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.? 

Several decent apartments in the area. I have family that lives in Allentown as well as Windgap and Pen Argyl. Most areas are pretty nice with a small town feel. I'm hoping to move out that way sometime next year as well.

Thanks AA.  Any particular Apartment complexes you can recommend?  I really, *REALLY* want something with a garage.

I just shot a message to my brother in law for the names of the best complexes. To be honest I don't remember any with garages that I actually have been in

Just remember this: you won't have everything in one area. It's not like here where your oversatuated with stores and school's, ect. Find a nice place and expect to travel a little for something. There is rarely traffic except on rt 22

Thanks for looking into it.  Understood I'll be driving more - more than offset by being able to carry.

 

Edit: BTW - schools are NOT a concern.  I'm single, don't have any kids.

Don't forget tax stamps. SBR or silenced rifle in your future?

NFA/Silencer stuff is a ways off.  Baby steps, first I want to live where the state doesn't hate me because I own firearms.

From what I've seen, stay out of Allentown itself.  You're better off out in the Bath, Pen Argyl, Wind Gap area.  Allentown has some pretty "depressed" areas not much different from this side of the river.

Roger that MW.  I've heard the same about Allentown elsewhere, but wasn't sure if there were some "good" areas or not.  If I had my druthers I'd go for Emmaus.

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.

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.

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.

I would say www.city-data.com might be a good place to ask this - it helped a couple of my friends to settle in decent neighborhoods across the country instead of falling into holes.

 

Check at PAFOA. Look at county lines and the Sheriff's attitude in those counties. Some are a bear with LTCF.

What does that mean? He'll get LTCF in any county in PA. Bar none. That should not be a consideration in choosing where to live.

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.

Emmaus is a really nice town.

 I really, *REALLY* want something with a garage.

 

D..  dont worry about the garage.  You can leave your bike in mine, I promise to ride it too.   

D..  dont worry about the garage.  You can leave your bike in mine, I promise to ride it too. 

 

Yeah, no.  Your kind offer is noted though...

Here's a useful site that may shed some light on crime rates, statistics, etc.....http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/pa/allentown/crime/

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.

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.

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

Thanks for the writeup and offer Dave, much appreciated and I'll look to see if Madison Group has any other properties outside of that area.  I really want to live close to Emmaus though.

Moving out of New Jersey Gun Forums

 

It's been like a stampede the past few years. Soon this will be the Pennsylvania and Florida Gun Owners and New Jersey Cops Forum.

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!

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.

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.

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

Ok. I'll reach out to him and let you know.

Im in the process of moving to PA. Already have an apartment in Emmaus, and plan on buying a place as soon as I can sell my NJ house.