moving to allentown pa -which area and schools? (Philadelphia, Bethlehem: apartment, renting)

[nidss77]

Hi,
we are mulling a move from upstate NY ( hudson valley NY) to allentown PA due to my husbands job. He is going to be working at lehigh valley medical center .

we would need to be about 20, max 30 min away from his work due to nature of job.

Have two children both in elementary right now ,and priority is finding EXCELLENT public schools, followed by newer housing developments in the $500+ range in a safe, family neighborhood.

Please help!! I am quite worried about the move after thinking we were going to be settled here in upstate and then suddenly hearing that we need to get uprooted.


I should also mention that one of my kids has some special needs, soif anyone can shed light on the special education system in the recommended school district, that would be super helpful...

please help!

[nidss77]

Hi,

I have been reading comments from city folks ( nyc, boston, NJ) that are saying that allentown is country living, with no artistic and cultural scene of its own? I am alarmed as we are mulling a move to allentown...

can someone shed light on where are all the nice places to live, eat and shop?

do they have nice shopping and all the nice stores ( wegmans, trader joes, target) that we would love o continue to have access to?!

thanks!

[nidss77]

When are you moving? between july-august 2016
Where are you coming from? HUDSON VALLEY NY
Why are you moving? HUSBANDS JOB AT LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL
Where will you be working? I WILL BE TRYING TO FIND WORK AROUND 30 MIN RADIUS
Have you been here yet? NOPE

Will you buy or rent? BUY
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend? SINGLE FAMILY $500-600K
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend?
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up?

Are you married or single? Do you have children? MARRIED
Do you prefer public or private schools? PUBLIC -NEED EXCELLENT SCHOOLS!
Do you have pets? NO
Do you want or need a yard? YARD, NOT HUGE
Are you keeping a car? TWO
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? CALM AND QUIET WITH EASY ACCESS TO BUSY

What do you want to be closest to? GREAT SCHOOLS AND HOUSING
Work MOST IMPORTANT
Shopping SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.) IMPORTANT
Nightlife NOT IMPORTANT
Near Bus stop? Please note that there is NO rail service in the Lehigh Valley.

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? DIVERSE

Phillies or Mets?PHILLIES!

[nike80]

Hi, I am in the similar situation . I have accepted a job at Lehigh Valley hospital starting July 2016. Hopefully the answer in the thread "Relocating to Lehigh Valley July2016" can help you.

[toobusytoday]

If you want a bigger HS, look into Parkland and East Penn. If you want a smaller High School, look at Southern Lehigh. All three school districts are very good and an easy commute to LVH.

Lucky for you, your friends are misinformed about Allentown and our area in general regarding things to do and culture.

Music - SteelStacks — Bethlehem, PA
Musikfest — Bethlehem, PA
Sands Bethlehem Event Center | Lehigh Valley, PA or you could gamble here. The Sands casino (I think) brings in the most revenue of any PA casino)
Category | Events
Miller Symphony Hall - Downtown Allentown

Sports - The Official Site of The Lehigh Valley IronPigs | ironpigsbaseball.com Homepage - The Phillies farm team
Lehigh Valley Phantoms - The Flyers farm team

Shopping -
The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley :: 2845 Center Valley Parkway Center Valley, PA 18034
Lehigh Valley Mall - A Shopping Center In Whitehall, PA 18052-5795 - A Simon Property
Targets/Walmart/Kohls, etc and other grocery stores, including Wegmans, are all over the valley.

Sadly, there is no Trader Joe's (YET!) but we're getting a Costco and a Whole Foods later this year. I drive to Montgomeryville about once every 4-6 weeks to visit a TJ's and Costco. Between Wegmans and our local grocery stores though, there really is no problems getting great organic and healthy food. In the summer farmers markets and roadside stands abound, as well as PYO farms and CSA's.

Education - There are six four year colleges in the Lehigh Valley, and two Community Colleges

RE: Special needs kids - Students in Lehigh county are served not only by their own school district but also by the CLIU 21 - a sort of umbrella organization that works with the schools and families. Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit / Overview

[s1alker]

Originally Posted by nidss77

Hi,

I have been reading comments from city folks ( nyc, boston, NJ) that are saying that allentown is country living, with no artistic and cultural scene of its own? I am alarmed as we are mulling a move to allentown...

can someone shed light on where are all the nice places to live, eat and shop?

do they have nice shopping and all the nice stores ( wegmans, trader joes, target) that we would love o continue to have access to?!

thanks!

Allentown is definitely not country living. But as a smaller city, it of course is not going to have the kind of cultural scene that a mega city like NYC will have. The lower cost of living also reflects this, you get what you pay for.

[toobusytoday]

Originally Posted by nidss77

Hi,

I have been reading comments from city folks ( nyc, boston, NJ) that are saying that allentown is country living, with no artistic and cultural scene of its own? I am alarmed as we are mulling a move to allentown...

can someone shed light on where are all the nice places to live, eat and shop?

do they have nice shopping and all the nice stores ( wegmans, trader joes, target) that we would love o continue to have access to?!

thanks!

But, OP, you yourself don't live in the city, right? The Hudson Valley is beautiful but I don't think it's usually the first place one thinks of regarding the lively arts so I don't think you are going to have much trouble with the transition to our area. I can get to NYC or Philadelphia under two hours so it's not as if you would be moving to Kansas.

[nidss77]

yes we are coming from the hudson valley which is not known for its cultural scene and it has been hard enough adjusting to life here for me atleast. however, i have come to appreciate the beauty around us and the people are very nice.

i was wondering if this is even more country than what i have got used to.....no offence to people who love country living...but it isnt for me or my family.

looks like we might be allright in allentown...

so i hear parkland is a great district....which neighborhood to buy in? im hearing good things about orefield, north whitehall township?

[toobusytoday]

Have you visited? Without knowing where you live now, I have no idea how we compare. I don't think a city that has a population of close to 120,000 counts as country. It's the third largest city in the state.

I drive through Orefield fairly often and I'm not sure I would choose that area, but that's personal preference. After moving around a lot, we found that we wanted to be close to, or in an actual town and not in a field of houses with no town affiliation. Orefield is more of an area than a town. North Whitehall is where everyone goes to shop. Be careful if you want to stay in Parkland school district because it encompasses a few different mailing address. Confirm the school district with the schools or with neighbors. Also, if your big thing is not being in the "country" than looking at the outskirts (north Whitehall and Orefield) of the metro area is not the way to do that.

BTW, When you look on a map, you'll notice right away that Allentown abuts Bethlehem so when you are looking at things to do, know that Bethlehem is the same area.

[nidss77]

ok i understand what you are saying...so please help me here...which areas are towns and not just areas, have newer housing developments in the $450-500k range, and are in the parkland district?

we plan to visit soon, in next couple of weeks.

thanks!