice, Ltd., creators of the Carolers^®, collected throughout the world, started its unique venture here where it remains today. Penn Color, Milton Roy and Scott Specialty Gases are just a sampling of prominent Bucks County operations doing business around the globe.

In the early 1990’s, Bucks County was the only county in the United Stated to be listed in "50 Fabulous Places to Raise Your Family." The authors praised the region saying, "Bucks County’s pleasant rural environment, central to urban area and mountains, fast-growing communities, vibrant culture, history and the arts, strong buyer’s market, progressive schools and excellent recreation combine to make it a fabulous place to raise a family."

The Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce, listed as the second largest Chamber of the Delaware Valley, is one of the most active Chambers of Commerce in the United States, uniting business, the arts and non-profit organizations to produce ground-breaking programs for free enterprise and the community.

Experience the best of Bucks County, today!

Free Enterprise Thrives

The current industrial base of Central Bucks is diversified and rapidly growing. Well-planned and fully serviced industrial parks include many sophisticated technological facilities. The Bucks County Industrial Development Corporation, a non-profit organization authorized by both the county and state, offers low-cost financial aid to industry for new construction and expansion of existing facilities.

A significant sign of a health economy is the large number of distinguished financial institutions and brokerage firms that operate in Bucks County. Contact the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce for a complete listing of members in the financial arena.

Getting Around

Bucks County’s transportation infrastructure provides easy access to major cities. One-third of the nation’s population is within an overnight truck trip from Central Bucks.

Major routes easily accessed from Central Bucks are: 1-95, 1-78, the Pennsylvania Turnpike and U.S. Routes 611 and 202.

Doylestown is a stop for major bus lines to other points, including regular service to New York City via TransBridge Lines.

SEPTA offers commuter service to downtown Philadelphia and bordering pints by bus or train from Doylestown, and Chalfont.

Doylestown Airport is a center of general aviation and charter service to all nearby points including Harrisburg, Washington, Trenton, New York and Philadelphia.

Lehigh Valley International Airport offers direct service and connected service to domestic and international destinations from the Allentown/Bethlehem Easton area.

Newark Airport and Philadelphia International Airport are about one hour away.

Government Works to Serve

Three full-time commissioners elected to four-year terms govern Bucks County within a budget of $174 million from the county seat of Doylestown.

Local municipalities elect either a borough council or a board of township supervisors. All municipalities have zoning boards and planning commissions. Most communities have their own law enforcement and all-volunteer fire departments. The county serves as a central link for emergency services, 911. Every municipality in Central Bucks relies on volunteer fire and ambulance services, as well as volunteer contributions from residents to support training and equipment.

The Bucks County Planning Commission works to foster orderly growth by analyzing needs and establishing priorities for population, housing, and transportation, natural and historic resources. The commission advises municipalities in these areas and publishes comprehensive reports on economic and demographic data.

Worship

The churches and synagogues of Central Bucks serve a broad variety of faiths. Some like Neshaminy-Warwick Presbyterian, Trinity Episcopal in Buckingham, Doylestown Presbyterian and New Britain Baptist Church count their history in centuries, while others like Pebble Hill Reformed in Doylestown Township and Kehilat Nahar in New Hope are new congregations.

The nationally known Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Martin’s Rectory meet the needs of Catholics in Central Bucks.

Temple Judea of Bucks County, Congregation Tiferes B’Nai Israel and Kehilat Nahar serve the

Jewish population.

The Society of Friends offer meetings at historic meetinghouses throughout the region reflecting the historically strong Quaker influence in Bucks County.

The Mennonite Church, with a number of churches, is also a vital and historic component of the religious fabric of the region.

Central Bucks is the home of the county’s only First Church of Christ Scientist, located in Doylestown.

Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Evangelical, Full Gospel, Mormon, Swedenborgian, Unitarian-Universalist and yet other churches serve the diversity of faiths worshipping in Bucks County.

The Good Things in Life

Bucks County’s stunning visual beauty, historical richness, and unique artistic heritage combined with its distinctive museums, world-class art galleries and antique shops have made the region 5^th in the nation as an art tourist destination and raised tourism to the No. 2 industry in Bucks County.

Bucks County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania operate a system of parks and recreation areas encompassing nearly 15,000 acres that are the envy of other regions. Some parks are well-developed facilities for lakefront swimming, freshwater fishing, sailing, camping and other activities. Some are wild and undisturbed places to approach the natural world on its own terms.

A number of the areas celebrate the county’s rich historical heritage such as Washington Crossing Historic Park and the Delaware Canal State Park, following the 60 mile long Delaware Canal, built in the early 19^th century as a major transport highway.

Bucks Fever, a celebration of the county’s distinct art, history and festivals, forges a unique partnership between business and the arts. With over 200 events, the Festival ranges from the Byers Art Exhibition celebrating the works of Bucks County visual artists, to the Third Federal Bucks Fever FilmFest focusing on contemporary films of Bucks County filmmakers.

