Moving to Allentown - Neighborhood advice? (Bethlehem, Lancaster: for sale, real estate, apartment complexes)

[rcavanaugh]

Hi all - I am moving to Allentown in August and know nothing about the Lehigh Valley area. What are the safest areas, and which would you avoid? I need a convenient commute to Center Valley.

I'm specifically looking at apartments in these locations:

-off Lehigh Street south of 78
-off the 2500 block of South 4th street (southern Mountainville area I believe)
-1200 block of W Cumberland St

Any thoughts on these locations? Or, any other apartment areas you know to be nice? Any help would be appreciated - thanks in advance!

[toobusytoday]

Why not just live in Coopersburg or Center Valley??

[rcavanaugh]

I'd love to, but I haven't been able to locate any 1BRs in either area.

Any thoughts on the locations in Allentown?

Or know of any apartment complexes in Center Valley or Coopersburg?

[toobusytoday]

Center Valley doesn't really have a town, it's an area. Coopersburg has a couple of apartment buildings but most places are singles on main street above shops. There's a Realtor on main street and I wouldn't be surprised if they knew about local places to rent.

Lehigh Street south of 78 would be fine, not south 4th street and not Cumberland Street.

Emmaus is just over the hill from Center Valley and a great small town. I would choose that over Allentown every time. check out Real Estate Listings, Homes for Sale and Rental Property Listings – REALTOR.com® I see a couple of places under $700 a month there. Make sure you click on rent next to the town name space. BTW, the apartments just south of 78 are about two miles from Emmaus.

[eallison9]

I lived in Bethlehem from 2001-2004 on the west side and would highly recommend Bethlehem as a place to live. I had a 1 bedroom apartment in a place called Oak Hollow or 515$ a month. If I could do it again I would be closer to downtown or the southside (Lehigh University area). Center Valley is a close drive if you take 378 over the mountain about 10 minutes. Bethlehem's center is beautiful and has some nice shops while Southside has a great First Friday event. The old section of Bethlehem is wonderful for strolling at night. As for Allentown, the areas around 19th st are best (near the Fairgrounds), there's a movie theater, restaurants, some shops, etc. You have to go to the farmers market though, 2 city blocks...i could do all my grocery shopping there easily.

[PA.Dutchman]

Moving to Allentown - Neighborhood advice?
""Hi all - I am moving to Allentown in August and know nothing about the Lehigh Valley area. What are the safest areas, and which would you avoid? I need a convenient commute to Center Valley.""

There are no safe and secure areas or neighborhoods of Allentown. I have a Police Band Scanner, daily there are hit and runs multiple times a day in the city, the entire city. Even our Allentown Library has a police officers station there daily from 3:30 P.M. to about 8:00 P.M. The last person murdered in Allentown in April was shot down with in an easy stone throw of the Library, last fall another man was badly beaten and stabbed a dozen doors down from the library across the street from Aprils' murder. Two students we slashed with a knife last month at Wm Allen High School during classes, one needed 20 stitches to close up his face.

There are multiple hit and runs on Allentown's Streets daily, assaults, armed robberies, shootings (one again last night at 7 th and Liberty Streets, don't bother looking the local media does not report the true amount of crimes) in fact just now as I am typing there was another shooting, it has just taken place and police are responding immediately.

Ethnic gangs rule our schools, middle and high schools for sure. Officers are on duty there too. I volunteered at a local elementary school last year for the entire school year. It was 1
ST. Grade to 5 TH. and they had to hire a full time security officer a couple months into the year.

EVERY night there is a fight when the thugs are dismissed somewhere along their route home. Last month two students were stabbed at 7 TH and Tiglman or Liberty in an after school fight. Vandalism is a daily event along their route home.

I would love to encourage you to move into Allentown, it has been my home since birth over 62 plus years ago. But I wouldn't recommend it in good faith and honestly to anyone.

For 58 years we had a nice area, since then we had 4 murders in our neighborhood. I dare not even walk to the library now, it is just 2 blocks away.

You might be able to make it in Center Valley for a while. But know this my wife was born and raised in that area. It too has taken a dive.

The entire state is being invaded by thugs and gangs. We went to play in Lancaster last weekend. It was attended by people from all over the state. NONE of them had anything good to say about their areas. All are being invaded by similar thugs.

