Safe towns in Allentown PA (Bethlehem, Easton: home builders, safe area, purchasing)

[Jerseylady19]

Hi I need some help. I’m currently living in NJ and seriously considering purchasing a home in Allentown Pa. can anyone please tell me some of the good neighborhoods in Allentown. Or any new up and coming home home builders in nearby towns. My aim is no more than $220K

Greatly appreciate and help I can get

[Suge night]

Hi and welcome to the valley! I also am originally from NJ but moved to Pennsylvania 6 or 7 years ago. I lived in the Poconos\ Stroudsburg area 5 years and then Allentown almost 2 years.My first year here in Allentown I blindly moved into the first place I could in center city knowing nothing of the city or the area.It wasn't the best place or worst place, but not generally a great area, lower income and higher crime, also a terrible school system.The city boasts a wide array of diversity, but its mainly Puerto Rican, every store is of Hispanic influence, restaurants, grocery stores, bodegas, dollar stores , banks and so forth, if you don't speak Spanish or enjoy Hispanic cuisine that area is nothing more than a passing through point.There is a nice little area of the city between linden and Hamilton by the art school that has some cool city walking paths and runs up to the ppl center .

In any case as far as nice areas of Allentown to live in south side mountain/Salisbury township is nice, portions of Hanover ave bordering Bethlehem are fairly nice.Also, the areas above 16th or 17th st the area gets very nice, goes from row homes to blue collar residential to well to do affluent neighborhoods so you have a lot of area to choose from, within your price point you have a lot to choose from.Without more criteria, I can only scratch the surface, hope this helps.

[toobusytoday]

I agree with Suge night about your chances of finding a good safe and affordable home in downtown Allentown. There are safe area's but they are in the area that Suge mentioned or on the outskirts. New homes seem to be starting at $300,000 now . My suggestion would be to find an area that you would like to live and set a zillow alert so when something comes up in your price range you can move on it. There are houses in your price range and in safe areas, outside of Allentown, but they go quickly and they will not be new. Make sure you pay attention to taxes - they are not low. They're not Northern Jersey high, but they are not insignificant.

[tall oaks]

I'd suggest the 18104 zip code (known as the West End) if you want to be in Allentown, or Whitehall just outside the limit.

[Patmcpsu]

Are you actually referring to Allentown proper? If you're referring to greater-Allentown, the locals call it "The Lehigh Valley", which also includes similar sized cities of Bethlehem and Easton, and lots of smaller suburban towns. You can get a smaller fixer-upper in the suburbs for $220k.

I still use "Allentown" and "Lehigh Valley" interchangeably, but when people in Lehigh Valley hear "Allentown" they immediately think "Allentown proper".