AVI STEINHARDT/Courier-Post Mayor Bruce Ware of Pitman stands outside the borough's municipal building along Broadway.

Pitman adult population, 20-34 1990: 2,078 2000: 1,620 Change: -22% Source: 2000 Census

To Bruce Ware, Pitman today looks a lot like the Pitman of yesteryear.

And the longtime mayor is among many here hoping the small, quaint borough changes little in the years ahead.

With virtually no room left in the 2.2-square-mile community for new development, Ware said little is expected to change. "Hopefully, Pitman 10 years from now will be a lot like Pitman is today, with some upgraded infrastructure," said Ware, 58. "We are one of the most densely populated communities in Gloucester County."

Ware, owner of a Sewell liquor store, has served as borough mayor for the past 12 years and as a councilman for eight years earlier. He said the borough's population has changed little over the years, but its residents are graying.

According to U.S. Census data, the borough's total population declined .36 percent from 1990 to 2000, going from 9,365 to 9,331.

But the number of residents between 20 and 34 years old decreased by 458 and the number of residents between 35 and 59 years old increased by 310 over the same time frame.

"But this is all cyclical here," Ware said. "Five, 10 or 15 years from now, you'll see a different cycle as our graying population sells and moves and passes away, we'll have young people moving in."

Ware said the advantages to living in a small community such as Pitman are many.

"I think this is a town with a lot of character and people have pride in their community here," he said.

"We have an identifiable community," he said. "Our downtown gives us an identity. Our Pitman Grove area is rooted in the historic past. And we provide a tremendous amount of services for our residents here. And everything is walkable. You can walk from one end of this community to the other.

"People get to know each other in this community," he added. "Our reputation as a quality place to live has been our strongest asset."

In terms of business and in dustry, the borough's largest employer by far is Sony Music, which employs more than 600.

But much of the borough's remaining commercial stock is retail, most along Broadway in a two-block downtown shopping district.

The borough also offers considerable recreational areas. The foremost is Alcyon Lake, a 38-acre park area that includes ball fields, a walking path, a playground, picnic pavilion and boat ramp.

The lake, which was once a popular swimming spot, was reopened to fishing and boating activities following an environmental cleanup finished in the mid-1990s. But swimming remains prohibited.

Looking ahead, Ware said a much discussed possible light rail extension into Gloucester County, if ever completed, could alter the community forever.

"I think we'd be putting our heads in the sand to say that it won't be seriously considered," Ware said. "It would change our community.

"Property values in communities like ours, next to a transportation system, probably will go up," he said.