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Possible move to PA - advice on the Allentown area?

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I'm starting to get serious about moving to PA.  Right now I'm focusing on the Allentown/Bethlehem/Emmaus/Macungie area. I may end up with commuting into Reading a couple of times a week (yes, I know Reading is a hole, won't be living there) and a commute back to Short Hills, NJ a couple of times a month.

 

Tentative plan is to get an apartment first and then start house hunting once I'm more oriented to the area.

 

Anyone out there with experience/knowledge on the area and would like to offer advice?  Areas to look for/avoid, etc.? 

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Allentown is a hole as well. My sister lives in Bethlehem in a nice neighborhood, the place is growing to fast from all the transplants though and you'll see more traffic than you'd have expected. I don't know much about Macungie other than very small town but quaint. I got married there at Bear Creek. Best of luck getting out of NJ, I did it last July and couldn't be happier.

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Looking at a map will probably not tell you the actual distance between 78 and 22 once you get west of 33. You could live just north of Bethlehem on 22 and it would take you 30 minutes to get to Hellertown 5 miles due south. Unless you live east of 33, you should decide if you want to live south of the cities or north of them.

 

The cities (Allentown and Bethlehem City) tend to go from nice near 22 to ghetto as you get closer to 78. This does not mean everything by 22 is nice and everything near 78 sucks, not all all. But that is the way the cities are largely laid out, with exceptions (such as Fountain Hill which is nice).

 

There is no such thing as Allentown/Bethlehem/Emmaus/Macungie area. You would be amazed the amount of time it can take to travel between these areas. Avoid living near 145. There is always traffic there on 22. Sometimes it backs up to Bath. Sometimes there is traffic heading east towards 512 for Bath. For whatever reason, there is little traffic East of 512 on 22 and East of 33 on 78, both directions.

 

If you are going to be commuting to Reading you probably will want to live 5 miles west of 145 (near the Northeast Extension) on 22 or live on 78. Once you get within a few miles of 145 it is a daily disaster during rush hour.

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Check at PAFOA.  Look at county lines and the Sheriff's attitude in those counties.  Some are a bear with LTCF.  Emmaus is at the western end of county.  FYI.  I78 eastbound in the AM from LV to I287 can be a traffic nightmare at times.

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Looking at a map will probably not tell you the actual distance between 78 and 22 once you get west of 33. You could live just north of Bethlehem on 22 and it would take you 30 minutes to get to Hellertown 5 miles due south. Unless you live east of 33, you should decide if you want to live south of the cities or north of them.

 

The cities (Allentown and Bethlehem City) tend to go from nice near 22 to ghetto as you get closer to 78. This does not mean everything by 22 is nice and everything near 78 sucks, not all all. But that is the way the cities are largely laid out, with exceptions (such as Fountain Hill which is nice).

 

Useful info, thanks.

 

 

There is no such thing as Allentown/Bethlehem/Emmaus/Macungie area.

 

The hell there isn't.  I can take a 7 mile diameter circle and enclose the majority of all 4 towns:

 

http://maps.google.com/maps/api/staticmap?size=600x500&path=fillcolor:0x00FF00|weight:1|color:0xFFFFFF|enc:o~jwF~gskMn@cy@rCyx@tFix@tImw@rLiv@pO}t@jRgs@`Ukq@tWeo@dZ{l@p\ej@v^mg@z`@kd@tb@ea@nd@y]~e@iZhg@sVnh@}Rli@_Ofj@cKtj@aG`k@aCdk@?`k@`Cvj@`Gdj@bKli@~Nnh@|Rjg@rV~e@hZld@x]vb@da@x`@jd@v^lg@p\dj@dZzl@tWdo@bUjq@jRfs@nO|t@tLhv@tIlw@rFhx@rCxx@p@by@q@by@sCzx@sFfx@uIlw@uLhv@oO|t@kRfs@cUjq@uWfo@eZxl@q\fj@w^jg@y`@jd@wb@da@md@x]_f@hZkg@tVoh@zRmi@`Oej@`Kwj@bGak@`Cek@?ak@aCuj@cGgj@aKmi@aOoh@{Rig@uV_f@iZod@y]ub@ea@{`@kd@w^kg@q\gj@eZyl@uWgo@aUkq@kRgs@qO}t@sLiv@uImw@uFgx@sC{x@o@cy@&sensor=true

 

(I get what you're saying, travel time is a huge factor.  I'm just feeding your compulsion for arguing. )

 

Problems with traffic around 145 noted.

