Incorporated in 1888, the borough of Collingswood has managed to hold on to its past while meeting the challenges of the present and looking forward to those of the future.

With a bustling downtown, a large and inviting park, Victorian-style homes and several historic pre- Revolutionary buildings the borough is ideally suited to meet the needs of its new residents while maintaining the comfortable atmosphere that attracted many of its long-time residents.

Although the population decreased by 6.30 percent between 1990 and 2000, from 15,289 to 14,326, the borough's changing demographics suggest this inner-ring suburb of Camden is still a vital community with many more anniversaries to celebrate.

While the number of seniors ages 60 to 84 has declined, a younger population is moving in and breathing new life into the town.

"Collingswood is moving forward, not backward," said Joan Ferrara, 68, president of the borough's AARP chapter. " I can't say in how many years Collingswood will be mainly young people, but it will definitely be coming."

Kathleen and John Mininno are evidence of the transition. Kathleen, 32, and John, 38, purchased an old Victorian home on West Browning Road more than three years ago. The young professionals, both lawyers, have two daughters ages two and nine months.

"Now what attracts me is the people and the town itself. It's just a friendly town and the downtown has just been thriving," Kathleen Mininno said.

The Mininnos' house, built in 1903, was a duplex when they bought it. They have turned it into a one-family home.

The borough has embarked on a project to convert the town's many duplexes back into single family homes for the changing community.

Mayor M. James Maley Jr. said the duplexes stress parking and schools, and put two families into a house originally meant for one. First Colonial Bank has signed on as lender for the project.

The resulting more spacious housing could attract more growing families. It will also mean a future Collingswood with reduced density, higher property values with increased tax revenue, and an upgrade of declining properties.

While many of the families settling in the borough are young couples without children or with preschoolers, the schools are already moving into the future with a new emphasis on meeting the needs of more and more children of differing ethnic backgrounds.

Collingswood teacher Alyce DelCastillo's English as a Second Language classes have doubled in the last five years. She now holds classes for 25 elementary school children.

Collingswood Superintendent of Schools James H. Bathurst estimates that at least 29 languages are represented in the district.

"Our minority population has been growing among African- Americans, Latinos and Asians," Bathurst said. The number of minorities in the borough, however, still lags behind the county average.

In response to the increase in the minority population, the Collingswood school board has implemented an evening program for parents of students needing assistance in learning English.

The borough's business district has been responding to the growing number of young professionals with restaurants and trendy upscale boutiques.

Collingswood is home to 245 businesses, with more expressing interest in putting down stakes. Once considered dingy-looking, the main shopping area on Haddon Avenue has undergone a face-lift and has attracted new tenants.

The corner of Collings and Haddon avenues is home to The Living Room, a coffee house with live music that attracts locals and out-of-towners alike.

"We had a vision of The Living Room coffee house as a light in the community, a meeting place where anybody can come. It's been hugely successful. The vision has been fulfilled," said co-owner Ricky Gregerson.

Elsewhere on Haddon Avenue, the public library has long been a town anchor. It, too, has been changing to meet the changing needs of residents.

In recent years, the library has increased its ethnic collection. Today, there are more novels by black, Hispanic and East Indian writers.

Haddon Avenue is just one of three economic redevelopment districts in the borough, along with West Collingswood and the Route 130 corridor. Longtime fixtures along Haddon Avenue include Eck's Jewelers, whose owner, Jerry Chambers, is president of Collingswood Partners, which promotes downtown development.

Chambers said the group wants to plan more community events, such as an artisan show in Knight Park.

"I would love to see something like a small version of a folk fest," Chambers said.

Elsewhere in town, the borough has a plan to lease the Excelsior Scottish Rite Temple on the White Horse Pike as a performing arts center. Built in the 1930s, it seats about 1,000 in its auditorium and also houses a banquet hall and ballroom.

Yet, even as it welcomes younger residents, the borough has been looking out for its seniors, many of whom are lifelong residents.

An apartment community for people 55 and over is currently under construction on Champion Avenue, at the edge of Newton Lake. Pewter Village Urban Renewal LLC is turning the former site of Eldridge Gardens into an 84- apartment complex called Pewter Village.

As if to underline Collingswood's bright future, Merchantville resident Philip Kunz has purchased a former bank building on Collings Avenue and plans to move his architecture firm in from Philadelphia by midsummer.

"Collingswood is doing a lot. It looks like Collingswood is only doing better," Kunz said.

• Profile: Collingswood

• Collingswood: Blending its past, present
  Incorporated in 1888, the borough of Collingswood has managed to hold on to its past while meeting the challenges of the present and looking forward to those of the future.

• English as a Second Language classes double in size
  While many teachers at Collingswood schools have seen their class sizes shrink over the past decade, the number of students in Alyce DelCastillo's classes has doubled in the last five years.

• Collingswood booms with robust business districts
  There's no doubt about it - business in Collingswood is booming.

• Slowly, but surely, town's population is becoming younger
  Joan Ferrara can easily recall three neighbors on her street - all of whom were well into their sunset years - who have passed away in the past few years.

• Library stays connected to town's changing ethnic patterns
  Like other institutions in this all-American inner-ring suburb, the Collingswood Public Library has found itself changing to meet the changing needs of the borough's citizenry.

• Single-family homes in, duplexes out
  Collingswood Mayor M. James Maley Jr. said just about every neighborhood in his borough has a problem duplex property.

• Night life: The Living Room is the place to be
  On the corner of Collings and Haddon avenues is a building that shines in the evening like a welcoming beacon on a mostly darkened street. It's The Living Room, a coffee house where locals and people from out of town gather to hear live music and have a good time.

• What do you think will be different in Collingswood in 2010?
  Donna Herbster, 31, owns Halo, a boutique on Haddon Avenueand lives above the store.