Getting to know the Lehigh Valley (request for suggestions) (Allentown: appointed, sales)

[Rachel125]

Greetings, all. I posted a while back about relocating to the area from Florida. I am gathering momentum as far as preparation on this end and am looking forward a change, if also nervous about it.

I was in Pennsylvania back in October, but most of my time was spent in the Poconos. I do recall being in the Lehigh Valley on a couple of different days and thinking that it seemed like a place that I could live happily, but I hadn't made a decision to do so at that point. Since my move is a voluntary one (i.e. not work related) and I have the opportunity to try and confirm my choice, I'm traveling back at the beginning of March to stay for a week in hopes of getting a good sense of the area.

What I would like to ask for are suggestions for things to go see or do, as well as places to eat. I don't mean this in a vacation sense. I'll be looking for a realtor (for a rental), checking out grocery stores to see what brands are familiar, scouting neighborhoods, learning roads, looking for parks where I could picnic or exercise; in short, looking at the places I would be going if I was living there. I'd love to know what the places are that you all like and which make living in the Lehigh Valley enjoyable for you. Any comments will certainly be appreciated.

[toobusytoday]

If I was a single person looking to live in an area, I would probably choose to be in a walkable town. Is that what you plan to do? If that's the case then I would pick several towns and just walk around. I think Bethlehem is the most inviting and lively area. I would suggest the North side near Moravian College. Emmaus would be my second choice. It has a great little downtown.

I'll give a plug for my area. Coopersburg is also friendly, but it doesn't have as many different places on it's main street as Emmaus. It does have a Main street though and it's a very walkable town. Coopersburg has a lot to offer with parks and the library and shopping within easy driving distance. We have a great Chinese (Eastern Dragon or Eastern Gourmet - the name recently changed) place and Mexican (Casa Toro Grill, Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, Mexican Grill, Mexican Cuisine, Mexican Food, Recipes, Specials, Menu, Events, Happy Hours, Kids Menu, Desserts, Beers, Wine, Tequila, Margarita, Catering) place in the Weis-Kings shopping center and a really good Italian one across route 309 (Ecco-Domani, owned by a local family) in the Giant shopping center. A wonderful restaurant out in the country is The Limeport Inn. They have a varied menu and everything is delicious. We have two parks - Living Memorial in Coopersburg, that is mainly for baseball and team sports but also has a public pool. We have a beautiful large park in Center Valley - Upper Saucon park, that has ball fields and lots of walking trails including a new rail to trail one that is very popular. Saucon Rail Trail | Pennsylvania Trails | TrailLink.com Our library is also located in this park and there is always something going on there. Southern Lehigh Public Library I believe it's the newest library in the Lehigh Valley. Shopping wise there is this huge group of stores in Center Valley Welcome to The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley that has everything from an LL Bean to a Rave multi-plex movie place to a Fresh Market - sort of like a Trader Joe's, but not as good. I was not a proponent of this when it was built several years ago, but it has grown on me and it's awfully convenient.

You are going to have a problem finding a place to rent with a realtor as your looking partner. Realtors up here don't handle rentals in general.

[Rachel125]

Thanks for the reply! Living in a walkable area sounds nice. I hadn't consciously narrowed it down, but that does sound like something I'd like - that, or just a quiet neighborhood with reasonable access to shopping, entertainment, etc. (And sorry, I should have recapped before. I am indeed single, with no children, so I am only having to consider what will make me happy right now.)

Bethlehem and Emmaus are two areas that I definitely wish to investigate. Easton and Coopersburg are as well, though my impressions from reading various sites/local newspapers have raised some security concerns about the former. Coopersburg may also a little expensive for me, yet a friend who lives in the area has suggested that I would like the Saucon Valley. And I know I'm jumping around, but does Macungie not have a downtown as well?

Anyway, you definitely make Coopersburg sound very nice, especially the libraries and parks. I know Fresh Market (as a lesser version of the Whole Foods or Central Market stores I knew in Texas - I've never seen a Trader Joe's) and it's good to know something of the sort is about. The Promenade Shops have been specifically mentioned a few times as well. I'm not a huge shopper, but I still like having nice stores available. It's pretty apparent that wherever I might end up in the area, I would have all sorts of opportunities, retail and otherwise, that are not currently available to me in the smaller area in which I currently live.

