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Old 08-30-2012, 08:57 PM
 
12 posts, read 28,613 times
Reputation: 16

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I just started the interview process for a job in Emmaus. I'm still a long way from a job offer, but they've presented a salary range and I need to decide if it's a practical move financially based on that. I'm not really familiar with the area, so I also need to determine if it's somewhere I want to live.

I currently live in Lexington, Kentucky. I'm 31, no kids, just a dog. Right now I live less than a mile from the center of downtown, so I'm in pretty easy walking distance of restaurants, coffee, bars, farmers' market, etc. The neighborhood I live in is sort of low-income, I guess, but it's pretty safe. I really like where I live now. Before this, I lived in a subdivision and while it was quiet and safe, I hated it. That said, I think I'd be fine in a small-town environment as long as there was somewhere nearby to get a coffee or a beer.

Basically, I'm looking for
-Dog-friendly rentals
-In walkable neighborhoods (with cafes, restaurants, etc.)
-The closer to Emmaus, the better
-And I'd prefer not to be mugged.

In Lexington, you can rent a decent single-family house for less than $1200. You can find a good 1-2 br apartment for less than $600. It seems like Allentown is comparable, but not knowing the area, I don't know if those are places I'd want to live. And it seems like Emmaus doesn't have much for rentals at all. I briefly looked at Bethlehem, but I think I'd have to find the neighborhood of my dreams to make it worth the commute.

Any insights?
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Old 08-30-2012, 09:54 PM
 
138 posts, read 282,857 times
Reputation: 33
If you can find a place in Emmaus itself, it is a pretty walkable town. There are bars, coffee places, a nice used bookstore, the farmers' market, etc. The trick is finding the place.

When we moved here, we did a carpet-bomb strategy - we stalked Craigslist, drove around, and even engaged several realtors specializing in rentals. One thing that brought in a number of choices was that we posted in the Craigslist "housing wanted" section.

If you'd be willing to bike/drive a few minutes into the downtown and then walk around, that would significantly increase your options as well.

Since you don't have kids and don't need to be in the school district, you should get a map of the districts and look for areas that are close to the Emmaus downtown but not in the East Penn SD. This would yield cheaper rents.
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Old 08-31-2012, 10:45 AM
 
13,252 posts, read 33,399,774 times
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I would definitely go for living right in Emmaus. It sounds pretty similar to where you live now. The sticking point is going to be your budget, but I think it's do-able. Good suggestions by Alexiskai on how to find a rental. You may also look in downtown Macungie or Coopersburg. Both are nice small towns close to Emmaus.

Home | Emmaus Farmers' Market

You can sign up for this on-line newspaper to get a feel of the town: Emmaus, PA Patch - News, Sports, Events, Businesses & Deals
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Old 09-03-2012, 05:17 PM
 
12 posts, read 28,613 times
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Thanks for your replies. That's very helpful. I'll focus on Emmaus if I make it far enough along in the interview process to actually go out there.

As a plan B, would you say Macungie and Coopersburg are better bets than any neighborhoods in Allentown for finding walkable, reasonably safe areas?
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Old 09-03-2012, 07:40 PM
 
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Oh my gosh yes! You do NOT want to live in Allentown! Macungie and Coopersburg are nice safe towns. Allentown is a semi dangerous city.
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Old 09-03-2012, 09:26 PM
 
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Is Allentown that dangerous? It has me second guessing myself if we should move back to PA? I am from PA and don't remember it being that bad.
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Old 09-04-2012, 12:19 AM
 
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Like any city, Allentown has dangerous parts and non-dangerous parts.
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Old 09-04-2012, 08:17 AM
 
13,252 posts, read 33,399,774 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shadeofgreen View Post
I just started the interview process for a job in Emmaus. I'm still a long way from a job offer, but they've presented a salary range and I need to decide if it's a practical move financially based on that. I'm not really familiar with the area, so I also need to determine if it's somewhere I want to live.

I currently live in Lexington, Kentucky. I'm 31, no kids, just a dog. Right now I live less than a mile from the center of downtown, so I'm in pretty easy walking distance of restaurants, coffee, bars, farmers' market, etc. The neighborhood I live in is sort of low-income, I guess, but it's pretty safe. I really like where I live now. Before this, I lived in a subdivision and while it was quiet and safe, I hated it. That said, I think I'd be fine in a small-town environment as long as there was somewhere nearby to get a coffee or a beer.

Basically, I'm looking for
-Dog-friendly rentals
-In walkable neighborhoods (with cafes, restaurants, etc.)
-The closer to Emmaus, the better
-And I'd prefer not to be mugged.


In Lexington, you can rent a decent single-family house for less than $1200. You can find a good 1-2 br apartment for less than $600. It seems like Allentown is comparable, but not knowing the area, I don't know if those are places I'd want to live. And it seems like Emmaus doesn't have much for rentals at all. I briefly looked at Bethlehem, but I think I'd have to find the neighborhood of my dreams to make it worth the commute.

Any insights?
The above bolded statements are what I was going on. The majority of Allentown is fine but to compare the safety of Allentown with the surrounding towns is night and day. If someone is bound and determined to move to Allentown then there are areas to recommend. However, the OP sounds like he is looking for a place just like Emmaus, where he will be working. As long as he can find a place in his budget, I don't know why he would look at Allentown at all.
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Old 09-04-2012, 08:25 AM
 
13,252 posts, read 33,399,774 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mossy View Post
Is Allentown that dangerous? It has me second guessing myself if we should move back to PA? I am from PA and don't remember it being that bad.
PENNSYLVANIA is a big state. Every state has cities that are struggling with crime, unemployment, underachieving schools, infrastructure, etc. Allentown is struggling. It looks like you are from Massachusetts. I remember when we visited WPI college in Worcester, at the same time my niece and SIL visited Clark, at the other end of town. There was a huge difference between the two areas. That's how it is in Allentown. Does that mean the whole state is dangerous? No.
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Old 09-04-2012, 08:28 AM
 
Location: Lehighton/Jim Thorpe area
2,095 posts, read 3,091,265 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mossy View Post
Is Allentown that dangerous? It has me second guessing myself if we should move back to PA? I am from PA and don't remember it being that bad.

There isn't anywhere in Allentown that is dangerous during the day. There are a few streets I wouldn't walk down at night, though, just like any city. It really depends on where you are moving. Remember that the Lehigh Valley is a pretty diverse place. There are some problem spots in the more urban areas but the region is quite safe.

There might be some dog-friendly rentals on the outskirts of Allentown, but they will be twice what the OP is used to.


The City of Allentown itself even has some nice areas, i.e. the west end, etc. but they are mostly residential.
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