Tourists are drawn to the area by a wide range of interests. Private companies offer horseback riding, canoe and tube adventures on the Delaware River, barge rides, train excursions on a steam train, bicycle rentals, balloon trips, guided fishing trips and more. Other tourists come to learn more about the role Pennsylvanians and Quakers played bringing the Underground Railroad through Bucks County.

The area is home to a constellation of gourmet restaurants. Country inns, sophisticated supper clubs, contemporary restaurants and continental grilles are on a par with those found in major cities.

Visitors are offered a diversity of lodging selections, from estate-scale bed and breakfasts inns and historic riverside hotels to ultra-contemporary facilities with pools and tennis courts. A comprehensive listing of the area’s renowned dining and lodging facilities is available from the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce.

Excellent facilities for tennis, racquetball, body-building, aerobic exercise, yoga, golf and swimming are offered by private and public clubs. The award-winning Central Bucks YMCA is a vanguard of fitness in the area. Instruction is also available in all of the latest mind/body disciplines by skilled instructors.

All of your shopping needs and desires, even those you aren’t even aware of, can be met in Central Bucks. Mostly owned and operated by local entrepreneurs, area shops reflect the unique character of the area while offering a depth of selection with the height of service.

Antique shops abound throughout Central Bucks, nationally recognized as a crossroads of the East Coast antiques market. Locally known as ‘Antiques Row’, along the 202 corridor between Doylestown and New Hope, the best of 18^th and 19^th century American and continental antiques are displayed in dozens of refined antique galleries and eclectic country shops.

The 19^th century streetscapes of Doylestown are traditional retail avenues, seamlessly blending

unusual local shops with nationally-known, yet village-sized retail outlets. Clothing, linens, books, gourmet foods, exquisite gifts and office supplies have competitive prices in historic surroundings with hometown service. A brochure outlining three distinct walking tours of historic Doylestown is available from the Chamber.

Peddler’s Village, Lahaska, a major tourist destination to the region, is a most unusual upscale shopping environment of over 80 shops, six restaurants and an Inn. The picturesque collection of clustered storefronts and winding brick paths is enhanced by a spectacular landscape and special events for all seasons. Carousel World houses an fully restored operating carousel.

Popularized by early 20^th century painters and theatrical celebrities through the decades, New Hope is a colorful canvas of narrow 18^th century streets and delightful shops devoted to clothing, antiques, artisans’ studios and gifts.

Newtown boasts a distinctive 18^th century commercial district anchored by historic inns and restaurants.

Major malls featuring Philadelphia and New York stores are easily accessible to all on major roads.

 

 

A Variety of Housing Styles

Historic fieldstone farmsteads, contemporary solar homes, new two story colonials on one acre and Victorian houses in town can be purchased in Central Bucks County in the general price range of $150,000 to several million. Prices start around $100,000 for condominiums and townhouses and climb to $850,000, and well beyond, for distinctive country estates.

Undeveloped land begins at $50,000 per acre and rises significantly for the most desirable lots.

Single-family detached housing comprises the great majority of units built in Bucks County in the recent past.

The borders of Doylestown, New Hope and Newtown are settling areas for contemporary and convenient living. Chalfont and Warminster are populated by comfortable, well-constructed homes in friendly neighborhoods. The town centers of Doylestown, New Hope and Newtown have a delightful 18^th and 19^th century architectural character. All three towns are recognized by the National Register of Historic Places as historic districts.

The northwest corner of Central Bucks is dotted with undisturbed farmhouses and pre-Revolutionary homes. Substantial estates, converted barns and charming carriage houses lure many urban dwellers to Bucks County’s countryside.

Senior citizens are settling in planned communities throughout Central Bucks. Facilities such as Heritage Towers, Pine Run Community, Center Square Towers, and Chandler Hall attract many educated and successful people to the community.

Property taxes are levied by three taxing authorities — County of Bucks, school districts and local municipalities. Local realtors describe taxes as moderate. An occupation tax is assessed by some school districts on employed persons according to their professions. There is a 1% earned income tax in many municipalities.

Cutting Edge Health Care

The Doylestown Hospital was founded as an emergency clinic in 1919 by the Village Improvement Association and is a fully accredited, community-focused healthcare facility serving patients throughout the region. The hospital offers 544 beds and a myriad of state of the art inpatient (including a cutting edge cardiac care unit), outpatient and satellite services and over 300 physicians and medical professionals in more than 35 specialties.

Serving Bucks and Montgomery county populations, Warminster Hospital is a 180-bed facility in Warminster. The hospital offers a wide range of primary and secondary health care services including cardiology, emergency medicine, gastroenterology, geriatric medicine, occupational medicine, orthopedics, pediatrics, psychiatry, rehabilitation and same-day surgery.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has brought this satellite facility to serve Bucks and Montgomery County pediatric patients, offering outpatient and short procedure services in many specialty areas.

Central Bucks nursing homes have pioneered new and holistic attitudes toward long-term care of the elderly and chronically ill. Within Central Bucks there are skilled nursing homes, intermediate care and residential communities.

