Possibly moving to Bethlehem, PA area (Lancaster, California: real estate, home, transfer)

[okaydorothy]

Following this thread.

[blazerj]

Originally Posted by karend53

Thank you toobusy and John. Good advice - it totally makes sense and is what I suspected.
I appreciate your insights. I never considered a 55+ community but it is something I'm going to look into.

When my father-in-law looked at 55+ communities, we noticed 2 problems. 1) Fees are around $2,000 per year and there is no tax break compared to a non-55+ community and 2) the houses are generally more expensive than similar comps (although I guess you get that back when you sell, so that's not too bad).

We also noticed that a lot of retirees are moving into tract builder homes (some of the developments are massive). They seem to offer good value (decent prices and construction quality). I'd assume many of those people are moving into the Lehigh Valley from other places.

[karend53]

Thank you Blazerj. Good information. We've discovered the same thing since we've looked further into the 55+ communities. It's not for us - maybe at some point but I don't think so. Thank you again!

[Freak80]

OP:

I lived in Bethlehem for one year. My impression: it's THE quintessential American town, along with the whole Lehigh Valley in general. It's big enough to have everything that's somewhere in America, yet not big enough that you've ever visited as a tourist.

The Lehigh Valley is where The Simpsons could have taken place. It's a real-life Springfield. The only thing missing is the nuclear power plant.

It's got the steel mill that went bankrupt due to globalization and industrial decline.
It's got the new casino that's supposed to revitalize the economy.
It's got the old university with all of the beautiful architecture.
It's got the mall and big-box stores that put Main Street out of business (until the bars and micro-breweries moved in).
It's got every ethnic group but still majority white.
It's got every kind of church in Christendom, from evangelical mega-churches to liberal mainline churches to small sects of every kind.
It's 50% Republican, 50% Democrat.
It's got the old European ethnic neighborhoods, neighborhoods with new immigrant groups, old rich neighborhoods with classical stone and brick houses, new rich McMansion neighborhoods, and pretty much any kind of neighborhood you could imagine.
It's got all four seasons, with summer heat, humidity, and thunderstorms, beautiful fall colors, cold winters with occasional snow storms, and springs with all of the flowering trees and shrubs.

It's a microcosm of America.

[JohnZ963]

Originally Posted by Freak80

The Lehigh Valley is where The Simpsons could have taken place. It's a real-life Springfield. The only thing missing is the nuclear power plant.
It's a microcosm of America.

You could substitute in the Bethlehem Energy Center power plant on Applebutter Road by the landfill.

[Freak80]

Originally Posted by JohnZ963

You could substitute in the Bethlehem Energy Center power plant on Applebutter Road by the landfill.

Thanks, I was not aware of that.

I forgot to mention that highway 378 reminded me of the proposed "Matlock Expressway" from the "Sideshow Bob Robers" episode. In other words, a kind of "after the fact" local freeway put in by the city to get people to shop downtown again.

[Gettingouttahere]

You might want to consider College Hill in Easton. Beautiful old Victorian homes, walkable, and it has Lafayette College right there, so you get the college vibe & assorted cultural events that might appeal to you. Easton has public school issues so resale is not always the best, but that neighborhood seems to do well. The State Theater is downtown and brings in some fun shows.
Same could be said for "Historic Downtown Bethlehem" (a federally designated historic district). Not Victorians, but brownstone-type buildings from the 1700s and 1800s. More citified (some are not stand-alone houses). Very walkable. Great cultural events. Also public school issues, but again, buy the right place and resale won't be affected. Several colleges in the area - Lehigh and Moravian are closest. Musikfest is a blast every August and the city is gorgeous at Christmas.

You'll have more options for a yard in College Hill, though there are pretty small yards behind most of the historic Bethlehem houses.
I'd suggest staying a weekend/week at the Hotel Bethlehem and looking around.

[thatlldo]

Originally Posted by karend53

Thank you Blazerj. Good information. We've discovered the same thing since we've looked further into the 55+ communities. It's not for us - maybe at some point but I don't think so. Thank you again!

Hello! I saw your post in 2017 and your info is almost exactly ours--thinking of a move to LV from Ventura CA for the same reasons. Question-did you do it and if so, how is it?

[blazerj]

For retired people, the benefits are:
- PA doesn't tax retirement income
- Healthcare is good/ great
- You aren't that far from EWR or PHL if you want to visit kids/ grandkids
- There is (maybe used to be) a bus to NYC that was significantly discounted for seniors
- All of the big box stores are close by and the internet delivery services are growing (still small though)
- Diverse restaurants (although some may disagree)

The negatives are:
- Sort of high property tax, depending on where you live
- Public transportation isn't great, unless you do a great job planning where you live
- Winter is generally cold and long
- Not a lot of specialty shopping (e.g. no Trader Joe's; 1 Whole Foods)

[toobusytoday]

Originally Posted by blazerj

For retired people, the benefits are:
- PA doesn't tax retirement income
- Healthcare is good/ great
- You aren't that far from EWR or PHL if you want to visit kids/ grandkids
- There is (maybe used to be) a bus to NYC that was significantly discounted for seniors
- All of the big box stores are close by and the internet delivery services are growing (still small though)
- Diverse restaurants (although some may disagree)

The negatives are:
- Sort of high property tax, depending on where you live
- Public transportation isn't great, unless you do a great job planning where you live
- Winter is generally cold and long
- Not a lot of specialty shopping (e.g. no Trader Joe's; 1 Whole Foods)

Not Bethlehem, but there is a Whole Foods (AND a Costco!) just west of Allentown.