You might be a Lehigh Valley native if..... (Philadelphia, Allentown: house, buy)

[toobusytoday]

I got this as a "forward" in my e-mail. I'm not a native, but I get most of 'em, how about you?

You know you're from the Lehigh Valley, if.....

-You thought everyone in the world had 2 or 3 different choices for ABC NBC CBS and FOX (this reception is getting fuzzy, there must be a storm in Philly, I'll just switch to the New York Channel).

-You've never had to explain that you are really from Pennsylvania, not someplace in the middle east (Bethlehem, Egypt, Nazareth, Emmaus).

-You think Industrial Parks are better uses of the land than Farms.

-You actually can show people the dairy where your milk comes from.

-If it takes less than ten minutes to get to a mall but more than 10 minutes to park and get inside.

-If you can go to a church bazaar every night all summer and not go to the same one twice (and not win at bingo either).

-If you lived somewhere between Mario Andretti's place and Larry Holmes' place and yet never watched a Race or a Prize Fight.

-If you have rooted for either side in a Lehigh - Lafayette game.

-If you prefer Yocco's over Pott's or vice versa.

-If you think Quakertown is far away (25 minutes by car) but you think nothing of driving 15 minutes one way to pick up a friend and then backtrack another 25 to get your girlfriend and then another 10 to get your friend's girlfriend and then another 20 to go to the movies on a Friday night.

-If you've ever been to a 'platz.

-If you've ever said to yourself "Damn, I need two more tickets" while attending a platz.

-If you or any of your relatives have ever "worked the beer tent."

-When you and your co-workers discuss the "game last weekend" on Monday morning, you're referring to high school football.

-You think the PPL Building and Martin's Tower are skyscrapers.

-You can get pierogies in every restaurant.

-You think the Morning Call has a great sports section.

-You've been stuck in traffic on Rt 22.

-You know that 7th Street, MacArthur Road and Rt 145 are the same stretch of road.

-You know what a tasty cake is, and when you go out of town you take boxes and boxes with you.

-You've been to Dorney Park millions of times and can recite, "thank you and enjoy your stay here at dorney park...and wild water kingdom." in the same voice as the woman who says it.

-A-Treat Soda, nuff said.

-If you know at least 10 or more people that have attendend or are attending a community college (LCCC, NACC).

-You call it a hoagie, not a sub, and deffinitly not a hero.

-You know what quoits are, and play it at just about every picnic, party, and place you go.

-You call it soda, not pop.

-You know what Turkey Hill Tea is, and drink it regularly.

-You think Martin Towers IS the Empire State building! (aparently some people do?)

-You know what a porkroll is, and actually like them.

-You hate anything and everything about Parkland High School, except maybe a couple of people, unless of course you went there.

-Someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there.

-"Vacation" means going anywhere south of Philadelphia for the weekend.

-You measure distance in hours.

-You know several people who have hit a deer more than once.

-You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction.

-You know that Billy Joel's song is about Bethlehem and not Allentown.

-You tell people The Rock graduated from your high school (Freedom) and no one believes you.

-All the kids you know from New York and Jersey think you're amish.

-You can buy Yuengling from the plant it's brewed at.

-You or someone you know have gotten a citation for goin' to the quarry.

-You spell/say it Bethlum not Bethlehem.

-You remember when Beca was still a good football team.

-You know the words to the Service Electric Song.

-You know that South Whitehall Township and Allentown are different, even though mail is sent to Allentown (and probably the same with other townships).

-You know that there are covered bridges all over the place, and contemplated following those random little covered bridge tour signs.

-you know what the 'coop-d' is and you're sad that it isn't 24 hours a day anymore.

-you know where linkies is and remeber free pretzel stix from your childhood.

-you know the Qmart shuffle, and why the shuffle is necessary.

-you know where the best cheesesteaks in the lehigh valley are... CROSSROADS.

-you know how to drive 309 North as to not screw up the suspension on your car.

-you know the multiple ways to get to and from the lehigh valley mall.

-you know what bootgirl is, and what tattoo place it's located above.

-You knew what the "smile" spas were long before they were ever busted.

-Wing Night at your local pub was the highlight of your week.

