Living in Newtown: A Neighborhood Guide

The town William Penn founded puts the art of good living in a historic frame.

downtown newtown

Downtown Newtown / Photograph by Kevin Crawford Imagery/Visit Bucks County

Old town

“Newtown,” chartered by William Penn in 1684, is one of Bucks County’s oldest communities. Penn established it as one of several towns around Philadelphia in which Pennsylvanians could build country estates and farms. Those farms have largely disappeared, but Newtown prizes its rich trove of historic and natural attractions. One of these is the 1,711-acre Tyler State Park (101 Swamp Road), where you can go fishing, kayaking and horse riding as well as play disc golf on one of the most challenging courses in the region. The park also contains the Schofield Ford Covered Bridge, built in 1874.

Endless amusement

If you hunger for culture, the historic 1831 Newtown Theatre (120 North State Street), the country’s oldest continuously operating movie theater, also hosts live music and comedy. The Langhorne Players perform in Tyler State Park’s Spring Garden Mill (1440 Newtown-Richboro Road), and the Tyler Park Center for the Arts (10 Stable Mill Road) features workshops, a sculpture garden and arts and crafts shows.

Fine dining, out and in

Newtown is chock-full of quality dining spots and  grocers. Start with the sandwiches  at La Stalla Italian Market (186 North Sycamore Street). Temperance House (5 South State Street), a restaurant and inn dating to 1772, offers American fare, good spirits (despite its name), and a place to spend the night. Other eateries worth checking out include Latin American bistro Café Con Leche (16 South State Street) and the La Stalla restaurant (18 Swamp Road). Residents often trek to McCaffrey’s Food Markets (2890 South Eagle Road) for specialty foods most ordinary supermarkets simply don’t carry.

What You Get For…

$1.3M+

Photograph courtesy of Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices

202 South State Street, number 2E. This new-construction condo features a two-story great room. Customize it to suit your tastes. 3BR, 4BA, 2,523 sq. ft. Mary Dinneen, BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors, 215-882-3117.

$550K+

Photograph by Michael Sperando

12 North Lancaster Lane. This 1970s split-level sits in a community next to Tyler State Park whose residents can host events in a 1731 manor house. 4BR, 2/1BA, 2,000 sq. ft. Mary Camp, RE/MAX Properties Ltd.-Newtown, 215-882-1064.

$250K+

Photograph by Gary Cassel

33 Everett Drive. This condo in the Country Bend community is being offered for the first time in 29 years. It could use some updating but is in good shape. 2BR, 1/1BA, 1,030 sq. ft. Gary Cassel, BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors, 215-855-1165.

Published as “Living in… Newtown” in the October 2022 issue of Philadelphia magazine.