Moving to Lehigh valley from CT

[SDWNC]

Originally Posted by ihret1

These are some awesome replies and it makes me feel so positive about the area! I've been to all 3 cities, Allentown, Easton and Bethlehem and because of my husband's commute to NYC, Allentown is probably out of the running but both Easton and Bethlehem seem like they have a lot to offer. I'm really excited at all the positive vibes coming from you guys! I was a bit worried that the proximity to Philly and Jersey might give it an overrun/over crowded kind of feel, but so long as people are fairly friendly and laid back, it sounds like the edgy/tense vibe isn't a factor. Really looking forward to spending some more time there in the upcoming weeks so we can start making plans!

We've looked extensively in Bethlehem and Allentown.
1. Taxes on property were reassessed in Allentown but they haven't been in Bethlehem. I don't know
about Easton. So, expect property tax to be reassessed here at some point.
2. We LOVE Bethlehem (and property taxes are somewhat lower). It's where we're currently
staying (ugh) in an icky airbnb. But when you sell your house in one state and you're looking for
a home in another, it's the way to go (unless you have friends who can help out).
2a. Houses here are for the most part, pretty funky. We're used to Asheville funk but not
Bethlehem funk. Homes tend to be older here (it's duh ... historic Bethlehem, so that's what I'd
expect). There are newer homes but we exhausted our search in our price range and didn't find
anything acceptable. Love the architecture, though.
3. If we could, we'd stay in Bethlehem and for us, Allentown has more to offer:
-- More farmers markets
-- More walking areas (there are multiple and many near where we think we'll live in
west Allentown)
-- More stores in a closer proximity: I may stop driving at some point (gosh, hope it will be soon).
We have a Giant, Wegmans, and even Whole Foods (for better or worse - their prices for most stuff
is actually cheaper than where we lived).
-- The fairgrounds aren't far away from our new "old" home and that's great for
me .

Gadzooks, we have been so impressed with everyone we've met. In NC, we learned the
word "nice" (we come from outside NYC, so it was a learning curve ). But here, "nice"
is in full bloom.

Best of luck to the OP.

[Amj2018]

Hello I'm looking for some honest advice.

I have recently moved to Pennsylvania from Detroit, MI. We are a mixed race family. I'm a physician and my husband is an engineer. We moved to NEPA to "slow down our lives and have more time for our kids" and (besides the wonderful Montessori School). It has not been the best experience...so we are moving to the Lehigh Valley. I've been working here for about 1.5 months now and I really like the area.

I am looking for a community/neighborhood where we will be accepted as a mixed race family and it will be a "front porch" community. What I mean by this, is that my kids can play outside with other kids in the neighborhood, neighbors talk to each other and look out for each other. In Detroit, we lived a historical neighborhood (the oldest in Detroit)...and we miss that. It was like a small town in a "big city".

Also, my kids have always been in private schools (a Quaker school in Detroit because in Detroit the public schools are not the best...). My kids thrive in non-traditional/small classes, that is what they are used to. My son is very high functioning but has ADHD, hyper/impulsive, sometimes socially awkward and has darker skin. My son currently is 10 and my daughter is 5. (5th grade and Kindergarten).

We can move anywhere in the Lehigh Valley. And I'm trying to decide public vs private schools. That really impacts the amount of money we can spend on a home.

We've been looking at neighborhoods in Bethlehem Twp right by the Bethlehem Twp Comm Center (it seems very diverse and has a lot of activities).

Are there any other neighborhoods close to a similar park? or any neighborhoods that have similar community pools?

We also have looked at Coopersburg. its smaller and the school's are smaller, have good ratings, but the diversity doesn't seem to be there.

We are also looking at Whitehall, Macungie, and Nazetherth.

My questions are...
1. What does it mean "that the school are ranked some of the best"...will they give my children the smaller classes, the patience they may need...or are they just ranked high because the kids pass standardized tests?

2. Which communities/neighborhoods have the feeling of acceptance? We've looked at a lot of the subdivisions.

Thank you for your honest answers and kindness!

[toobusytoday]

I've only lived in one school district in the Lehigh Valley and that's Southern Lehigh. However, we moved 10 times and lived in multiple states and PA counties before we got here. This was our third move for two of our kids. We've never lived in a friendlier area. I play bunco monthly with neighbors, we routinely borrow items from each other. When our kids were young, we car-pooled to scouts/sports/band, etc. As adults, some of the kids are still friends. I know two other neighborhoods that are similar with annual block parties and casual friendships. No, we're not real diverse, but I think we are welcoming of friendly people. We chose this area because of the smaller schools that had good ratings, and I would choose the same place now, 20 years later.

[blazerj]

Originally Posted by Amj2018

Hello I'm looking for some honest advice.

