Will be working in Allentown . Looking for a place to live. (Philadelphia: renting, house) - Lehigh Valley - Pennsylvania (PA) -Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton - City-Data Forum

Mbird2011 · 07-19-2011, 02:59 PM

I got a job in Allentown. We are looking for a place to live. We have 2 kids and Good school district is a must. Initially we will be renting, then buy a house. We decided on doylestown . Main concern is the commute to and fro from doylestown to Allentown . How will it be during snow days? Is it against traffic ? Will it be a good option for the long term? is it worth the drive? Do we have better options ? Your inputs are appreciated.

toobusytoday · 07-20-2011, 05:50 AM

I love Doylestown, but it's NOT a great commute to Allentown. Do-able, but it would get old pretty fast. There is no main expressway between the two places but there are several points where the traffic slows down quite a bit. There are different routes but none of them are fast and all involve stop lights and hills. No one on this forum will suggest that you live in Allentown but we have very good school districts surrounding Allentown and Bethlehem. If you read the sticky at the top of this forum there are several links with information about the Lehigh Valley.

When we were moving to this area, we considered Doylestown but my husband, who works near Quakertown, didn't want that commute, and it's a heck of a lot less then what you are considering. I like where we live - we can easily visit Bethlehem (the cool city in our area) but live in a small town. My husband is a season ticket holder for the Eagles and can be at the stadium in about an hour.

I think renting is a great idea, especially if you are set on Doylestown. Maybe that commute would work for your family.

Blinky PA · 07-20-2011, 06:27 AM

I agree with toobusytoday that the commute from Allentown to Doylestown would get old really fast. With so many beautiful areas surrounding Allentown, I don't think you would have any problem finding a great town with excellent schools AND a short commute. The best of both worlds. I would also say that the Lehigh Valley is a little more affordable than Bucks county so you could get more house and land for your money. This area is very desirable and getting more shopping and restaurants everyday. I would give it a consideration if I were you. Best of luck to you with whatever you decide.

Mbird2011 · 07-20-2011, 11:08 AM

thank you for the reply. Read a couple times from this forum but using this the first time and glad to see the responses. One other reason we are considering doylestown is the commute to Philadelphia. My husband is likely to get a job there.
how is the commute to Philly from Coopersburg or Emmaus, other places we are looking into. are there other towns I should add to my search?
Thanks for the inputs

toobusytoday · 07-20-2011, 01:31 PM

Another poster on the Philly forum asked about a similar commute recently where the wife was working in Allentown and the husband in Philadelphia. Found it! http://www.city-data.com/forum/phila...aces-move.html Myself and other posters suggested Lansdale as a good place to live. There is rail service from Lansdale and it's a nice little town. Also, it's a straight shot up the turnpike to Allentown or a not bad back road commute if you're not in a hurry.

Frankly a commute from Coopersburg or Emmaus to Philadelphia would be really bad. My husband did a similar one from Quakertown to Delaware county (we lived on the Delaware state border) for about a year and he hated it. The section from the mid-county interchange South can be bad - accidents, construction, weather and just plain clogged roads from too many cars. Lansdale is do-able to Philly, Lehigh County would be painful. If you really want Lehigh County, I would hands down choose Southern Lehigh (Coopersburg area) over Emmaus just for logistics

Lehigh Valley Native · 07-20-2011, 07:55 PM

The commute on rt 313 from Doylestown to Rt. 309 will suck in the winter during storms. It also has problems with black ice.

Rush hour will be a pain. Doylestown is really nice, but if it was me I wouldn't do it.

Have you looked at Souderton? Although it isn't as nice as Doylestown, it is a quaint town, smack in the middle of Allentown and Philly, with good schools, and access to major highways. It's also a short trip to Doylestown.

While in high school I worked at Thompson toyota in Doylestown. I made that trip for two winters and would not recommend it. As I said above 313 sucks in the winter.

loose cannon · 07-21-2011, 01:50 AM

Doylestown is indeed a great place, but Bethlehem would be the more practical choice. In regards to Allentown the downtown is a little rugged, but do not totally be leary. The Brewworks is a good spot to hang after work.

Mbird2011 · 07-21-2011, 09:13 AM

Thanks for the replies. We have added lansdale and souderton to our search. Planning on driving throu these places. Initially rent. It looks 45 mins to allentown is a must if we have to choose a place between Philly and Allentown. Thank you for all your responses.

Lehigh Valley Native · 07-21-2011, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mbird2011

Thanks for the replies. We have added lansdale and souderton to our search. Planning on driving throu these places. Initially rent. It looks 45 mins to allentown is a must if we have to choose a place between Philly and Allentown. Thank you for all your responses.

Souderton to Allentown is probably about 25 or 30 miles. Depending on traffic, it could take 45 minutes or longer. It's all 4 lane driving but once you get to Quakertown, it is stop and go driving because of traffic lights almost the whole way to Allentown. Depending on where you live in the Souderton area, and where you work in Allentown, you could just jump on the turnpike, which would cut down on the drive time. It's about 20 minutes from the Lehigh Valley exit, to the Lansdale exit.

toobusytoday · 07-21-2011, 10:30 AM

Actually, I think it's 20 minutes from Quakertown to Lansdale and another 10 between Q-town and Allentown. Quakertown, PA to Lansdale, PA - Google Maps or http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Quaker...N&hl=en&tab=wl

Lansdale to Allentown - http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Allent...N&hl=en&tab=wl

I agree with you about Souderton, LVN. It looks okay on the map, but yes, it's all kinds of lights from Quakertown North. You can cut over and take a parallel back road and avoid 309, but you could get behind a slowpoke/construction/weather and then that would be another headache. Because there is no entrance to the turnpike between Q-town and Lansdale, you cannot easily hop on the turnpike either.