Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Uh, yeah. I knew someone would call me on that. My finger hovered above the mouse button for a moment before I launched that into cyberspace. I was primarily thinking of Allentown, but there's quite a bit of crime in Bethlehem and Easton, too.
I don't think anyone is implying that. (BTW, I checked my town and there are no registered sex offenders, doesn't mean there aren't any) But you can't deny there are areas with a higher concentration of molesters than others.
My point about checking crime stats closely still stands, as none of us know where OP wants to live specifically. I'm not entirely sure (and if I have time I'll dig around) that crime is as localized as just "Allentown" or "Bethlehem".
I know people who moved from NJ to Eastern PA and dislike it very much. It's a whole different vibe. You will be an outsider. And when you get laid off, good luck with that "hefty" PA unemployment check (what a joke) or trying to re-sell your house when there are hundreds already on the market. Think about moving there long and hard. If you are upper-middle class or rich, live in the Philly or Pittsburgh suburbs. If you are working class or poor, the state is horrible. And don't get me started about those Philly teams.
I know people who moved from NJ to Eastern PA and dislike it very much. It's a whole different vibe. You will be an outsider. And when you get laid off, good luck with that "hefty" PA unemployment check (what a joke) or trying to re-sell your house when there are hundreds already on the market. Think about moving there long and hard. If you are upper-middle class or rich, live in the Philly or Pittsburgh suburbs. If you are working class or poor, the state is horrible. And don't get me started about those Philly teams.
Did any of these smart, educated and urbane folks from NJ do research on the LV before they moved there? You paint PA as some sort of real-life hel!-hole which is amusing. Have you ever done research as to the # of NJ doctors/lawyers/professionals educated in PA (a state with significantly more and better colleges than NJ). Heck, even the lowly uneducated LV punches well above it's weight regarding colleges and universities.
The general condescension and smugness that people from NJ tend to exhibit towards other states (especially your neighbor to the west) never ceases to amaze me. Why don't you view NJ as a glorified bedroom community heavily dependent on its neighboring states for jobs, education, cultural activities, and food? This might lead you to step down from your perch.
If the LV had rail service with both njtransit and septa, it would definitely be worth it to move there. Unfortunately, NIMBY's hold it back just like in NEPA. They think the bad element is going to come when its already there. Lack of mass transit really holds the region back and its clogs up NJ roads.
Good post but at least as far as SEPTA is concerned, it's not so much NIMBY's that keep rail restoration at bay but lack of funding. As the LV continues to grow and become more inter-connected to the Philadelphia area, and as the LV builds out more, there will presumably (or at least hopefully) be a renewed push to restore train service from Lansdale north. Plus SEPTA's capital budget has been doubled so some restoration projects are more realistic than previously.
As for NJTransit - I have heard that it's NIMBY's in NJ, not PA, who oppose rail service to the LV.
Isn't Warren County, NJ part of the Lehigh Valley?
The census bureau's MSA definition is Lehigh, Northampton, and Carbon county in PA and Warren county NJ. The MSA as of 2010 is part of New York Combined MSA.
There is a significant amount of commuting from Northampton County to Warren county mostly using the "free bridge" across the Delaware River.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BPP1999
As for NJTransit - I have heard that it's NIMBY's in NJ, not PA, who oppose rail service to the LV.
NJTransit publishes the number of people who board at each station. When the Raritan Line had five stations restored to go to Clinton NJ (on I78) ridership is extremely low. While trains are more comfortable than buses, the extremely slow speed of the train and the need for almost everyone to change to PATH train in Newark means that the ride to NYC is often an hour longer than the same trip via bus.
North Branch 72
White House 110
Lebanon 21
Annandale 82
High Bridge 72
Annandale and High Bridge Stations are both in Clinton NJ.
If speeds are that slow from Clinton, then why on earth would extending the line to Phillipsburg or into Pennsylvania make sense? It is so much faster to take a bus. There are over 60 buses per day to New York City from Lehigh Valley.
Last edited by PacoMartin; 12-03-2014 at 07:50 AM..
I live in Somerset County NJ (central/north jersey) and I'm considering moving to the Lehigh Valley. I was wondering how LV compares to my part of NJ. In terms of population density, traffic, diversity, personalities, job opportunities, things to do, etc. Will the environment feel similar to where I'm from, or very different?
Doing a quick comparison of basic urban/rural population and land area
Tot pop- Rural pop
349,497 – 27,700 Lehigh County PA (53.57% land area rural)
297,735 – 38,016 Northampton County PA (62.42% land area rural)
323,444 – 18,736 Somerset County NJ (41.34% land area rural)
The counties are not dramatically different.
People per acre of urban areas
3.14 Lehigh County PA
2.92 Northampton County PA
2.69 Somerset County NJ
You would find the urban areas in Lehigh Valley slightly more dense than in Somerset county. That is pretty obvious if you politically compare population distribution of Northampton county vs Somerset County
cities 28% - zero
boroughs 20% - 26%
townships 52% - 74%
But Somerset county is one of the 10 wealthiest counties in the USA. PA is obviously going to be far less expensive.
Why don't you view NJ as a glorified bedroom community heavily dependent on its neighboring states for jobs, education, cultural activities, and food? This might lead you to step down from your perch.
Perhaps if NJ were so irrelevant (glorified bedroom community) and boring (no culture, something about food), people from certain other states would stop using our beaches
I'll wait for that day to come.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