A number of non-profit agencies and private practitioners provide services and advocacy in such areas as alcohol and drug addiction, cancer, birth defects, mental health, speech pathology, handicapped and senior citizens.

Sophisticated veterinary services providing the latest technologies and therapies in veterinary care are available from a number of specialists for both large and small animals.

Quality Education

Central Bucks has demonstrated its capacity for leadership in education from preschool to college level. Numerous private and non-profit facilities offer the best in quality education for the young. Families preferring parochial or other private education find schools to suit their special needs in each of the school districts. Over two dozen private preschool and day care facilities are located in Bucks County.

• The Bucks County Intermediate unit is a regional educational service agency created by the state in 1971 to provide management, staff and curriculum development services to area school districts, including special education programs service both the handicapped and gifted student.
• Middle Bucks Area Vocational-Technical School offers a broad range of courses from trades to sophisticated, state-of —the-art technologies. The graduates use their skills in Bucks County industry, serve as apprentices or go on to college for more training.
• Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Doylestown and Archbishop Wood High School, Warminster are among the regional centers of Catholic primary and secondary education.
• George School, Newtown and Buckingham Friends, Buckingham reflect the area’s Quaker tradition of quality education.
• Solebury School, near New Hope is a private coeducational boarding and ay school for grades 7-12.
• Bucks County Community College, Newtown, offers associate degrees in more than 50 transfers and career programs of study. A wide range of personal, educational and employment counseling is available. BCCC has an agreement with Temple University offering a four-year degree program.
• Delaware Valley College, a fully accredited school on 700 scenic acres in Doylestown, offers both residential and continuing educational programs. The school specializes in business, agriculture and science, but offers programs in biology, chemistry, liberal arts and humanities. A full MBA program is available as a joint venture with LaSalle University. The college’s annual "A-Day" festival brings community and students together for a fun-filled weekend of old-fashioned farm fair excitement.
• Other institutions of higher learning are located within easy commute of Central Bucks including Beaver College, Gwynedd-Mercy College, Montgomery Campus LaSalle, Philadelphia College of Bible and Temple’s Ambler Campus.

Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce programs enrich the quality of student learning through career education, mentor programs, job search and interviewing skill guidance provided by Chamber members. Additionally, regular forums establish a dialogue between teachers and business people. The Chamber also provides high-level seminars to extend business and career growth of company’s employees with an emphasis on producing quality products and services. Advancement of Total Quality Leadership is covered in these sessions.

Several outstanding libraries support area educational and cultural institutions. The Bucks County Free Library, state designated district Library Center, located in Doylestown, has eight branches throughout the county. The library center works closely with surrounding privately endowed libraries such as the Free Library of New Hope and Solebury and the 110,000 volume Bucks County Community College Library. The archival Spruance Library of the Bucks County Historical Society at the Mercer Museum, Bucks County Law Library located at the Courthouse, and the Joseph Krauskapf Library of Delaware Valley College can meet special research needs.

News of Bucks County and the World

• With a circulation of over 43,350 daily and 50,434 Sundays, The Intelligencer/Record, Doylestown serves its readers and advertisers through zoned editions for three geographic areas, providing local news within each are and permitting advertisers to economically target their message.
• The Courier Times, published in Levittown, covers the communities of Lower Bucks County with a daily circulation of 68,200, and 75,200 Sunday.
• The New Hope Gazette, Doylestown Patriot and Advance of Bucks County (Newtown) are local weeklies. With circulations ranging from 4,000 to 6,000 these papers dedicate their efforts to local affairs and events.
• The award-winning Central Bucks Chamber’s full-color business and community journal, W4, is published eight times a year with a circulation of 4,500 per issue.
• Bucks County Town and Country Living is a quarterly full color magazine with an editorial format featuring recreation, cultural and lifestyle articles for its 20,000 readers throughout the United States.
• Nouveau magazine, a showcase for creative living in the Delaware Valley, is published monthly, highlighting events, restaurants and the arts.
• The Area Guidebook of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties is published annually with a circulation of 50,000. The publication contains maps, community profiles and guides to restaurants, lodging, shopping and entertainment.
• Newspapers and magazines from the urban centers of New Rod, Philadelphia, Trenton, Allentown-Bethlehem and Washington D.C. circulate in Central Bucks

 

Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce

This publication is produced by the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce, to assist prospective businesses and residents in evaluating the central region of Bucks County.

The Central Bucks Chamber is an organization of 2,600 business and industry members, rated the second largest chamber in the Delaware Valley by The Philadelphia Business Journal. The Central Bucks Chamber is considered unique for its concern about people as well as business. The Chamber believes that a quality community has a positive effect on the free enterprise system and maximizes a better way of life for everyone.

The Chamber reaches out to society and business through the activities of over 40 committees which conceive and organize such programs as the Burpee Awards for volunteer firefighters and rescue volunteers; in depth programs to assist government, and special training programs for youth, women professionals and management.

The Chamber is the recipient of two Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge Awards.

For more information about any aspect of the Central Bucks region contact the Chamber at (215) 348-3913.