Well I must go police are now using a dog to track the shooter from this mornings' shooting. Yes welcome to the Wild East!! The car used in this morning shooting has been located and it is owned by someone in Center Valley. There is a GREAT chance it was stolen, we will see.

[dione]

Originally Posted by PA.Dutchman

Moving to Allentown - Neighborhood advice?
""Hi all - I am moving to Allentown in August and know nothing about the Lehigh Valley area. What are the safest areas, and which would you avoid? I need a convenient commute to Center Valley.""

There are no safe and secure areas or neighborhoods of Allentown. I have a Police Band Scanner, daily there are hit and runs multiple times a day in the city, the entire city. Even our Allentown Library has a police officers station there daily from 3:30 P.M. to about 8:00 P.M. The last person murdered in Allentown in April was shot down with in an easy stone throw of the Library, last fall another man was badly beaten and stabbed a dozen doors down from the library across the street from Aprils' murder. Two students we slashed with a knife last month at Wm Allen High School during classes, one needed 20 stitches to close up his face.

There are multiple hit and runs on Allentown's Streets daily, assaults, armed robberies, shootings (one again last night at 7 th and Liberty Streets, don't bother looking the local media does not report the true amount of crimes) in fact just now as I am typing there was another shooting, it has just taken place and police are responding immediately.

Ethnic gangs rule our schools, middle and high schools for sure. Officers are on duty there too. I volunteered at a local elementary school last year for the entire school year. It was 1
ST. Grade to 5 TH. and they had to hire a full time security officer a couple months into the year.

EVERY night there is a fight when the thugs are dismissed somewhere along their route home. Last month two students were stabbed at 7 TH and Tiglman or Liberty in an after school fight. Vandalism is a daily event along their route home.

I would love to encourage you to move into Allentown, it has been my home since birth over 62 plus years ago. But I wouldn't recommend it in good faith and honestly to anyone.

For 58 years we had a nice area, since then we had 4 murders in our neighborhood. I dare not even walk to the library now, it is just 2 blocks away.

You might be able to make it in Center Valley for a while. But know this my wife was born and raised in that area. It too has taken a dive.

The entire state is being invaded by thugs and gangs. We went to play in Lancaster last weekend. It was attended by people from all over the state. NONE of them had anything good to say about their areas. All are being invaded by similar thugs.

Well I must go police are now using a dog to track the shooter from this mornings' shooting. Yes welcome to the Wild East!! The car used in this morning shooting has been located and it is owned by someone in Center Valley. There is a GREAT chance it was stolen, we will see.

OMG, is it true? We are considering to relocate Lehigh valley this July. We have a 6 years old boy and want to choose Parkland school district. I 'm not quite sure about the boundry of the school district..but I think the district office is located in Allentown. If above is true, we 'd like to stay away..but where should we pick?

[toobusytoday]

Parkland is fine, as are all the towns surrounding Allentown and Bethlehem. Here's the crime map from the local paper: Lehigh Valley Crime Map: Police reports from Allentown, Easton, Bethlehem from The Morning Call Crime is a problem anywhere in the US. It's worse now then it was 20 years ago. I'm not trying to downplay what PA dutchman is saying but it's no worse here then it is anywhere else.

[PA.Dutchman]

toobusytoday makes a good point for the Parkland School District. Many families moved into that area just to get their children into a good and safe school district.

East Penn or Emmaus SD also had such a repetition for a fine learning and safe school environment.

But know this because of class of people living in these areas money is to be made selling drugs in these schools. Emmaus has cars in the students' parking lot working families can not afford in the Lehigh Valley. Parkland has pretty much the same class of people and money is to be made selling drugs in these more affluent school districts.

Both school districts are having problems with drugs and now Police resource officers are present.

There is no doubt it is a safer environment and more educational resources are available, but so are drugs now, even more so then in some of the poorer Allentown Schools.

[dione]

Thanks for all your input. I have been wandering in the forum for a couple of days and really got confused. Seems like a lot of people like bethlehem much better than Allentown or Easton. School is important and neighbourhood safety is also our first priority too. So far we are only looking at elementary school. I heard bethlehem 's hanover is quite famous but the rest of schools in the district might be ....How about Q-town? It looks the elementary schools there are all good. We 've never visited PA before and appreicate any insight about choosing neighbourhood and school.