Bethlehem (Allentown, Scranton, Easton: low income, real estate, houses)

[RRnrm]

Would like to know if anyone is familiar with the neighborhood around Rockland Park (zip 18017)?

We are looking at houses in the Bethlehem/Easton area and have found several on line that look good...but it is impossible to tell what sorts of neighborhoods the houses are in.

We are in Oceanside CA, have just sold our house and will heading for PA in mid September.

[loose cannon]

Rockland Park is off of a main street called stefko Boulevard. It is a very nice neighborhood. However across the st. is a public housing area (projects) The proximity of the low income area is not a problem as you are surrounded by numerous nice areas. The thugs from the projects know better than to cross the st. and cause trouble in the nice neighborhoods.

[ScranBarre]

Bethlehem, as a whole, is on a major upswing. The city comes alive in December as the state's official "Christmas City", and the sounds of classic rock, pop, etc. fill the streets during the annual MusicFest. The SouthSide is bouncing back with a lot of small boutiques, restaurants, and gift shops, and the presence of highly-acclaimed Lehigh University also adds an air of prestige and culture to the SouthSide. My uncle just moved from the SouthSide to Fountain Hill, namely just because he wanted a larger lot, and he used to have nearly every convenience imaginable within walking distance.

The NorthSide is also bouncing back as well. The Moravian Bookstore is a popular tourist draw, as are many other surrounding shops and cafes. Overall, Bethlehem is probably the SAFEST of the three cities in the metro, as Allentown can be rather seedy, and Easton is lagging a bit further behind Bethlehem in the urban renewal department. I nearly went to college at Lehigh, as I fell in love with Bethlehem, but King's College back here in the Scranton area put together a more impressive financial package for me, so I decided to stay here (A big mistake, as the parents are now driving me nuts! LOL!)

I'm not familiar with Rockland Park in particular, but I see the city in general rebounding much faster than nearby Allentown and Easton are. Add to this a short, 90-minute drive to either Manhattan or Philly, and your opportunities to head to the city for a day to see a broadway show or chow down on an authentic cheesesteak are endless! Enjoy your move, and good luck!

[RRnrm]

Thank you for those two "reviews"...I have found this type forum a much better way to get REAL information as opposed to the usually C of C stuff from real estate agents.

One more question...
Our daughter is going to be teaching at Lafayette College...how far is this area of Bethlehem from Lafayette? Is it a traffic congested drive?

[summa56]

tHERE ARE ALOT OF NICER PLACES TO LIVE IN BETHLEHEM THAN ROCKLAND PK. I WOULD LOOK IN WEST BETH. AND NORTH BETH. WEST AROUND PROGRESS AVENUE PAST 6TH OR 7TH AVE. AND NORTH AROUND LINDEN STS AND ABOVE WASHINGTON AVE. THE DEVELOPMENTS IN BETH TWSHP ARE NICE BUT PRICIER. I WORK IN DOWNTOWN BETH AND JUST LOVE IT, THE HISTORIC AREA OF DOWNTOWN BETH IS BOTH NICE TO VISIT, SHOP AND LIVE IN IF YOU LIKE DOWNTOWNS.
COMMUTE TO LAFAYETTE IS ABOUT 30 MINS ON A GOOD DAY...NO ACCIDENTS OR CONGESTION...RT 22 CORRIDOR IS A BEAR WHEN THERE'S AN ACCIDENT. YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT PALMER TWSP. TOO. IT PROBABLY IS A BIT PRICIER DUE TO NJ/NY FAMILIES MOVING IN FOR CHEAPER HOUSING...EASIER COMMUTE FOR YOUR DAUGHTER THOUGH!
LOTS OF LUCK SEARCHING...IF YOU WANT SPECIFICS LET ME KNOW...AND DON'T FORGET CASINOS ARE PROBABLY COMING BY NEXT YEAR TO SOUTH BETH...LOTS OF CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THAT ISSUE...ALTHOUGH THE POCONOS COULD GET A LICENSE ...THERE IS SOMEWHAT OF A GANG PROBLEM IN THE ABE AREA AS WELL....THE PRICE YOU PAY FOR BEING NEAR BIG CITIES(NYC & PHILLY)GOOD LUCK!!!

[jerseyToPa]

Hi Guys,
We are looking to move to the ABE region from Jersey.
This past weekend, we drove around and saw some nice new constructions. We saw 3 communities, one in Bethlehem, Deluca Homes on Hanoverville road, the other one in Palmer twp, Tuskes homes -Village in Mill Race and the third in Easton, Riverview estates off of Rt 122.
We would like to know how these three compare against each other in terms of safety, schools, drive to Warren, NJ and may be occassionally to NYC.
Is the traffic pretty bad during weekdays? How are the schools - Easton schools vs Nazareth schools vs Bethlehem schools.
We are leaning towards the one in bethlehem (1st choice) and the palmer twp (2nd choice). Palmer twp seems to be cheaper but we were not sure if the neighborhood would be the best.
Your input will be valuable and helpful in us making the decision.
Thanks!!

[nounedy]

Single parent with one 14 yrs old daughter is considering moving to NY from PA.
I 'd like to be in a commutable distance to NYC, Manhattan for work. Can anyone tell me which area in PA that is convenient to the trains and buses? Is it commutable to NYC ? How long and easy is it? The cost? excellent high schools,how safe neighborhood in this area,? How affordable are new single family homes in this area? Please need your help. Thanks in advance.

[Delray Patty]

Unfortunately unless you work uptown and can take the Martz bus into the
city or drive...Pa. does not have train service yet.....when I moved there in
l992 the trains were coming back, the trains were coming back..that's all
you heard...well 15 years later and still no trains....Martz is the only bus
company with no competition.....Route 80 in the morning is a nightmare if
you work a 9 to 5 job, not to mention what it would cost you for parking in
the city and the wear and tear on your car, so the bus would be your only
option right now....If you moved near the Delaware Water Gap you could
always drive as far as Netcong or Hackettstown and take the train into
Hoboken....

[ramfam]

Hi, Jersey Joe. I also looked at all the same developments. I pm'd you.

[chrischem]

Originally Posted by RRnrm

Would like to know if anyone is familiar with the neighborhood around Rockland Park (zip 18017)?

We are looking at houses in the Bethlehem/Easton area and have found several on line that look good...but it is impossible to tell what sorts of neighborhoods the houses are in.

We are in Oceanside CA, have just sold our house and will heading for PA in mid September.

I hope you didn't buy a house in Bethlehem School District. First, there is a spill over from Allentown which is plagued with gangs, drugs, and violence. Second, the high schools are well below average in academics and are on probation from the state. There are much nicer school districts in the area around Bethlehem. Macungie, Emmaus, Quakertown, Upper Perkiomen, Parkland (excellent), Saucon to name a few. Good luck!