Allentown to Jersey Commute (Bethlehem, Easton: for sale, crime rate, new home)

[Rook26]

I am considering moving to Allentown next month, there are only two things that concern me.

1. I work in Summit, NJ (Start time 7:30). How is the commute on 78E around 6AM? Commute home?

2. How bad is the crime in Allentown's suburbs? I know the crime rate is high in the city especially downtown (Eastern Allentown), but how are the western portions where it overlaps with South Whitehall by Trexler Park?

Thanks!

[emanon]

If you don't mind the stop and go traffic every day than the commute will be just fine. Some days your commute will be 2+hours and if the weather is bad I hope you can telecommute.

Not many in NJ trade off high taxes for 3-4 hrs commute every day.

E

[Summering]

I know someone who travels from Forks, Pa ( area behind College Hill) to Morristown, NJ and it takes less then an hour. 45/50 min. But he travels in the afternoon and returns late at night. The trip from East STroudsburg took longer into Morristown about an hour 15 min.
He didn't like the ES ride, but doesn't mind the ride from Forks.

There are quite a few in that area that work down in the area of Basking Ridge and Morristown. Some who can adjust time ,go in earlier and leave their jobs earlier in the evening. I would not go further then Forks........which has many homes for sale right now, new and resale.
I know of quite a few who have wanted a new and great neighborhood, moving over from NJ. Most right in and around that area.
They wanted a new home, better taxes, and a commute on 78 into work.

[jjj]

Originally Posted by Rook26

I am considering moving to Allentown next month, there are only two things that concern me.

1. I work in Summit, NJ (Start time 7:30). How is the commute on 78E around 6AM? Commute home?

2. How bad is the crime in Allentown's suburbs? I know the crime rate is high in the city especially downtown (Eastern Allentown), but how are the western portions where it overlaps with South Whitehall by Trexler Park?

Thanks!

I can answer your question on commuting but not on the Allentown area. Rt 78 into NJ has become real busy in the last 2 years. In the summer when school is out it is slightly better but not by much. By 6 AM, traffic is heavy slowing down to a crawl on every upgrade and also backing up for miles to the 287 interchange due to sunglare. If one car pulls over to the side it will start a rubberneck delay in seconds. Rain is getting as bad as snow on the road for slowing things up. The trip from Allentown to 287 should take about 45 minutes but it will probably take 90 minutes. Then you must deal with the drivers cutting in and out of lanes to gain one car lenth and the truckers with 40,000 lb plus vehicles doing 75 miles an hour, many of them dump trucks with debris and sand blowing out of the backs of them. Best thing to do is make a run at the hour you will be traveling on multiple days to see how the commute is for yourself. This is coming from someone who has commuted this route for 7 years and thank goodness no longer doing it.Good Luck !

[DaSkorpion]

Originally Posted by Rook26

I am considering moving to Allentown next month, there are only two things that concern me.

1. I work in Summit, NJ (Start time 7:30). How is the commute on 78E around 6AM? Commute home?

2. How bad is the crime in Allentown's suburbs? I know the crime rate is high in the city especially downtown (Eastern Allentown), but how are the western portions where it overlaps with South Whitehall by Trexler Park?

Thanks!

===============

If you can telecommute two or three days and drive to work only twice a week would be great...else if you do not have that option and have to be at work by 7.30am...I'd say if you can get on 78W by 6.00am sharp the commute should not be that bad.

I just moved to Bethlehem from NJ and telecommute three days and drive to NJ twice a week - I leave home (Bethlehem) around 6.45am and I get to NJ (Edison) by 7.30am or 7.45am depending on how 22 and 287 gets backed up.

I stay in the office to about 6.30pm on those two days and head out on 287 to 78 - now here is the bad part...there have been instances where its taken a little longer about an hour and a half to get home due to traffic on 287 or sometimes on certain parts of 78, road constructions and accidents sometimes get some lanes blocked as well.


Good Luck on your move

[Rook26]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm looking for work in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area already... maybe the long commute will help motivate me. The only problem is what appears to be the lack of IT jobs in the area.

Thanks again!

[DaSkorpion]

Originally Posted by Rook26

Thanks for all the replies. I'm looking for work in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area already... maybe the long commute will help motivate me. The only problem is what appears to be the lack of IT jobs in the area.

Thanks again!

============

Allentown has much more companies than you can find in Bethlehem but once again it depends on your skill set or what you do...also check with the local employment agencies like Manpower etc.

What do you do in IT...if i may ask just a lil curious....I am a Software Engineer.

Here is a link I found pretty useful during my move:

http:www.lehighvalleyarea.com/content/employers.htm (broken link)

[Rook26]

Originally Posted by DaSkorpion

============

Allentown has much more companies than you can find in Bethlehem but once again it depends on your skill set or what you do...also check with the local employment agencies like Manpower etc.

What do you do in IT...if i may ask just a lil curious....I am a Software Engineer.

Here is a link I found pretty useful during my move:

http:www.lehighvalleyarea.com/content/employers.htm (broken link)

I've worked for NJ's largest hospital - St. Barnabas Medical Center - as a desktop support technician and more recently (3 years) in education technology support which is varried, desktop builds, laptop repair, network cabling, hardware, Server 2003 & Novell, some Citrix, A/V support, Apple hardware & OS, etc. A little bit of everything . I have a Diploma in HW/SW Support & Network Admin, A+ & Network +, AA in Business and a BS in Criminal Justice.

I will check out that link, thanks.

[silverspringer]

In terms of the second part of your question, the area near Trexler Park is generally considered very nice -- there's some new development and a very popular Wegman's. The parts of Allentown (postal address) that aren't in Allentown School District are generally fine.

[meredithT]

I am considering taking an Allentown job at Lehigh Valley Hospital. I live in Clinton, NJ. I have driven it when it's not rush hour and it's only 40 minutes, but then I had a nightmare drive during rush hour Friday. I will have to start there working 7 pm - 7 am, so traffic will be an issue. Once I can get on Days after about a year, it should be a piece of cake, reverse flow.

My question is, how bad will it be that first year? Leaving Clinton at 6 PM, will I make it to Allentown by 7 PM or is that unreasonable? And how about the morning, I will probably be leaving LVH at 7:30 AM, how long until I hit Clinton?

Thanks much!