The beginnings of Doylestown started back in 1745 with a man named William Doyle who built a tavern at Main and State Streets. That intersection, which is the heart of the borough, links to Norristown, New Hope and Philadelphia. The borough wasn’t established until 1838 when technology advances were brought to the area, bringing in businesses and culture.
This sector of Doylestown is known by many names: Downtown Doylestown, The Borough of Doylestown or simply, the borough. A more common word for the whole town used by the younger residents in and around the area is D-town. Though, whatever you prefer to call it, many people all have a general idea of this place and what it’s known for in that area.
It’s that kind of place that you can take a walk around with your significant other or friends. That place where you can go with your parents, siblings or grandparents and it still will stay the same throughout the generations that come through it. A place that people share because it doesn’t draw one specific crowd. Even if you don’t have anything that you are looking for in particular, it’s just as enjoyable to walk around and take in the beauty of this quaint town.
Going up Main Street will make you quickly notice that the borough serves many interests for people. It gives you something on both sides of Main Street that’s worth a look -- just like those moving carts you sit in at Disney that give you a full tour of the surroundings. The best part is the second floor atop a corner store near Main & Taylor Streets. On that floor is a dance studio, where you can see ballerinas warming up along the bars that are up against the window.
This place is reminiscent of tinsel town when the snow blankets the streets and tops of houses. The colonial and Victorian houses are unique in their own way with the detailed work on the façade, setting itself aside from the typical suburban developments with house designs that mimic each other.
Many businesses like real estate firms, hair salons and doctors offices are not found in typical company structures -- but in old houses that once served as a family home. The minimum of typical company buildings preserves the home-like feeling of the borough. A walk inside a privately owned shop displays unique crafts that you can’t find duplicated anywhere else. What’s also great about this sector of Doylestown is that there are no buildings that look out of place or that have an extremely different design.
Inside a mini mall along Main Street, line a few stores and two restaurants. One with exceptional soups and fish and another that catered wine and cheese delicacies. The center of the mini mall had a big table with a running train set, decorated with lighted houses for the holiday season. I walked into one store that only sold jewelry and jars of sauces. The jars had interesting, colorful labels on them that were most likely from small or local businesses. The other two thirds of the store were filled with one-of-a-kind jewelry. The old friendly worker at the shop told me that all the jewelry is handmade by a woman in the area. Yet again, this shows that many of the shops in Doylestown are operated by small or one-person businesses.
There are no chain eateries, except for one or two near the start of the borough. In the Poor Richards shop I walked around surrounded by a plethora of home décor including statues, wall art, trinkets and garden decorations. What I love about this store, like many in the borough, is that each item seems to be the only one there.
The popular Michener Art Museum and Mercer Museum rest together off to the right of Main Street. The Jim Henson’s Fantastic World exhibit which left the Michener Museum about a week ago, showcased Henson’s work of the Muppets from his early to late career. Walking around this gallery brought back childhood memories of the shows created from his great mind. Right next to art museum is the Bucks County Free Library along Pine Street. Many childhood trips with my parents and school field trips took place at this library. The courtyard has giant bizarre works of metal artwork that sits right in front of the library.
The community of Doylestown gives much attention to art and music. You’ll find galleries within the heart of the borough and a painters shop called Mixed Media Arts along South Main Street, where artists can find their supplies and walk through a gallery of displayed artwork done by students and locals--where one of my own paintings was once displayed there many years ago.
Let’s not forget about the County Theatre along East State Street. This place is a nonprofit community-based theatre that features foreign film, and other independent arts. The County Theatre gets their community involved by hosting a Saturday Kid’s Matinee, classic Hollywood films and showing local filmmakers work. They also have discussion groups and lectures. The theatre, which was originally named Hellyer’s Movie House in 1907 along South Main Street, was replaced by what is now known as The County Theatre in 1938. The theatre had some ups and down and renovations since that time but now runs smoothly thanks to the community’s ies love for the arts.
Go a little north-west from the theatre and you’ll see the local courthouse on the right side of Main Street. The sidewalks of this quaint town will give you no worries about getting lost in the dark. The availability of parking also doesn’t seem to be a constant worry either.
The best parts are during the winter when the holiday lights are stringed along the houses and draped on the trees and bushes. It definitely makes window shopping worthwhile with all the décor and lights put out. The sight of the borough during the winter is like looking through a snow globe that has a perfect little town inside it.
The summer time is even better with more people walking around, listening to the outdoor music venues playing performances. The restaurants have outdoor seating, which is very common during the spring and summer months. The boutiques bring out their racks of clothes to entice those strolling along the sidewalks.
The borough is like a retreat from the daily grind and sights that I see every day. It’s a nice feeling coming back to this place, even if it’s just for a couple hours. For not seeing much of Doylestown since I started college, it was a reassuring pleasure to finally revisit it this weekend to see that it still remains the same borough that I used to visit. It’s the old clean, classy and cultured borough that still serves its community’s interests.
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