Bucks County is located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, immediately northeast of Philadelphia, and as of the 2010 census, it was the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. It is one of the three original counties created by colonial proprietor William Penn in 1682, named after Buckinghamshire, the county where he lived in England. Penn built a country estate called Pennsbury Manor in Falls Township which is still available today to tour as a museum or in which to hold weddings.
Growth of Bucks County began in the early 1950s when William Levitt chose it for his second "Levittown", where he bought hundreds of acres of woodlands and farmland, and constructed 17,000 homes and dozens of schools, parks, libraries, and shopping centers. The next growth spurt began in the 1970s, where developers built on land in townships that were mostly untouched, swallowing horse farms, sprawling forests, and wetlands. Growth has somewhat stabilized since the 1990s due to a loss of untouched land, but redevelopment is now a leading coalition. Abandoned industry, commercial strips, and other neglected structures are being torn down to be replaced with new shopping plazas and commercial chains. Additionally, with rising property values, areas with older construction are beginning to have a "rebirth".
Chalfont | Jamison | Richboro |
Churchville | Lahaska | Southampton |
Doylestown | Langhorne | Warminster |
Feasterville-Trevose | New Hope | Warrington |
Holland | Newtown | Yardley |
Another important asset of Bucks County is tourism, and the county's northern regions (colloquially referred to as Upper Bucks) are renowned for their natural scenery, farmland, colonial history, and proximity to major urban areas (particularly Philadelphia, but New York City, Allentown, Reading and Atlantic City are also within a two-hour radius).
Bucks County is home to ten covered bridges that are still open to vehicular traffic, and two other bridges (both located in parks) are open only to non-vehicular traffic. Popular attractions in Bucks County also include the shops and studios of New Hope, Peddler's Village (in Lahaska), Washington Crossing Historic Park, New Hope & Ivyland Railroad, and Bucks County River Country. Rice's Market near Lahaska is a popular destination on Tuesday mornings and Quakertown Farmer's Market (locally called "Q-Mart") is a popular shopping destination on weekends. The county seat of Doylestown is also home to several points of interest for tourists, and also is home to Fordhook Farms, the famous trial farm of the Warminster-based Burpee Seeds, which also serves as a bed & breakfast inn. Doylestown also has the trifecta of concrete structures built by Henry Chapman Mercer, including the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, the Mercer Museum and Fonthill, Mercer's personal home.
Southern Bucks (colloquially referred to as Lower Bucks) is home to two important shopping centers, Neshaminy Mall and Oxford Valley Mall, as well as Sesame Place, a family theme park based on the Sesame Street television series. Also within Lower Bucks County is the newly constructed Parx Casino in Bensalem, built on the grounds of the Philadelphia Park Racetrack, a renowned horse-racing park. The complex includes the expansive casino, a dance club, and numerous dining options. The complex will soon include a shopping district, and 1200+ housing units, and is soon expected to rival the casinos in nearby Atlantic City.
My favorite part about Bucks County is the many parks within a short drive, home to beautiful scenery, picnicking, hiking, disc golf, boating, rock climbing, and many other land- and water-based recreational activities.
State/Historic Parks | |||
Tyler State Park | Washington Crossing Historic Park | ||
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County Parks |
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Peace Valley Park | Playwicki Park | Ringing Rocks Park | Silver Lake Park |
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Historic Properties |
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Moravian Pottery and Tile Works
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Pennsbury Manor | |||
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Recreation Areas |
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Tohickon Valley Pool | Weisel Hostel | Peace Valley Boat Rental | Core Creek Boat Rental |
Nature Centers |
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Bucks County Official Website | Visit Bucks County | Bucks Happening Magazine |
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