Newtown (Pennsylvania)

Newtown is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Surrounded by beautiful farmlands, this small town was also the location where the movie "Signs" was filmed in part. It is a cute town with plenty of places to visit, eat and see.

Get in

Historic Newtown is located approximately 25 minutes north of Philadelphia. It is accessible via I-95 (exit 49 labeled Newtown Yardley), the Newtown Bypass/PA rts 413 and 332, and by SEPTA (Regional Rail R3 to Langhorne, 130 Bus to State Street/Washington Ave.)

Get around

You will probably need to drive here, but once you're in it is much more effective (and enjoyable) to walk around. The shopping district and center of Newtown is beautifully kept up, well lit, and easily traversed on foot. There are plenty of places to park, including parallel parking right on State Street. If you can't find parking there because it is usually pretty crowded, there are plenty of parking lots surrounding State Street and parking is free!

See

There are plenty of places to see when visiting Newtown:

• Bucks County Fine Art Gallery, 201 S. State St, ☎ [phone]. Exhibits contemporary painting, sculpture and fine crafts by regional and nationally recognized artists 
• Half Moon Inn aka the Court Inn, Court Street and Centre Ave, ☎ [phone]. Tuesdays from 9AM to 3PM, Thursdays from 7PM to 9PM, and by appointment. One of the oldest and historic buildings in the borough, houses the Research and Barnsley Room that holds the history of Newtown from its past to its present 
• The Schofield Ford Covered Bridge, Swamp Rd, toll-free: +1-800-836-BUCKS (28257). Was originally built in 1873, but burnt down in 1991 and was rebuilt a few years later. It is one of the longest bridges in Bucks County. You don't see covered bridges very often these days and back than they were a very popular type of bridge. 

Do

The central shopping district of Newtown has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its assortment of quaint shops and streets are charming to explore. If you prefer, you can take a walking tour of Newtown. Information for this can be obtained through the website of the Newtown Historic Association. If not, there are plenty of shops for every taste and budget to keep you occupied all day long.

Besides the shopping in the famous shopping district of Newtown, there are other exciting and fun things to do wile visiting:

• Newtown Movie Theater, 120 North State St. This theater began showing movies in 1906 and is still to this day, making it the oldest active theater in America. Enjoy balcony seating, which is modeled after the Ford Theater in Washington DC, and enjoy modern day movies with a nice bag of old-fashioned made popcorn! 
• Newtown Arts Company - Shows usually play at the Newtown Movie Theater (listed above). Take pleasure in seeing different kinds of dance, like jazz, ballet, hip-hop and tap. The company is proud to celebrate their 31st year in Newtown.
• Tyler State Park, 101 Swamp Road. The park is in Newtown, Pa a neighbor to Yardley. It is a huge park that provides a variety of recreational activities; fishing, disc golf, boating, canoe rentals, hiking,biking, and horseback riding trails. There are picnic areas in different parts of the park. A destination for people who enjoy nature or the outdoors. Pets are allowed however they need to be cleaned up after. 

Buy

It is difficult to pick a few shops to highlight here, because each one has something unique and special to offer. It would be worth your while to check out as many as possible while visiting Newtown.

• Newtown Antiques, 149 N. State St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Sweet Pea Creams & Confections, 254 N. Sycamore St, ☎ [phone]. family owned who employs awesome people, home made ice cream & other confections 
• The Shoe Cafe, 24 North State Street #3, ☎ [phone]. Sells very new and stylish shoes from many well renown brands 
• Angel Heart, 10 South State St, ☎ [phone]. A very fashionable boutique with beautiful hand-made jewelry and sells exciting clothing lines such as Diesel 

Eat

One nice thing about small towns is that the dining experience is always unique and special. There are plenty of excellent restaurants in Newtown, mostly located on State Street or within walking distance of it. Excellent yet affordable Asian cuisine can be had at Duck Sauce. Or, if you're the mood for some seafood, try the Temperance House (also an Inn) which also carries a wide array of other entree types.

