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Bob Crosby

email: [Contact David Hanauer for this e-mail address]

Living in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, as a young boy was not too much unlike Huck Finn. Days seemed forever, and the land just stretched as far as the eye could see. We'd head out just after breakfast on our bikes, and return home for dinner. Parents never worried; we were together in mass, and always at someone's home for lunch depending on whose turn it was that particular afternoon.

The bunch of us, guys and gals, would collect lizards down at the pond, walk upstream, the soles of our barefeet cool on the boulders and rocks. Skipping stones, climbing trees, a game of wiffle ball ... it was easy to while away the hours of a warm summer day when you had the whole world to move around in.

Even though I lived in Lower Bucks, back in the 60's and early 70's in was still "out in the country." My cousins would drive up from NE Philly, and the forty minute car ride separated the urban sprawl far from their front door by the time they passed Trevose. In fact, they referred to Langhorne as "the sticks" back then. We would have massive Easter egg hunts, covering the woods on either side of my house. Inevitably, an egg hidden too well, and long forgotten, would make its presence known by Mother's Day. Just follow your nose. Thanksgiving, we'd romp through those same woods and paste the colorful leaves on construction paper.

When I return to Bucks now, as I do twice each year, my "country home" looks more like a city dwelling. Gone are the long expanses of hill and dale, the meadows where we chased lightening bugs and played 'til our parents voices called us home. Two homes occupy the wooded lots that couched my childhood. Where I use to ride my bike along Lincoln Highway, or even down Comly Road on my way to baseball practice in Pendell, I'd never consider walking along those streets today.

In the Fall, my Dad and I went to all the Neshaminy H.S. football games on Friday nights. Playing teams from Bensalem and Pennsbury seemed to make sense to me as a twelve year old. But, Council Rock? Those kids were farmers, weren't they? What could they possibly know about football? Now, Council Rock is two high schools, and Central Bucks is divided into so many high schools that they can play a full ten game schedule and never leave the area. Neshaminy was a powerhouse back then, and I understand that they are still ranked as one of the best high school teams in all of Eastern Pa.

Speaking of farmers; another highlight of growing up in Bucks County was the Greenwood Dairy. You could milk a cow AND have a banana split all in the same visit. My family made afternoon trips to New Hope, Doylestown, Newtown and all the way up to the Ringing Rocks and our own miniature version of Niagra Falls. What was and is still so special about Bucks County is its location, allowing its' residents easy access to both Philly and New York. And, believe me you, when you live in South Florida as I do now, the ability to hop in the car and be in as many diverse places as the shore, mountains, NYC, catch a Phillies game or the Art Museum, etc. is an enormous plus. Have you any idea how long I need to drive to just get out of Florida alone? Forget it! I could be in Vermont from Bucks before I'd be to Georgia from where I'm writing this.

Finally, the most impressive thing about Bucks County is its strong sense of place. Given its rich history and significance in America's founding, the diverse cultural and educational opportunities it provides, and the efforts made to preserve the beauty of the landscape named after the English countryside back in the 17th century, Bucks is still unique. You can still take a Sunday drive along scenic routes ... see covered bridges, roadside streams and the remnants of farmhouses and colonial stone homes from Revolutionary times. Sure, the local government could do better, but from where I stand, Bucks still has more stringent ordinances and preservation policies in place than other communities. Here in Florida, there is no such thing as a borough or hamlet. It is one, long, mindless strip of banks, restaurants and chain stores. I have four Walgreens within WALKING distance from my home.

Many towns across the U.S. are removed from its' past, or have replaced it with something more "saleable." Here in Naples, we build communities named "Tuscany Reserve" complete with olive trees. Olive trees!! The local builders construct "Mediterranean-style" homes. Why? SW Florida has no identity.The whole town is a contrived fantasy island. While SW Florida towns are replete with "gated neighborhoods", Bucks County has held onto its' historical flavor of being a "gateway" to American Heritage. Bucks is genuine. It has struggled but won its authenticity even today.

I will return to live in Bucks County. My young daughters deserve more than a resort town can offer them. Maybe they won't be left alone for entire days out on their own ... but they can enjoy the beauty of four seasons, the charm of a Solebury Orchards and Peddler's Village, the A+ schools, the plethora of historical sites and museums, the coziness of a true bedroom community, and also the vast array of experiences given its perfect location to some of the country's best metropolitan amenities.

Bucks County feels solid and permanent. Yes, it has bowed somewhat to "progress" and build-out, but many large parcels of land have remained timeless and pay witness to its' storied past.

Bucks is Best!

-- February, 2008
--Naples, Florida