Diamond In The Rough - Lehigh Valley?

[rickdob]

To be fair though, there are areas of the three cities that have improved and are improving. And the drive to shopping areas, entertainment, etc, can be quite less than from the suburbs.

[travric]

These problems are mostly relegated to the downtown areas of Allentown, parts
of Bethlehem,downtown Easton and to a lesser extent Phillipsburg, NJ.

The outer ring suburbs of these cities are still mostly occupied by a middle class
working population.

Venture further out and into the outer metro areas
and you'll discover low crime, excellent school districts and desirable homes.


You and your family Majenta will find the overwhelming majority of
people here to be welcoming to you due to what you bring to the table which
isn't a drain but a positive to the valley.

You know I'd be curious if others who are familiar with the area believe it is conducive to the retired population. Are there communities there that say work well with that segment? Anything on that relating to the 'Valley' would be appreciated.

[Jutta610412]

This area is kind of a weird mix of neighborhoods.

Retired people represent a large population here. There are a lot of 55+ communities popping up, some of which look so nice they make me wish I could hurry up and turn 55. If you have any concerning health issues there are a variety of quality hospital systems to choose from as well as providers who specialize in all sorts of issues. There are three different emergency rooms within a five minute drive of where I live.
I know for a fact that many people from NE PA travel out of their way to come to this area for care. Even if you developed some unfortunate health issue that required more specialized care, you are within driving distance of major hospitals in Philadelphia. There are a lot of outpatient services to choose from if you would need physical therapy, oxygen supplies, etc..
If you are from NJ/NY, you will not feel alien here. My mother was born in the Bronx, my neighbors across the street were originally from NY and have lived in PA for at least 20 years. I lived in FL briefly, from that experience, I've learned to appreciate the NY attitudes, honestly. There are a lot of commuters. I confess, I hop the bridge to NJ to fill up on cheap gas when I get the chance.
There are a lot of health clubs and gyms that give generous discounts to retired persons, I can also tell you that from direct experience. Many of the grocery stores and pharmacies have senior discounts.
The area is fairly diverse religiously and politically. I'd say any branch of religious belief is represented here if you were seeking a church, a political group, etc.
It seems that the area around where I live now-- google the Wegmans grocery store in Bethlehem, PA-- has a low crime rate. I feel fairly safe walking along Bethlehem's "Main Street" for shopping, etc, alone, but I don't know if I feel so safe walking along the south side area right across the bridge (33 year old female here).

If you want to cherry-shop with grocery stores, there are about a half-dozen to choose from within ten minutes drive of where I live, not including Target and Walmart. There are farmers markets depending on the season. Pharmacies are a dime a dozen, some are 24 hours. There many different stores to choose from--for example if you don't find something at one Lowe's, there are two others within 20 minutes, or Home Depots, or small hardware stores.
The traffic sucks here during rush hour, although it might seem like a cake walk for people from NYC/NJ. I know NYC traffic is terrible, but there seems to be few alternatives when route 22 or 78 are backed up if you want to go from point A in Allentown to point B in Bethlehem. Some PA drivers are just horrible, I will confess, and the police are not as likely to pull people over as they do in NJ an NY for headlights being out, speeding, driving too slowly, not stopping at stop signs etc..
There are some good things to do here that aren't expensive. We're within driving distance of Philadelphia, Lancaster County, NJ shore, the Poconos, etc, which is nice if you want to do a day trip. I can go to King of Prussia Mall, or some of the major NJ malls, several outlets, in about an hour's drive. Weirdly enough, if I order something online, I get it very quickly since we live close to some major UPS, FedEx and US Mail hubs.
If you were looking to go back to school, there are a lot of colleges and universities around here.

My son goes to Bethlehem Area School District, which is fine depending on where you live in Bethlehem. If you have more disposable income, there are a lot of private schools around, especially Catholic ones. From what I understand, if you join a parish there is more of a discount-- I have no idea what your religion is, but if you just happen to be Catholic I thought I'd put that info out there. There are some charter schools and other private schools around. There are a lot of people who pull tricks to have their kid to one school vs another-- for example, pretending they live on the north side so their kids can go to a particular elementary school.
For someone who wanted to move here, I think they should spend a little time driving around the neighborhoods. As far as residences are concerned, south side Bethlehem, I would avoid. Center city Allentown, I would avoid. Get GPS because some of the roads around here make little sense. Check WFMZ (local television channel) and check out their news and traffic for more in depth information about the area. I feel that the crime around here generally stays within the neighborhoods.

[travric]

Thanks Jutta610412 for your comments.
Maps will be coming out . Like you said a drive is important to gauge neighborhoods and see how people view and particularly enjoy where they live. I think that 's important as well.