looking to relocate- advice please! (Philadelphia, Allentown: salon, apartment, rental)

[jhayosh]

Hi, I am new to this forum and am hoping that some Pennsylvanians will be able to give me a few pointers.

My husband and I have been talking about moving to PA next spring, but we don't know where exactly to begin our search.

What we're looking for:
+ A rural or semi-rural area with decent-sized (100,000+ pop.) town not too far away- say a twenty-minute drive tops. This town would be lively, have plenty of cultural attractions (restaurants, cinema, museums, possibly a college).
+ Easy access to nature: trails, rivers, parks.
+ A measure of privacy: we prefer not to live in an apartment and would ideally like to easily rent a house with a yard.
+ Shopping not far away.

Who we are:
+ In our late-twenties, no children, two cats.
+ College educated.
+ Self-employed craftspeople.
+ We can afford to spend about $600/mo. for rent.

I grew up in Oley, near Reading, and would really like to return to that area, or a little southwest of there, as my sister currently lives in Carlisle.

+ Any insights or advice would really be helpful!

J

[toobusytoday]

jhayosh, I can think of any number of towns that would suit your requirements in the Lehigh Valley, but you are going to have an almost impossible time of finding a rental house for $600. Renting an apartment for that price may even be difficult. But, no harm in trying! Here a link to the local paper - Classified -- themorningcall.com You can also try Craigslist, Allentown. Palmerton and Nazareth are towns that may be a little less costly. If you could swing it though, Emmaus would be my choice - great small town with a lively downtown.

The favorite city for many of us on this forum is Bethlehem. It's got a great downtown area with bars, cute shops, coffee shops, great restaurants, and two colleges - Moravian and Lehigh. Bethlehem has big events every couple of months, with the biggest one being Musikfest in August. Musikfest 2008 - The Art of Musik There are a few museums and arts venues in Allentown and Bethlehem, including a wonderful symphony. The two cities run into each other and when I'm driving, I don't know where one stops and the other starts. However, crime-wise Allentown is having a bit of a problem. There are two colleges within the city limits of Allentown - Cedar Crest and Muhlenberg.

[wowbaby]

yep what toobusy said! bethlehem is definitely a good choice for you. the downtown is quaint with unique shopping. there is a new outdoor shopping facility called The Promenade Shops with your higher end stores both in Center Valley (about 10-15 minutes from downtown Bethlehem) as well as brand new shops just built outside the Lehigh Valley Mall (also high end, about 20 minutes from Bethlehem). shopping will NOT be a problem LOL!

the rent, however, may be - but it never hurts to look! good luck in your hunt

[jhayosh]

Thanks to those who replied.. I'll do some research on Bethlehem!

[shirleygoodness]

Hi, I recently opened a salon and spa in Coopersburg called "Always Pretty Salon and Spa" and I love the town! It is so close to Philadelphia and New York but is still very small and surrounded by a lot of beautiful country. Rolling hills, woods, fields etc. The people are very kind and friendly too. A great place to live!