Bethlehem.....North or South side??? (Easton, Bangor: crime, houses, university)

[GoingtoPA]

I have found several older homes in Bethlehem that I like..
Is there a section that I should stay away from. It is biger than other places in Pa that I have looked at. However, working and living in town would be nice. If any one can help me with information it would be greatly appreciated.

[tz1308]

I saw that no one replied to your post and I felt compelled to, even though I will probably upset somebody! Oh well...
The north side of Bethlehem is more "upscale", with higher rents and less crime. The south side of Bethlehem has alot of crime. The south side is in closer proximity to Lehigh University and therefore has the college party-type atmosphere associated with it, i.e. drinking parties, noise, late-night stuff. Be prepared that the local police will deal with the immediate situation but can provide no long-term relief, as the college brings in great revenue for the city.
Fountain Hill used to be lovely, but in same league as south Bethlehem.
If you are a Latino you will probably feel very much at home in South Bethlehem. If you are used to crime, noise and loud music, and siesta-style living, then South Bethlehem is probably for you.
South Bethlehem has some great spots to check out. There is a fabulous Mexican (?) restaurant on S. Main (?) (2 blocks from Lehigh Campus. On the same street there is the Funhouse and River City Cafe (???). In the opposite direction is the Tally-Ho - this is a must! The food is great. The atmosphere is great. Not fine-dining, but...just check it out!
Musicfest is held in Bethlehem in August and is a must to go to! Great music, food, crafts, fun for kids. Downtown Bethlehem has some neat shops and good food, etc.
Bottom-line is: don't walk through South Bethlehem at night, and don't drive through unless you have to. Bethlehem Township is also more upscale and would be good to check out.
Happy New Year!

tz

[pennsynative]

While I mostly agree with the above poster, I cannot fully agree about the Fountain Hill comment. My husband and I purchased our first home in Fountain Hill and found it to be a lovely small community. Most of the problems from South Side stay down below Fountain Hill. The farther up the hill you go on Broadway, the farther away you get from South Side issues. It is quiet and has a lot of senior citizens, but also has a great park and youth activities for the kids.

The historic downtown Bethlehem area is beautiful and there are some great houses in that area that are within walking distance. Obviously, it all depends on what you are looking for. Good luck!

[mwr6348]

I've gotta disagree with the first poster here....while it would be ignorant to call southside crime free the area has done a lot to turn itself around lately and is on the path of continuing to do so. Also I've never felt unsafe walking at night. Typically if you look at the crime that does occur on southside, very few of them seem to be random acts.

Northside has always been the more upscale part of town, and Main Street has great charm. The Historic District is great too. The old Bethlehem Steel exec's built a lot of great homes centered around the outskirts of downtown as well as Fountain Hill. That being said, the outskirts of the Historic District can be a little bit rougher.

Really I don't believe one area is better than another, it just comes down to what you are looking for. Southside is the artsy bohemian part of the city while Northside is the quaint downtown. Oh and of course make sure familiarize yourself with BethWorks if you're moving to Bethlehem!

[GoingtoPA]

Originally Posted by mwr6348

Oh and of course make sure familiarize yourself with BethWorks if you're moving to Bethlehem!

What is BethWorks??????

[GoingtoPA]

Thanks to all that replied to request. However, I was in Pa this week and visited the small town of Bangor. I fell in Love....but the information about Bethlehem is helpfull. I will need to look for work when I move and Bethlehem of Easton is closer to Bangor.....
Thanks again and have a wonderful NEW YEAR...

[mwr6348]

Going to PA...

Heres BethWorks in a nutshell http://www.sandsbethworks.com/ It's the hot topic in Bethlehem at the moment. Also check out www.Mcall.com ( its the local newspaper) which offers a whole section on the proposal. Let me know if you need any more Bethlehem info I'm more than happy to help.