How is the Allentown area for raising kids? (Bethlehem, Emmaus: houses, neighborhoods)

[curious1104]

My family and I are considering relocating to the Allentown area. We have three small kids with one on the way. How are the schools in the area? We are looking for a smaller town feel with good schools, safe, family friendly neighborhoods and activities. If anyone has any recommendations, we would appreciate it. Thanks!

[jimmyrocks]

For the small town feel, look into Emmaus or Coopersburg.

[Local hero]

Originally Posted by curious1104

my family and i are considering relocating to the allentown area. We have three small kids with one on the way. How are the schools in the area? We are looking for a smaller town feel with good schools, safe, family friendly neighborhoods and activities. If anyone has any recommendations, we would appreciate it. Thanks!

horrible!

[namaw]

Originally Posted by curious1104

My family and I are considering relocating to the Allentown area. We have three small kids with one on the way. How are the schools in the area? We are looking for a smaller town feel with good schools, safe, family friendly neighborhoods and activities. If anyone has any recommendations, we would appreciate it. Thanks!

West Allentown, East Penn S.D is ok.... ats bout it. I agree Coopersburg, Emmaus, Center Valley is really nice Lower Saucon Schools good deal. If I were you I would stay out of Allentown center And close neighborhoods except for the west end. It was just gettin' bad when I was a kid and that was 30+ years ago.
Center City has some beautiful architecture, and great history but other than that. Two words Run Away! Good Luck

[Local hero]

Originally Posted by namaw

West Allentown, East Penn S.D is ok.... ats bout it. I agree Coopersburg, Emmaus, Center Valley is really nice Lower Saucon Schools good deal. If I were you I would stay out of Allentown center And close neighborhoods except for the west end. It was just gettin' bad when I was a kid and that was 30+ years ago.
Center City has some beautiful architecture, and great history but other than that. Two words Run Away! Good Luck

West Allentown is still the Allentown SD. All the other areas you mentioned are great for raising kids but Atown is shot and only going to get worse. You're right about Atown being a beautiful place 30 years ago though. It's really sad driving through Atown and Bethlehem is coming on heavy for being a trashy place too. I wouldn't put any kid in either Atown or Bethlehem SD unless it was my very last option. I would homeschool before it got to that point though.

[namaw]

Very true Local,
I grew up in Beth. north side We never locked our doors. Everyone knew just about everyone. Local grocery store is not the same. Houses now apts. It's a shame but the very first murder I heard about was when I was 17 back in '81 guy girl thing murder suicide a very isolated incident. Now sadly home is in my memories. Atown too. Hess's dept. store was great at Christmas. Ah the good old days

[Local hero]

Originally Posted by namaw

Very true Local,
I grew up in Beth. north side We never locked our doors. Everyone knew just about everyone. Local grocery store is not the same. Houses now apts. It's a shame but the very first murder I heard about was when I was 17 back in '81 guy girl thing murder suicide a very isolated incident. Now sadly home is in my memories. Atown too. Hess's dept. store was great at Christmas. Ah the good old days

I almost shed a tear thinking about Hess's during the holidays. My whole family made that a yearly tradition. At least I got the memories. Now if you drive through town you better have the doors locked and windows up. I am very optimistic in life but the reality is atown is never going to get better and Bethlehem is coming on strong. Even little towns like Salsbury/Emmaus/Macungie/Saucon Valley/Coopersburg etc are having more and more crime. It's only going to get worse with this economy that's going down and doesn't show any signs of relief in the next few years. We talk often about leaving town. The problem with that is pretty much everywhere besides North Dakota is having the same issues.

[toobusytoday]

There are towns and cities that have turned it around and revitalized. My hometown in Delaware had a real dismal period for about 20 years after I left but I understand that it's coming back. Wasn't Bethlehem a not-so-great city at the same time Allentown was in it's heyday? Bethlehem is looking pretty good now. Just because things are bad now does not mean they can't improve. Emmaus is much better then when we moved here almost 12 years ago and Coopersburg is also getting a more lively main street.

[Local hero]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

There are towns and cities that have turned it around and revitalized. My hometown in Delaware had a real dismal period for about 20 years after I left but I understand that it's coming back. Wasn't Bethlehem a not-so-great city at the same time Allentown was in it's heyday? Bethlehem is looking pretty good now. Just because things are bad now does not mean they can't improve. Emmaus is much better then when we moved here almost 12 years ago and Coopersburg is also getting a more lively main street.

Bethlehem is definately better than Allentown but that's not saying much. There are some nice parts of Bethlehem but very few and it's the same for Atown. The problem is overall when you consider the school districts they suck! Emmaus is actually worse now than 10 years ago the schools are crowded and not the same. Macungie/LMT is so ugly now with all those cookie cutter swamp homes it makes me almost as sad as driving through atown. We were talking about those HUD homes and there are many around those developments near Macungie/LMT. Some of them even look like ghostowns because they cant sell them. Wait until the houses over there start having major structual damage because of the location they were built on. HUD wont touch them at that point and then it's going to be ghetto. That's happening around the country more and more all the time. Developments that are losing major value and or not rented are becoming "da hood" as they say. Anyone that's from this area that knows how swampy that land was and wasn't filled properly knows exactly what I mean. Even Jaindl wouldn't touch most of that land. Coopersburg is still just Coopersburg.

I dont mean to offend you if you live in Atown or Bethlehem or anywhere else though. Too each their own. This is simply my take on the area. My family has lived here since somewhere around 1860. Some of them still dress and act like they are still living during that age.

[namaw]

Originally Posted by Local hero

I almost shed a tear thinking about Hess's during the holidays. My whole family made that a yearly tradition. At least I got the memories. Now if you drive through town you better have the doors locked and windows up. I am very optimistic in life but the reality is atown is never going to get better and Bethlehem is coming on strong. Even little towns like Salsbury/Emmaus/Macungie/Saucon Valley/Coopersburg etc are having more and more crime. It's only going to get worse with this economy that's going down and doesn't show any signs of relief in the next few years. We talk often about leaving town. The problem with that is pretty much everywhere besides North Dakota is having the same issues.

Hey Local, so nice reminicing with you. Remember how Hess's reaked of fancy with the models in the Patio resturant. The HUGE desserts you could feed a small family on. I remember the store clerk at Leh's got Bill Leh on the phone to make sure my refridge was delivered the next day because I had children. Santa at Hess's. The parades. underground bathrooms that were clean and safe, 50 cent movies with cartoons first. Oh boy!!! Thanks so much.
Breaks my heart when I go visit my kids and think of "the Casino" coming. Bye Bye Bethlehem.