I have recently moved to Pennsylvania from Detroit, MI. We are a mixed race family. I'm a physician and my husband is an engineer. We moved to NEPA to "slow down our lives and have more time for our kids" and (besides the wonderful Montessori School). It has not been the best experience...so we are moving to the Lehigh Valley. I've been working here for about 1.5 months now and I really like the area.

I am looking for a community/neighborhood where we will be accepted as a mixed race family and it will be a "front porch" community. What I mean by this, is that my kids can play outside with other kids in the neighborhood, neighbors talk to each other and look out for each other. In Detroit, we lived a historical neighborhood (the oldest in Detroit)...and we miss that. It was like a small town in a "big city".

Also, my kids have always been in private schools (a Quaker school in Detroit because in Detroit the public schools are not the best...). My kids thrive in non-traditional/small classes, that is what they are used to. My son is very high functioning but has ADHD, hyper/impulsive, sometimes socially awkward and has darker skin. My son currently is 10 and my daughter is 5. (5th grade and Kindergarten).

We can move anywhere in the Lehigh Valley. And I'm trying to decide public vs private schools. That really impacts the amount of money we can spend on a home.

We've been looking at neighborhoods in Bethlehem Twp right by the Bethlehem Twp Comm Center (it seems very diverse and has a lot of activities).

Are there any other neighborhoods close to a similar park? or any neighborhoods that have similar community pools?

We also have looked at Coopersburg. its smaller and the school's are smaller, have good ratings, but the diversity doesn't seem to be there.

We are also looking at Whitehall, Macungie, and Nazetherth.

My questions are...
1. What does it mean "that the school are ranked some of the best"...will they give my children the smaller classes, the patience they may need...or are they just ranked high because the kids pass standardized tests?

2. Which communities/neighborhoods have the feeling of acceptance? We've looked at a lot of the subdivisions.

Thank you for your honest answers and kindness!

Look at Moravian.

[rowhomecity]

Check out Bethlehem anywhere close to Lehigh or Moravian or College Hill in Easton, walking distance to Lafayette!

All liberal, highly educated areas that appreciate diversity!

Good luck!

[ringler24]

Originally Posted by Amj2018

Hello I'm looking for some honest advice.

I have recently moved to Pennsylvania from Detroit, MI. We are a mixed race family. I'm a physician and my husband is an engineer. We moved to NEPA to "slow down our lives and have more time for our kids" and (besides the wonderful Montessori School). It has not been the best experience...so we are moving to the Lehigh Valley. I've been working here for about 1.5 months now and I really like the area.

I am looking for a community/neighborhood where we will be accepted as a mixed race family and it will be a "front porch" community. What I mean by this, is that my kids can play outside with other kids in the neighborhood, neighbors talk to each other and look out for each other. In Detroit, we lived a historical neighborhood (the oldest in Detroit)...and we miss that. It was like a small town in a "big city".

Also, my kids have always been in private schools (a Quaker school in Detroit because in Detroit the public schools are not the best...). My kids thrive in non-traditional/small classes, that is what they are used to. My son is very high functioning but has ADHD, hyper/impulsive, sometimes socially awkward and has darker skin. My son currently is 10 and my daughter is 5. (5th grade and Kindergarten).

We can move anywhere in the Lehigh Valley. And I'm trying to decide public vs private schools. That really impacts the amount of money we can spend on a home.

We've been looking at neighborhoods in Bethlehem Twp right by the Bethlehem Twp Comm Center (it seems very diverse and has a lot of activities).

Are there any other neighborhoods close to a similar park? or any neighborhoods that have similar community pools?

We also have looked at Coopersburg. its smaller and the school's are smaller, have good ratings, but the diversity doesn't seem to be there.

We are also looking at Whitehall, Macungie, and Nazetherth.

My questions are...
1. What does it mean "that the school are ranked some of the best"...will they give my children the smaller classes, the patience they may need...or are they just ranked high because the kids pass standardized tests?

2. Which communities/neighborhoods have the feeling of acceptance? We've looked at a lot of the subdivisions.

Thank you for your honest answers and kindness!

I replied on your the other thread you wrote on and I'll write a bit more here. IMO as an educator schools being ranked high usually correlates with higher test scores and affluence. Those are not things important to me so I did not use them as factors in deciding where to live and send my children to school. Because I value some of the things similar to you, we chose a highly diverse area/schools for our kids and we have not been disappointed. College Hill in Easton literally has "porchfest" coming up at the end of the summer where homes host performances on their porches and neighbors can come and enjoy. My children can walk or bike to their friends houses, walk to and from school alone. We can walk to restaurants, the convenience store, our dentist, doctor, the barber and Lafayette College for performances, sporting and cultural events. There is a true sense of community here. As an interracial family we have been fully accepted and embraced and there are other families like ours within shouting distance. Again please feel free to private message me if you'd like to chat more.

[Amj2018]

Thank you!