New Hope—One of America’s Favorite Towns

If you enjoy riverside dining, boutique shopping and cultural attractions, you’ll love New Hope, Pennsylvania. There’s a reason why Travel + Leisure magazine named it “one of America’s favorite small towns.”

New Hope, located along what was once the main highway between Philadelphia and New York City, was also the choice of travelers for overnight stays before they were ferried across the Delaware River the following morning. George Washington was even said to have stayed here the night prior to his crossing of the Delaware River. Originally known as “Coryell’s Ferry,” the small town later became known as New Hope after a fire in 1790 destroyed several mills in the area. The reconstruction project gave the town “new hope” and the name stuck.

Historic Sites

For history lovers, the Bucks County town delights with several historic sites. There’s the Joshua Ely House, comprised of two sections: one built in the 18th century and the other built in the 19th century. The fieldstone house is one of the last examples of the large “Manor” type residences and is exemplary of the wealth of farmer Joshua Ely. The historic home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and, for a time, was the location of a fine dining restaurant by the name of La Bonne Auberge.

(The Joshua Ely House)

Located across the street from the Joshua Ely House is the Parry Mansion Museum, built in 1784 by one of New Hope’s founders, Benjamin Parry. The structure is now home to the New Hope Historical Society and visitors can arrange to tour the 11-room mansion, free of charge, during normal times, of course. Pennsylvania’s historical sites are slated to resume operations on April 30, 2021, but it would be best to check their website before making plans.

(The Parry Mansion Museum)

Another notable historic structure, which I regrettably failed to lay eyes on, is the Cintra Mansion, located at 181 W. Bridge Street. The mansion was built in the 1800s and is said to have been designed like a Portuguese palace and was owned by a wealthy industrialist by the name of William Maris, who was forced to sell it to the Ely family after the demise of the cotton mill in 1835. It remained in the family for 100 years until Joseph Stanley and his partner Dewey Curtis purchased the property in 1973. Curtis, who was once a curator for Pennsbury Manor, worked with Stanley in the antique business, using the first floor as a showroom. When Stanley died in 2008, the house went on the market. The last article I could find about the place was an account written by a reporter in 2013, where plans were being hatched to transform it into condos.

Also of note is the William Kitchen House comprised of three sections, with the oldest being built in 1770. You can learn more about William Kitchen by clicking on this link.

A Cornucopia of Shopping Opportunities

There are quite a few small, boutique shops in New Hope, where one can buy clothes, gifts, toys, candy and more. One of my favorite shops for browsing is the Topeo Gallery. The shop specializes in glass creations like beautiful lamps and gift items. If any of those lamps catch your eye, you can take one home for between $550 and $1200 apiece. I settled on buying two pairs of attractive earrings for $16, proving that some of their items are budget friendly, as well.

If you have kids, or grands, you might want to stop near the train station at the Playful Mule, where you can find games, kids’ books, dolls, blocks, water toys and a whole host of other items that children will be sure to enjoy.

One of the newer attractions in New Hope is the Ferry Market. Established in 2016, the Ferry Market, located at 32 S. Main Street, offers a wide selection of food to tempt your tastebuds, from pizza, to coffee, to vegan dishes and macarons, there’s a little something for everyone.