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Old 08-30-2016, 02:35 PM
 
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My boyfriend and I are looking to relocate to one of these towns in Pennsylvania. We have a 4 year old that starts kindergarten this year so we are looking for a town with diversity and a pretty decent school system. Right now my boyfriend won't be moving with his job so he needs to get a job before me move. There is a possibility he can get a transfer with his current job but it's not promised. I'm moving with my job because I work from home . So aside from the diversity we are looking for an affordable area where we can get a 2 bedroom in the $900 range and where there are a decent amount of job opportunities . Which town would you guys recommend for this Allentown, Easton , or Bethlehem ??? We hoping to move by October 1st -your opinions will really help thanks !

Last edited by toobusytoday; 08-30-2016 at 07:54 PM.. Reason: fixed typos
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Old 08-30-2016, 07:57 PM
 
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I would suggest your boyfriend find a job first and then figure out where to live. None of the city's have really good schools and $900 for a two bedroom apartment is kind of optimistic. You won't find any school district that will allow a four year old to start kindergarten. In most districts a student must be five by September 1st. I don't mean to sound discouraging, but while Pennsylvania may be less expensive than the NYC metro area, it's not really mid-west inexpensive.
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Old 08-31-2016, 08:39 PM
 
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Hi. I am Latino, from New York City and just moved this summer with my family to Bethlehem. I would suggest your boyfriend find a job first. Please be aware he will most likely not find a job anywhere near the amount of pay that NYC pays. For example, my same job in NYC here in PA pays $33 less per hour. So I would highly suggest he finds a job first and then you can see your budget. I like alot of areas in Bethlehem, but I stuck to the 18020 zip code when searching. I would stay away from south side bethlehem. My child is also in Kindergarten this year but I dont think a four year old can start you would have to call the school districy.
Easton is more diverse then Bethlehem, however there Are some not so nice parts and some nice.
Historic downtown bethlehem area is really nice, it looks like some neighborhoods in Yonkers, Queens, reminds me of those type of neighborhoods.
The schools are all good so far even though my kids just started, but they offer way more programs and activities then in NYC public schools.
Allentown I dont know much about but i know there are alot of hispanics there
For easton the zip codes i liked there when looking were 18045 and 18042
For rentals around here (18020) ive seen some for around that $900 price and their very nice inside little communities.
If you want to direct message me you can!
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Old 08-31-2016, 08:42 PM
 
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Another thing to keep in mind, out here you need to drive almost everywhere which is a huge adjustment coming from nyc. There are no corner stores either if you want something quick or late at night. So definitely need a reliable car. Also, you can find two bdrms for $900. My friend is in the 18020 zip and pays $900 for a two bedrom in a community. If you want the name of the community i can give it to you
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Old 09-02-2016, 07:02 AM
 
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meli722- Thank you for your informative posts. Your comments are likely more helpful than mine. I will add on about the kindergarten age. I found this on the Bethlehem area school districts website: https://www.beth.k12.pa.us/Departmen...rollment.lasso The cut-off date is October 1, meaning your child must be five by that date. Pennsylvania is a funny state for schools and each district is run by it's own school board which can have different policies. In my school district, Southern Lehigh, the cut-off date is September 1 and they are just starting an intervention full day kindergarten. Bethlehem has full day kindergarten and Allentown has some full day K. Allentown has a cut-off date of September 1. ASD Easton also has a September 1 cut off date: Easton Area School District: Kindergarten Registration
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Old 09-02-2016, 07:54 AM
 
252 posts, read 605,535 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by toobusytoday View Post
meli722- Thank you for your informative posts. Your comments are likely more helpful than mine. I will add on about the kindergarten age. I found this on the Bethlehem area school districts website: https://www.beth.k12.pa.us/Departmen...rollment.lasso The cut-off date is October 1, meaning your child must be five by that date. Pennsylvania is a funny state for schools and each district is run by it's own school board which can have different policies. In my school district, Southern Lehigh, the cut-off date is September 1 and they are just starting an intervention full day kindergarten. Bethlehem has full day kindergarten and Allentown has some full day K. Allentown has a cut-off date of September 1. ASD Easton also has a September 1 cut off date: Easton Area School District: Kindergarten Registration
Yes some counties in NJ is similar to bethlehem where its sept 1.
In NYC public schools is December 31.
So far, the schools have been great though and much better then many
Public schools in NYC I am familar with.
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Old 09-02-2016, 08:42 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by meli722 View Post
Yes some counties in NJ is similar to bethlehem where its sept 1.
In NYC public schools is December 31.
So far, the schools have been great though and much better then many
Public schools in NYC I am familar with.
The difference with PA schools is that while the schools share (sort of) county tech schools and their schedules generally match up because of that, they are very much home ruled by DISTRICT, not county, and that makes for a lot more variables. Not only is the very important funding home ruled, but so are the academics. The big difference to new people may be the full day kindergarten and the cut-off age. I believe that New York state in general has a very late cut-off date and most of the schools have full day kindergarten.

Most of the elementary schools are well run. Where the rubber meets the road are the middle and high schools. When we looked at school districts we primarily compared High Schools since we had no intention of moving again once we got up here. I've posted some links in the sticky on the top of this page that has school information. The Morning call is rolling out maps showing information about the districts. Just clicking on the map shows how many districts there are in PA: Which Lehigh Valley schools have the best graduation rates? - The Morning Call
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Old 09-03-2016, 09:10 AM
 
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Thanks so much guys for your help ! Here in nyc u are right as long as the kids turn 5 before the end of the year they can start school. Thanks also for providing me with some good zip codes aprt hunting has came a lot easier ! I really appreciate both of the opinions ! Thanks a lot !
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Old 09-07-2016, 03:09 PM
 
Location: Pa.
55 posts, read 93,269 times
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Default lhv from nyc

the biggest transition shock for me was the absolute absence of local grocerys.

after nyc where you can pop around the corner for oregano mushrooms and a lemon at two in the morning, the necessity of dragging out the car for a 45 minute roadtrip if you want to prepare anything...and i mean anything...still ....after 7 years ....sucks the big one.

otherwise the place is wonderfully civilized in so many ways....that one deeply questionable neighbor
who everyone has notwithstanding.
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