LeHigh Valley/Allentown...The Good and The Bad (Bethlehem, Easton: theatre, college)

[toobusytoday]

Yes, there is crime in Allentown. But, this area is a WONDERFUL place to live. If you decide to move into the city limits, investigate the area carefully. We moved to the Coopersburg area almost 12 years ago and picked it because of the people and the schools. We couldn't be happier. Well, sometimes the weather stinks and the construction on 309 right now stinks, but life is good.

People that I know that have boats go to Lake Nockamixon. It's about 20 minutes from me and I'm in the southern most part of the county.

[Stavs]

Originally Posted by PA.Dutchman

Go to the other site and ask what people think about Allentown there. You will get both new arrivals and old timers[/url]

What is the other site you refer to?

[PA.Dutchman]

This week in Allentown there have been at least four Armed Robberies of citizens on city streets, this means a GUN was used.

Three businesses at least have been robbed and it is only Wednesday.

There have been three hit and runs at least just today in the city of Allentown.

The Lehigh Valley is beautiful with many wonderful things to do, but living and settling in Allentown is NOT one of them.

A young man was stabbed at 328 North 5 TH Street this week, last week a man was stabbed in front of his home at 1130 something Hamilton Street.

Another man was armed robbed at 12 th and Hamilton Streets Tuesday. It goes on an on and on.

I agree the valley has much to see and do, just don't do it in Allentown.

[PA.Dutchman]

Our local TV Station Channel 69 was on 7 TH Street reporting that things had turned around and encouraging citizens to come on down. They were hoping to bring folks back to center city and its stories and eating establishments.

When they got back to their own NEWS Van it had been broken into and many valuable pieces of equipment and personal items stolen.

WFMZ van broken into while crew was working -- themorningcall.com

themorningcall.com

WFMZ van broken into while news crew was working.

Allentown

Someone broke into a WFMZ-TV van Wednesday while the news crew was on assignment on N. Seventh Street, Allentown police said.

Police said the driver's-side window of the van was broken and $4,000 in items -- including a cell phone, digital camera, tape recorder and a purse -- were taken at 1:05 p.m.

Their van was in a church parking lot in the 400 block of N. Seventh, where WFMZ was working on a story about the street's revitalization.

Morning Call 7/24/2009

[PA.Dutchman]

If you want to get an fairly accurate report of Crime in an area of the Lehigh Valley you maybe interested in moving to the Morning Call has a program to do exactly that. Do not blindly trust your Real Estate Agent to give you an honest answer. Allentown has many many empty properties and some of the agents may tell you anything just to sell a home knowing that it is not a good area.

It is free and just takes a few moments to understand. I know someone asked about an Apartment on South 10 TH in the 100 Block. This is only a short distance from our home. The map confirms what my wife and I already knew, there is a lot of crime in this area, and much of it is of a serious nature.

Shows 31 violent crimes published in the last 30 days within 2 miles of 10 and Hamilton Streets Allentown

You can access Macungie, Wescosville, Emmaus and many other areas of the Lehigh Valley. It allows you to give an address and you set the distance from that address. You can ask how many of various types of crimes have been committed in that area.

For Macungie and in a 5 mile radius of Macungie I entered "Violent Crimes" for the last month. Here is the report, this is only for Violent Crimes, there are many other choices of crimes to pick from.

Shows 77 violent crimes published in the last 30 days with in 5 miles of Macungie PA. for the last 30 days.

Take a few minutes and check it out. Another individual asked about a home in the area of 4 TH and Liberty Streets. If you use the map you will see this is another area to avoid. This the report for the last month in the area of 4 TH and Liberty.

Shows 36 violent crimes published in the last 30 days within 3 miles of 4 TH and Liberty Streets Allentown

Lehigh Valley Crime Map: Police reports from Allentown, Easton, Bethlehem from The Morning Call

[Klapton]

People keep mentioning the most expensive areas surrounding Allentown as the best places to live. While they are probably right, if you don't have piles of money, but still want a decent place to live, look North of Allentown. The northern boros and their suburbs are relatively quiet and a whole log cheaper than the west end or Saucon Valley.

I'm going to be selling a house in Northampton very soon!

We live in a large twin in Northampton, and it's a very quiet, family neighborhood. Other than some kid egging his ex-girlfriend's car, I don't know of any crimes that have happened in my neighborhood in the 9 years I've lived here.

[Moregan]

Originally Posted by allentownrocks

That said, the people tend toward being narrow-minded, sexist and racist (the longer their families have lived here, the worse it is). I have lived in several parts of the country and, IMHO, this place is as bad as Houston, TX in this way.

The city of Allentown is the most open-minded community I have come across. Please consider this when you hear criticisms of Allentown. I believe that much of it is simply racism.

I'm from Houston, and looking to possibly move to this area, and this is what I've been wondering about. I think a lot of things that are said are from such different perspectives from what I'm used too living in Houston, that I have a difficult time knowing whats what. For example, someone saying an hour commute is just horrid. I'm thinking, pah! I drive an hour from one end of Houston to the other now. So, how do I define bad commute in PA?

I'm glad to hear that someone thinks the Allentown area has some open-mindedness, and some arts worth looking into. Thanks for your post!

[PeeAye Native]

Originally Posted by Moregan

I'm thinking, pah! I drive an hour from one end of Houston to the other now. So, how do I define bad commute in PA?

To keep this in perspective, the roadways and highways in Houston and Dallas, and much of TX in general, are huge and enormous compared to PA. Where TX has four, five and six driving lanes in one direction, PA has two, three at most.

The interstate highway interchanges in TX are gigantic. I mean huge. When I've traveled there with co-workers, we used to joke about how you could fit an entire small town from PA into the real estate just one highway interchange takes up. Think about that. In Tx, the roads are wide open and laid out in big spaces, even in the urban and suburban areas.

And so are you used to sitting still in traffic for 30 minutes? On narrow and twisty limited access roads with two lanes of traffic and no alternative routes, even though there are exits every few miles.

[toobusytoday]

Don't forget to add in the snow and ice.....

[LifetimeLocal]

The Lehigh Valley is not what is was 10 years ago. Take it from someone who's family has been around for for close to 200 years the area has changed and the future is not looking good.