Those visiting New Hope frequently take a trip over the former toll bridge into Lambertville, a quaint town with a vibrant arts culture, though that wasn’t always the case, writes Darren Tobia for Jersey Digs. 

While the town now boasts art galleries, restaurants, and antique shops, it was once an industrial space where steel, rubber and pottery were manufactured.  

“It was a noisier and grubbier place,” said Michael Mensch, president of the Lambertville Historical Society. 

In the 1980s, artists flocked to the small Jersey town to find affordable gallery studios. Unfortunately, many of the large historic buildings were rundown and in desperate need of repair.  

Jim Hamilton, a local visionary and artisan of many talents, is credited with bringing Lambertville back to life.  

Hamilton worked hard to draw other creatives to the area, encouraging them to set up studios. Preservation became a means of growing the town’s economy.  

Buildings and local spaces were restored, including the Lambertville train station, which Hamilton helped convert into a restaurant.  

He also helped revive the Lambertville Shad Festival, an event created after the Delaware River was cleaned in the 1970s.  

Now, the town is bustling with life, with a variety of tasty restaurants and fun stores, and homes painted in bright shades of color.  

Read more about the restoration of Lambertville and how this small New Jersey town became what it is today in Jersey Digs. 

_______