Seniors Discover Bristol

Seniors traveling through Pennsylvania find Bristol Township 23 miles northeast of Center City Philadelphia, opposite Burlington, New Jersey on the beautiful Delaware River. The population is around 55,421.

The Harriman Historic District in Bristol is one area senior visitors enjoy. Bristol was first incorporated in 1720 but, after 1834 became very important to the development of the American Industrial Revolution as the terminus city of the Delaware Canal.

Bristol was platted in 1697, and like so many cities in the UK, named after Bristol, England. It was originally used as a port and dock. Bristol is rich in history, boasting many historic and restored houses.

From its earliest days Bristol was a center of textile mills, foundries, and milling. By the 1880s Bristol was home to many factories, including companies manufacturing wall paper and carpet.

 Seniors Check out Bristol Riverside Theatre

Attractions that interest senior visitors include the Bristol Riverside Theatre, and the Margaret R. Grundy Library and Museum.  I know that my wife and I would enjoy The Bristol Riverside Theatre. TripAdvisor puts the Theatre at top of their list for Must See in Bristol. Facebook notes that Mill Street Market Place is a great place to shop.

In the summer Bristol features many festivals and free concerts: cultural festivals like Celtic Day, Puerto-Rican Day, African-American Day, and Italian Day, with a Doo-Wop Concert.

Seniors can also find an Antique Car Show, an Arts & Crafts Festival, and a Fall Auto Show, they will enjoy. All held at the Bristol Lions Park, Bristol Wharf and in the Historic Mill Street Shopping District along side the Delaware River.

Seniors Like Bristol Historic District

Today, Radcliff Street that parallels the River is part of the Bristol Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places. Anchored by the Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Museum and the King George II Inn, this street tells the colorful story of Bristol with its old buildings.

Senior visitors are invited to take a self-guided walking tour to learn about the colorful local history that reflects the greater changes that were happening in the fledgling nation.

Mill Street, which saw a decline with the rise of shopping centers and malls in the suburbs, is seeing a return of retail and dining establishments. The Bath Mineral Springs at Bristol were recommended by Dr. Benjamin Rush and Benjamin Franklin as an important health retreat.

The famed canal between Bristol and Easton was built for the transportation of anthracite coal and stimulated economic growth for the community between 1827 and 1931. One of the Bristol’s parks is located at the lagoon of this former canal, near the former Grundy Woolen Mill and its iconic clock tower. Seniors, set your GPS for Bristol and enjoy quality time in a quality town. -jeb