 

I've got other reasons for wanting to be close to Emmaus.  If I things go with my job the way I imagine they might then hopefully I'll be working from home the majority of the week and commuting to Reading 1 or 2 days a week.

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I just bought a house in Riegelsville.

 

Very nice, rural area.  15 minutes to Bethlehem, 20-30 to Allentown, 15 minutes to NJ border.

 

Haven't moved yet, but very much looking forward to it.

 

Glad to hear it - too bad NJ will never realize the caliber of person they lose when you move.

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I'm starting to get serious about moving to PA.  Right now I'm focusing on the Allentown/Bethlehem/Emmaus/Macungie area. I may end up with commuting into Reading a couple of times a week (yes, I know Reading is a hole, won't be living there) and a commute back to Short Hills, NJ a couple of times a month.

 

Tentative plan is to get an apartment first and then start house hunting once I'm more oriented to the area.

 

Anyone out there with experience/knowledge on the area and would like to offer advice?  Areas to look for/avoid, etc.? 

 

 

Just throwin' this out there:  My son and future daughter-in-law just moved into an apartment in Wyomissing, which is only a few minutes away from Reading.  His rent is around $1K a month for two HUGE bedrooms, and two cats.  Also included is a washer and dryer in his apartment.  He lives in a beautiful neighborhood, just down the street from the VF Outlets, and his "commute" is about 8 minutes in the morning.  He's in a great area, easy to get to the highways (222, 422, 12, 61 to Cabela's lol).  West Reading has a Main Drag called Penn Avenue, which borders Wyomissing and is NOT too near Reading itself.  Penn Avenue is loaded with small Mom and Pop businesses, cheese shops, wine shops, coffee shops, cafes, dress shops, insurance brokers, doctors, cosmetic joints, salons, even a great Italian restaurant.   It's where everybody goes and walks safely---IT'S NOT READING!

 

My recommendation is to check-out Madison Apartment Group and especially Madison at Wynnewood Park.  Wooded lot, huge in-ground pool, and just off the North Wyomissing Ave. offramp from 422.  Only about 20 minutes from the outskirts of Topton, PA which is one of the nice ranges in that part of PA!  30 minutes or so from Cabela's, Allentown, etc.  Plenty of parks, even an archery range close by.  Near the Shops at Wyomissing, the Berkshire Mall and yet another Mall as well.  PA Dutch Farmers' Market only 10 minutes away.

 

And as for Reading itself---I've gone to dinner there several times and can recommend several nice restaurants, including the Spotted Hen and the Ugly Oyster.  And the Peanut Bar is a don't miss!

 

If you wanna chat, just PM me with your cell number.  And when you look-up the Madison Group take note of how many properties they manage in the area.

 

Dave

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O-K.  I just got on Madison's web site and saw Macungie location, as well as Allentown.  The Company is based in Philly.  Really professional and responsive to any work that needs done.

 

Good luck with the search.  If you change you mind and would like a tour guide, I'm your man.  Will work for food, lol!

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I worked out of ABE for almost 4 years. A couple of co-workers lived in Macungie and liked the area. If you were commuting to/from the ABE area in the morning, home in the afternoon, I'd say don't look at Macungie cause the traffic on 22 really sucks west of ABE at those times.

 

If you're gonna work from home and go to Reading a couple of times a week, the Macungie area might be good for you.

 

One of my co-workers had a 2 bedroom townhouse with garage. We got laid off in June. He may still have the townhouse available for rent if your interested. I don't know how much, but if you're interested, I can check.

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One of my co-workers had a 2 bedroom townhouse with garage. We got laid off in June. He may still have the townhouse available for rent if your interested. I don't know how much, but if you're interested, I can check.

 

I am interested if you can check, thanks.  Shoot me a PM if you want better contact info for me.

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