• Duck Sauce, 127 S. State St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Temperance House, 5 S. State St, ☎ [phone]. 
• The Newtown Farmers' Market, 2150 S. Eagle Rd. thurs. 9-6; Fri. 9-7; Sat. 9-4. Best Inside: Zook's BBQ Barn & Reihl's Bakery 
• Isaac Newton's, 18 S. State St, ☎ [phone]. Casual, family dining atmosphere. Large selection of beers from around the world. 
• Meglio's, 25 Swamp Rd, ☎ [phone]. brick oven pizzeria 
• State Street Kitchen, 24 S. State St, ☎ [phone]. Eat there or take it to go. Delicious homeade food ranging from sandwiches, paninis, breakfast sandwiches, pasta, etc. 
• Mom's Bake At Home Pizza, 19 S. State St, ☎ [phone]. Delicious home made pizzas and the site of the famous scene from the movie "Signs". 
• Florentino's, 18 S State St, ☎ [phone]. Great Italian cuisine and it's a BYOB. 
• Newtown Chocolate Shoppe, 156 N. State St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Newtown Farmers' Market. Not only features homemade baked goods and roasted meat and vegetables by the Pennsylvania Dutch, but also has European food, Mexican food, Falafel, and Sushi. A small Art Gallery by local artist Craig Hackett is also located within the market building. Definitely worth checking out for some really fabulous food. 

If you are looking to cook your own food, there are two great supermarkets in Newtown that are both recently remodeled or built:

• Acme Food Market, 48 West Rd, ☎ [phone]. 
• Genuardi's Food Market, 2890 S Eagle Rd, ☎ [phone]. 
• Newtown Book and Record Exchange, 102 S. State St, ☎ [phone]. Opened for 27 years of business. Sells new and used music, records, and used books. Was featured in the movie Signs. 
• Heidi's Boutique, 213 N Sycamore St, ☎ [phone]. Large selection of the finest lingerie brands from around the world. 
• Marisa The Art of Apparel, 250 North Sycamore St. 

Drink

Bars in Newtown are mostly located within restaurants.

• The Brick Hotel, 1 E. Washington Ave. Offers a free wine tasting on Wednesdays from 5-7PM, and it is worth checking out whether you're a connoisseur or just love a free drink. 
• The Clubhouse Bar and Grill, 501 S State St. No entry fee. Karaoke some nights and great beers on draft. Wings are awesome and no dress code required. Recently added a pizza parlor next door. It is terrible. 
• Friend's Bar and Grill, 2825 S Eagle Rd. Not exactly located on State Street in the Borough but is very close. Very patron-friendly area and has bar games and huge digital televisions that feature important professional games at night. 
• Issac Newtown's, 18 South State St, ☎ [phone]. A restaurant and bar that is known for their various selection of beer from Europe, Canada, and the U.S. They feature 19 quality beers on tap each week. The prices are affordable. 
• Temperance House - see listing in the Eat section above.

Also, every October, Newtown hosts a Brewfest, featuring live music and beer tasting. However, tickets must be purchased in advance. Check their website for details.

Sleep

There are several quaint inns located in Historic Newtown. including:

• The Brick Hotel & Restaurant, 1 East Washington Ave, ☎ [phone]. 15 Rooms are old, dity and do not have properly running water. DO NOT STAY HERE. 
• The Bridgetown Millhouse Inn, 760 Langhorne-Newtown Rd., Langhorne, ☎ [phone]. 
• Hampton Inn & Suites Newtown, 1000 Stoney Hill Road, Yardley, ☎ [phone]. 
• The Temperance House, 5 S. State St, ☎ [phone]. 

Go next

Newtown is at the brink of some beautiful, rural Bucks County countryside. It you're into that sort of aesthetic, you may find it worthwhile to take a nice drive out into the farmland.

Newtown is also close to some other points of interest in Bucks County, including:

• Wrightstown - Visit Indian Walk and Carousel Village: unique, country-style shopping; original working carousel; miniature zoo and train rides.
• New Hope - the spunky and charming art-and-shopping mecca
• Peddler's Village - a quaint village of unique boutiques and restaurants for every taste (and budget!) imaginable (also, free parking! and if you're not into boutiques, the Penn's Purchase outlet mall is located directly across the street, featuring Coach, Jones NY, Van Heusen, GAP, and many others). A working carousel is also present here, along with a children's arcade full of fun and games for the kids (just incase they're getting bored with all the shopping).
• Doylestown - a historic and charming shopping-and-dining town. Check out two really interesting and unique museums, the Mercer Museum and the Michener Art Museum, both located in this pretty town.

And via I-95, Newtown is also within easy access of Philadelphia and points in New Jersey.