I'll definitely keep the restaurants in mind as well. Both Chinese and Mexican are favorites. I saw that the Mexican restaurant has fajitas, which is great, especially since I haven't lived anywhere where I could get decent Tex-Mex since I left Austin. I won't have a kitchen for a week and I don't like fast food, so I'm hoping to find good (and reasonably healthy) places to eat.

With respect to rentals, I'll check the rental listings/sites I've been reading. I thought I had gotten the impression that some realtors assisted with rentals, but they could have just been independent agencies instead. I'm not quite to the point of being ready to commit anyway - just trying to do my due diligence as far as investigation.

I'm looking forward to this trip, and I hope I fall in love with the Lehigh Valley. Thanks again!

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by Rachel125

The Promenade Shops have been specifically mentioned a few times as well. I'm not a huge shopper, but I still like having nice stores available.

I'll definitely keep the restaurants in mind as well. Both Chinese and Mexican are favorites. I saw that the Mexican restaurant has fajitas, which is great, especially since I haven't lived anywhere where I could get decent Tex-Mex since I left Austin.

With respect to rentals, I'll check the rental listings/sites I've been reading. I thought I had gotten the impression that some realtors assisted with rentals, but they could have just been independent agencies instead.

When the 475,000 sq ft Promenade Shoppes opened, the Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall in order to remain competitive, converted their parking lot to a 120,000 sq ft "lifestyle center" shopping area. So, you can get that look and feel if you are on the northside of town. It's not as large or as nice as Promenade, but it is there.

If you are used to eating Mexican food in Austin, you are going to be fairly disappointed in the Lehigh Valley. Most of the Latino population in the valley is from Puerto Rico or Central America. You really have to venture into center city Allentown, which can be unsafe in the evening.

Some rentals are handled by realtors, but usually just the properties that they manage. As sales slow down, more realtors will pick them up. Like most small cities, renting is not as popular as the big cities.

[Kathee the camper]

Live in downtown, historic, Bethlehem. Safe, walkable, arts, food, festivals, public transportation, and everything is at your fingertips. Stay out of Allentown, and Easton. Not safe. Also avoid south Bethlehem. Go to Wegmans to shop for groceries. There is a nice shopping center on airport road off the airport rd exit of Rt22 (78). They also have many restaurants in that area. Bethlehem has the Apollo Grille, The Starfish, an nice Thai restaurant, and the south side has a good Indian restaurant. You are near St Luke's hospital, and the LVIA airport. Good Luck!

[Aquitaine]

I'd put in a plug for Hellertown. Very walkable, a little bit closer to the action than Coopersburg (not by a lot, and probably also more expensive than Coopersburg), and right off the rail trail.

[Rachel125]

Thanks for the replies! The trip went quite well - I really didn't want to leave - and I am definitely excited about the move. The area proved to be quite appealing to me. Downtown Bethlehem was probably my favorite place, but there wasn't that much of a drop-off in my estimation of several other places.

Where I live initially will certainly depend on what is available for rent in a couple of months, but I found a realtor to help with that. I am torn because I did like Bethlehem quite a bit, but the people I know there are in the Emmaus/Macungie/Breinigsville area. I personally don't find a twenty-minute drive to be a deal-breaker, but I was a bit surprised that they considered that to be onerous. I think the difference is that I'll be so happy to have a greater selection of shops and places to go than I do now that a little drive time isn't going to matter.

There were a lot of interesting places I noted, but I didn't have time to stop at them all. When in Bethlehem, I almost went to Thai Thai for lunch and meant to go to the Apollo Grill, but missed both. There was also a tapas restaurant I want to try. I can happily say that the True Blue Mediterranean Cafe in Emmaus was awesome, though.

[toobusytoday]

I'm glad you had a nice visit Rachel! Now that mother nature has moved Spring up to March I think we'll get even more newbies coming up from the south.

I've eaten at the Tapas restaurant in Bethlehem a couple of times with girlfriends. Good food, nice relaxed atmosphere. I haven't tried the True Blue place in Emmaus, but now I'm interested. Maybe I'll stop by in the summer after visiting the farmers market after church. Emmaus has the best farmers market, IMHO.