Howz Easton/Allentown/Lower Macungie area compared to Manalapan, NJ? (Bethlehem: crime, mortgage)

[jerseyToPa]

We are wanting to move to PA (lehigh valley area), not sure exactly where there from NJ.
Actually the story is that we have booked a new construction in Manalapan, NJ which will be completed by end of October. As everybody knows, NJ is pretty expensive, especially Manalapan (monmouth county) where the taxes are as high as 15K for a 2600sq ft home and the houses are so expensive( min 600K). We are second guessing our decision and want to find out if moving to PA would be better so that we will be under less pressure due to lower mortgage and taxes. However, I am not sure how this area in PA would compare to Manalapan, NJ in terms of crime rate, schools, and if there are new home communitites with amenities such as clubhouse, pool tennis crt etc.,
My husband would be working from Warren, NJ but would like to be able to go to downtown NYC occassionally. Is this a commutable distance? Are there car pools? Is it a tiring commute/drive?
Any suggestions/experiences from people who are familiar with this area in PA would be helpful.

[summa56]

Lots Of People Moving From The Nj/nydevelopment Area...supposedly Much Cheaper...lots Of Suburbia With Beautiful Homes You Can Get For 400k...the Developments Don't Usually Come With Amenities Like You Want...maybe That's Coming...pa Is Alot Slower Than The Tri-state Area To Catch On...you May Have Heard There Is Somewhat Of A Gang Problem In The Allentown, Beth, Easton City Proper..schools Stink In The Cities... I Live In Atown And Pay Thousands Of Dollars To Send My Kids To Private Schools...and Still Pay School Taxes...lower Macungie A Little Better But Would Recommend The Saucon Valley Area...it's A Better Commute Right Down I78 Corridor(they Claim This Is What Helped Get The Gangs Here!!) One Hour To Manhattan...warren Cty Wouldn't Be A Bad Commute...sv Is A Bit More Upscale With Alot Of Development(probably Many Nj,nyorkers!!
Lived In Atown 30years!
Good Luck!

[jerseyToPa]

Hi there!!!
We have been thinking and thinking..thinking....thinking about the commute from Bethlehem to Warren, NJ....and haven't been able to make up our mind.
We LOVE the house and neighbourhood in Hanover, Bethlehem PA. This would be the place we would love to bring up our children...but the only thing that is sitting in our minds is the COMMUTE...how difficult is it driving on I-78 everyday for 50miles one way!! Are we insane???? Is there a way to car-pool? Is anybody commuting from bethlehem to Warren??
Currently we live about 30 miles to Warren and it takes about 45mins on a good day to commute to Warren...but on rainy/snowy days it is quite a task!
Since there are so many people moving from NJ to PA is there a car/van pool/Mass transit from PA to business districts in NJ (Warren, Bridgewater etc.,)?
Any input would be helpful....we need to decide by the end of the day today if we have to go ahead with this house....I believe there are 3 other parties waiting to get this house!!!!

What should we do?????!!!!????

[DrewV11]

Honestly the commute time would be about the same from Hanover Twp to Warren - a little more than an hour on a good day. 78 is very congested in the morning between volume and sunglare everyday is a challenge. Winters are a bit rougher than the Manalapan area. I can tell you that I commuted from Hanover to Bridgewater everyday for 11 years and the drive home when it snowed took me anywhere from 2.5 to (the worst mind you) 6 hours to home. But those occasions are rare and today in the world of telecommuting maybe it would work out for him.

Hanover is a terrific place to live - better than Monmouth County - clean, safe, good schools, including the high school which is in the city of Bethlehem. Maybe I'm biased because i live here, but I feel it is worth the commute. I go into NYC often on business from here. I tend to drive because of the need for flexibility. I NEVER NEVER schedule meetings prior to 11a. I've tried and even leaving at 6:30a I haven't ever made a 9a meeting on time.

[KristyLiz]

Originally Posted by jerseyToPa

..but the only thing that is sitting in our minds is the COMMUTE...how difficult is it driving on I-78 everyday for 50miles one way!! Are we insane????

This is a tough one.

We are moving again (only here 2 years) because the commute from montgomery county into Philly, which is only 32 miles, is too hard. I know you're looking at a different commute, but traffic is traffic and it sucks.

On a good day, my husband spends 3 hours of his day on the road, on a bad day (winter weather, holiday shoppers, sun glare) it could be 4 hours!

Commuting stinks anyway you look at it, but sometimes it is necessary - I guess you have to decide if this commute is truly necessary and if you're cool with being away from the family that much longer.

Good luck with your decision!