- New Hope, Pennsylvania
-
Borough of New Hope Borough 
The train station in New HopeCountry United States State Pennsylvania County Bucks Elevation 144 ft (43.9 m) Coordinates 40°21′37″N 74°57′26″W / 40.36028°N 74.95722°W Area 1.4 sq mi (3.6 km2) - land 1.3 sq mi (3 km2) - water 0.2 sq mi (1 km2), 14.29% Population 2,528 (2010) Density 1,770.9 / sq mi (683.7 / km2) Mayor Laurence D. Keller Timezone EST (UTC-5) - summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4) ZIP Code 18938 Area code 215 Exchange: 862 
Location of New Hope in Bucks County
Location of New Hope in PennsylvaniaNew Hope, formerly known as Coryell's Ferry, is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 2,528 at the 2010 census. The borough lies on the west bank of the Delaware River at its confluence with Aquetong Creek. A two-lane bridge carries automobile and foot traffic across the Delaware to Lambertville, New Jersey on the east bank. New Hope's main industry is tourism.
Contents
Geography
New Hope is located at 40°21′37″N 74°57′26″W / 40.36028°N 74.95722°W (40.360312, -74.957203)[1].
Waterfall and millpond at Aquetong Creek
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2), of which 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (11.19%) is water. Much of the water is the Delaware River.
The borough is located at the confluence of the Delaware River and Aquetong Creek, which begins its two-mile course in neighboring Solebury Township at Ingham Springs, the most productive spring in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The name Aquetong comes from a local Indian word meaning "place of the pine trees," while Ingham refers to Samuel D. Ingham, an industrialist, congressman and advocate of the canal that would run through the town. Near its end in New Hope, the creek forms a scenic millpond and waterfall near the Bucks County Playhouse, a former mill.
The surrounding area features low, rolling hills, and consists largely of preserved forest and farmland. Many people whose mailing addresses are in New Hope actually live outside the borough in Solebury.
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission operates two bridges over the Delaware River between New Hope and Lambertville, New Jersey. One is a free, two-lane bridge, and the other, which carries U.S. Highway 202, is a modern toll bridge.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, the borough was 93.2% White, 1.1% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.9% Asian, and 1.5% were two or more races. 7.3% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry [1].
Historical populations Census Pop. %± 1930 1,113 — 1940 1,053 −5.4% 1950 1,066 1.2% 1960 958 −10.1% 1970 978 2.1% 1980 1,473 50.6% 1990 1,400 −5.0% 2000 2,252 60.9% 2010 2,528 12.3% www.dvrpc.org/data/databull/rdb/db82/appedixa.xls.</ref> As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 2,252 people, 1,160 households, and 506 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,770.9 people per square mile (684.6/km²). There were 1,251 housing units at an average density of 983.8 per square mile (380.3/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.94% White, 1.11% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 1.87% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.55% of the population.
There were 1,160 households out of which 16.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.5% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 56.3% were non-families. 41.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.94 and the average family size was 2.74.
In the borough the population was spread out with 15.5% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 37.3% from 25 to 44, 30.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 115.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 121.7 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $60,833, and the median income for a family was $87,868. Males had a median income of $49,750 versus $46,700 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $45,309. About 6.1% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.
Industry and attractions
The Delaware River at New HopeNew Hope's primary industry is tourism. On weekends the streets are crowded with tourists visiting the many restaurants, antique shops and art galleries, or taking the popular walk along the river and the Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal. Compared to surrounding communities, New Hope has a vibrant night life.
The former Bucks County Playhouse featured a constant stream of plays and musical productions. New Hope was once a popular spot for Broadway shows to be tested and fine tuned, and many notable stage actors bought weekend homes in the area. In December 2010, the Playhouse was shuttered after lenders foreclosed the property. As of June 2011, the Bucks County Playhouse Conservancy, a public/private partnership, is attempting to raise funds to re-open the theatre.
It was also home to an art colony, founded by Edward Redfield and William L. Lathrop, that produced important regional work. Other members or associates with the colony included George Sotter. The area later grew to become a popular gay resort in the 1950s and today New Hope still has an active and large gay community.[3] New Hope also attracts motorcyclists (bikers) on weekends in the warmer months.
New Hope is also a terminal point on the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad. On weekends, tourists can ride the historic and scenic line through Bucks County.
Union Camp Corporation had a bag production facility in New Hope until the late 1980s, which employed around one hundred people total and was located uphill from the New Hope Ivyland railroad. The former factory complex, now known as Union Square, has been recycled as a series of shops and businesses aimed at the teeming tourist industry.
In August 2007, Forbes.com named New Hope Borough as one of the best places in the Northeast of the USA to buy a summer vacation home.[4]
History
The Old Town Hall serves as the Visitor's CenterNew Hope is located along the route of York Road, the former main highway between Philadelphia and New York City. It was generally regarded as the half way point, where travelers would stay overnight and be ferried across the river the next morning. Though this route is largely obsolete, the section of U.S. Route 202 that passes just north of town still bears the name York Road. The original route is now known as Bridge St. (PA 179).
During these early days, the town was known as Coryell's Ferry, after the owner of this business. The current name came into use following a large fire that burned down several mills in the area—their reconstruction was considered a "new hope" for the area.
The night prior to his famous crossing of the Delaware several miles to the south, George Washington is said[who?] to have lodged in New Hope. Historic former residents include James A. Michener and Aaron Burr.
New Hope was in the news in 1983 when NBC network anchorwoman Jessica Savitch and her boyfriend drowned after their car overturned into the Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal. The canal passes by Odette's Restaurant, where the couple had dined on a rainy evening when visibility was poor and warning signs were easily missed.
New Hope has also recently been in the news regarding major flooding of the community when the Delaware River overflowed its banks in 2004 and 2006. Each time, the downtown businesses reopened within several days; however, many riverside homes remained severely damaged for quite a while longer.
Notable people
- Christian Bauman, novelist and essayist
- Becky Blasband, singer, songwriter, and screenwriter
- Aaron Burr, Revolutionary War soldier and Vice President
- Gregg Cagno, singer, songwriter
- Sim Cain, former Rollins Band Drummer
- Aaron Freeman (Gene Ween)
- Chad Ginsburg of CKY
- Abbie Hoffman, political activist who committed suicide in his apartment in the community
- Mickey Melchiondo (Dean Ween)
- James A. Michener, novelist
- Odette Myrtil, actress, singer, and violinist and the namesake of Odette's Restaurant
- George Nakashima, artist, furniture maker
- Pink (singer), Three Time Grammy Award Winning Singer
- Ted Tally, Oscar-winning screenwriter
- Ween, Alternative Rock Group
Points of interest
References
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ New Hope celebrates its Pride, Edge Philadelphia
- ^ Best Places To Buy A Vacation Home - Forbes.com
External links
- New Hope Borough Homepage
- Greater New Hope Chamber of Commerce
- Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau : Official Tourism Website
- New Hope & Ivyland Railroad
Categories:- Gay villages in the United States
- Populated places established in 1707
- Boroughs in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
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