Moving back to the States...to the Lehigh Valley? (Allentown: house, school)

[becca]

I'm moving back from Israel, with my Israeli boyfriend in tow. He'd like to live someplace outdoorsy, where he has a good chance of finding an adventure-related job, such as leading hiking trips, rafting, things like that. I'd like a place with a variety of good (probably indoor) jobs, lots of food options, concerts, etc., no more than four hours from my family in north Jersey.

What do you folks think of the Lehigh Valley? I don't know much about it, but it was suggested as a good mix of all those elements. If anyone here's familiar with Ithaca, NY, that's the kind of town I have in mind - surrounded by natural beauty, pretty chill, but with a vibrant community creating a bit of a metropolitan feel.

Thanks a lot for any advice you can offer!
- Becca

[I'minformed2]

Ithaca is a hip little college town of about 30,000 people in Upstate NY. It's about an hour south of Rochester. It's probably about 6 or 7 hours from New Jersey though.

[Weloveantiques]

What makes Ithaca is the college scene. Look for another small town in PA with a great school like Cornell. I cen't think of any in Eastern PA that aren't in Philly.

[christina0001]

There's not much of a metropolitan feel anywhere in NE PA. Try the Allentown and Stroudsburg areas.

[becca]

Thanks for the replies!

It took me 3.5-4 hours to drive to NJ from Ithaca, and that was the perfect distance. I had the idea that Lehigh U in Bethlehem would give the area a similar atmosphere to what Cornell gives Ithaca - is that the case? I admit I don't know much about Lehigh, but their website looks solid enough.

Does anyone here live in Bethlehem or Allentown? Is it a good area for a couple in their 20s who like to skip around outside but also want to be able to get a beer and hear some live music once in awhile? And who, uh, need to start earning decent money pronto? Thanks!

[graysmom8]

I live in Emmaus (on the southern border of Allentown) and we love it here ! Lehigh University is a very good college and there is also Moravian College in Bethlehem, Muhlenberg College in Bethlehem? and Cedar Crest College in Allentown. My DH and I have lived here since we were in our early 20's and have been very happy with the area. We live in a smaller town, but we're close to bigger cities like Allentown and Bethlehem and within a couple of hours drive from NYC (also about 1 hour from Philly). We are about a two hour drive from Newark if that gives you any idea time wise (Interstate 78 is 5 min from our house and goes straight into NJ). My husband is very into the outdoors and mountain biking and there are definitely places around here to hike, bike, etc. If your BF is looking for an adventurous job, there is a tour company in Jim Thorpe (about 45 min from us) that does biking and whitewater rafting tours. Check out this site for info http://www.whitewaterrafting.com/ . Jim Thorpe is a VERY small town and not someplace you really live (just fun to visit). There are lots of companies with indoor jobs in the LV. Olympus (cameras, endoscopes, etc.) just moved their US headquarters to the LV and I know they have lots of openings available still (couldn't get the Long Islanders to leave the island ). If you let me know what kind of a job you're looking for I could probably give you a better idea of what's around here, although pretty much every type of industry is present here. There are LOTS of restaurants around here to choose from and plenty of shopping. There are also several festivals throughout the year, the two biggest being Mayfair and Musikfest (musikfest.org) both of which are outdoor music festivals. Oh, and there's also Dorney Park in Allentown with lots of great coasters if you're into that kind of thing. I can give you more info if you have more specific questions.

GraysMom

[becca]

Hi Graysmom,

Thanks for the insights! You're very convincing.

The rafting link looked like just the thing we have in mind, and I sent it ahead for bf's perusal. I also checked out the Musikfest site - it looks like a nice variety of acts - and I saw that Olympus is the sponsor. The distance from my family is also just right - I grew up in Montclair, about 20 minutes from Newark.

As for me, while I don't know what exactly I want to do (there's an understatement for you), I know my strengths are effective written and verbal communication, facilitating productive discussions, and instruction/training. I've been poking around for editing positions and employee training positions, but really, I'm open to a lot of things, especially since I don't have too much experience to offer an employer - I've been working as an English teacher, copyeditor, proofreader, and materials contributor to an educational software company for the past two years in Israel, but none of it as a major full-time thing. What do you think?

Again, thanks for your guidance - it's encouraging!

Best,
Becca

ETA - graysmom, I just read over what I wrote, and I want to assure you that you don't have to give me the answer to what I should do with my life - beccasmom is all over that question.

[graysmom8]

Hi Becca,

I won't try and decide what you should do with your life, but Rodale (publishes Runner's World, Organic Gardening magazine, and lots of others) is headquartered here in Emmaus. I have a friend who was an editor there until she had her son (now she freelances). I don't know if they're hiring, just another possibility for you to think about.

GraysMom

[becca]

I checked out the Rodale site, and it was really promising. Thanks for another great tip, graysmom!