Weekend Retreats
in Upper Bucks County and the Lehigh Valley

Carol Dorey, the owner/broker of Carol C. Dorey Real Estate, Inc. of Springtown in Bucks County relates that a large number of her clients come from New York City, and they have purchased homes in Upper Bucks County and the Lehigh Valley from Ms. Dorey’s firm to serve as their weekend retreats. “For many people in the City, their dream is to own a historic Bucks County stone farmhouse set amid wooded acres. They utilize their homes on the weekends and in the summers as a pastoral retreat.”

The homebuyers in Upper Bucks and the Lehigh Valley love the fact that while they are living in the country, they are also close to amenities such as the restaurants, the theatre, and the art galleries that are available locally. Ms. Dorey notes that, “It is also only an hour an a half to New York City. You can have the best of both worlds.”

One such weekender is Jonathan Berg, a New York City investor and avid trout fisherman. He was first attracted to his Bucks County stone carriage house through a New York Times advertisement in 1989. He and his wife, Susan Reiner, along with their Jack Russell terrier, Annabel, drove the hour and a half from Manhattan to Springtown. They followed the directions to Haupt’s Bridge Road and meandered down the half-mile long driveway, admiring the newly planted fields, majestic sycamores, trout lilies and may apples. A bend in the driveway revealed the magical stone ruins of a large bank barn and an old grist mill. The sight of the sunlight shimmering on the rippling water of Cooks Creek, with its native trout, presented a compelling invitation to Jonathan and Susan, and the four bedroom carriage house, with its terrace overlooking the creek, was a perfect complement to the setting.

Susan and Jonathan have enjoyed weekends and summers here since then and it has been a special part of their son Jackson’s life since the time he was born in 1993. Jonathan relates that, “This is a great place to be if you have a child, there are so many excellent programs for kids and so much opportunity to be outdoors.”  He points out that, “Jackson learned to ski at Blue Mountain, swim at Lake Nockamixon, play soccer at the Lehigh University summer sessions, and he has become an accomplished dressage rider at the Durham Creek Equestrian Center. This summer he’s attending rowing camp at the University of Pennsylvania, but he has not yet been convinced to join his dad at trout fishing.”

This is just one of a great number of stories of those who have made Bucks County and the Lehigh Valley the area that they’ve chosen for their second home. Carol Dorey points out that especially attractive are the large portions of the countryside that are preserved by conservation easements that protect the beauty and rural character of the area. Historic villages, Delaware River cottages and Saucon Valley’s suburban environment also provide numerous options for weekenders. Ms. Dorey speaks with great pride when she describes the attractions of the area, “In addition to the numerous activities available at the colleges and universities, there are symphony and chamber orchestras, choral groups, art museums and galleries, historic buildings, auctions, flea markets, country fairs, the Music Fest and the October Fest, Athletic offerings include boating on Lake Nockamixon, Rails To Trails bike and walking paths, Delaware River tubing, top flight golf courses, rock climbing and several nearby ski areas. Now, let’s talk about food. There’s outdoor riverside dining and great restaurants, but we also have farm markets with fresh-grown seasonal fruits and vegetables as well as home-baked goods. I hope that anyone reading this article who wants the peace and quiet of a country home, whether for their main home or a weekend retreat will give me a call. The dream is alive in Upper Bucks County and the Lehigh Valley.”

Susan Reiner, a weekend and summer resident of the area, deserves to provide the final thought. She says that, “Whenever I am at my house, I feel as though I have gone back in time. Bucks County is so close to New York City, but so far way from the hustle of everyday life.”

Reprinted from Bucks Life magazine, Summer 2010