-You have "Trick or Treated" at the house of the family that makes Mike 'n Ike's and marshmellow Peeps...

-You can pronounce 'Hokendauqua' or 'Catasauqua' without consulting the dictionary but still insist on calling it 'Hoky' and "Catty'.

-You have eaten the Grand Champion Jaindl Turkey that the President of the United States has ate every year straight since 1966.

-You are sad that Ken Matthews no longer hosts the Morning Show on B104.

-you ever tried to throw a penny on the back of the JC Penney eagle to make a wish.

-you remember seeing the old Bethlehem Steel buildings growing up and are sad to see them go.

-you remember when their was no fast food place in bethlehem.

-you remember lehigh pizza was in an old metal diner in the parking lot to where wendys is.

-You know that "indian statue" on 378 thats looking over bethlehem.

[wowbaby]

WOOHOO!!!

go lehigh! YAH for Yocco's and sadly - i never got to work the beer tent....

the old Bethlum steel buidlings DO get to me! my fil used to work there.

(and i thought EVERYONE measured distance in hours LOL!)

[Stavs]

I hate to be negative, but I think people in the valley really need to move beyond bethlehem steel. Its done and over with....if they would move on perhaps the valley coud grow a bit quicker and bring in some real jobs/companies, instead of this massive influx of retail establishments. Again, not trying to be negative just my opinion.

[toobusytoday]

I think that's why the post talks about being a native. I moved here past the days when the Steel was around, so have never really felt it's impact.

[Stavs]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

I think that's why the post talks about being a native. I moved here past the days when the Steel was around, so have never really felt it's impact.

I think thats the issue though....the natives are so stuck in the past that they are failing to look toward the future. This area could be a great city again. With our proximity to NY and Philly, there is no reason why it cant happen.

[toobusytoday]

I guess I'm thinking that people of a certain age just talk about the past. My parents talk a lot about what they did when they were in their thirties and forties but it doesn't mean they don't have a life, just those were those their good old times. I don't really know anyone my age that talks about the Steel or really cares about it, like you said, that was the past but I guess it was a big part of this area when it was alive. Why do you say that people still think about it, (besides my silly list, that is!) ?

[Stavs]

Well, I've been here 7 years now and I hear it constantly. Lots of people talk about "The Steel" as if it is the all giving life force of the valley. How long have the factories sat idle with nothing being done? Now a casino is moving in which is good, or is it? Who knows. They also wanted to make a "Steel" museum....honestly, do you think a lot of people would want to go to that? Older locals might, but tourists probably wouldn't. Look at Flint Michigan with their Auto-World. No one went and they just destroyed it.

You also have Steel City this, Steel City That...people don't want to let go. Bethlehem is not steel city anymore, and will never be. Why not make it Pharma-Town or something relevant? The only major employer to move to the area lately is Olympus. We need more than that to sustain this area. This is the main reason I am leaving the valley. I dont see the growth coming any time soon. I have a great high paying job here, but if I were to lose this job, I would have a hard time finding anything that pays near what I make.

BTW...not a silly list, it was very entertaining!

[loose cannon]

I have gone through great effort to defy most of the steretypes on here. Im not a part of the old guard. The hell with Steel. The old dumb Dutchies can stick it! There were a few things that I can relate to though and laugh it. I remember the old Lehigh Pizza. I did'nt even live in South Bethlehem at the time but I recall seeing it. Actually, the business may have already moved to the third st. location but I have vivid memories of the early 90's and staring at the old diner with the Lehigh Pizza sign still on it.

[wowbaby]

i would imagine if you are an old timer who remembers it's glory days and you go downtown and see the desertion that it WOULD be quite difficult to get past it.

i agree. the town needs to move on and up to keep on prospering, but BS is a huge part of the city's history. have no fear once the steelers all die off, noone will give it another thought, but that kind of makes me sad.

[jeffvivian]

I think "the Steel" represents more then just the glorious past to most of the people here. I think its an ICON of us as a country being at the FOREFRONT of an ENTIRE INDUSTRY, LIFESTYLE if you will. And how greed can push things from great to implode and entire industry. Now to top it off the service oriented industry which we as a country so heavily employ now is mind blowing to them.

Just my 2 cents.