People are increasingly escaping city living in favor of more space and a small-town feel. Discover why Lehigh Valley is emerging as one of the most desirable places to live in America, and what you should know before you move there.
Nestled an hour north of Philadelphia and two hours west of New York City lies the Allentown–Bethlehem–Easton Area, better known as the Lehigh Valley. This area, encompassing parts of eastern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey has been one of the fastest growing areas in the Northeast in the last decade thanks to steady job growth and an affordable way of life.
With more people escaping bigger cities in search of more space and a slower pace of life, Lehigh Valley is poised for a big population boom. But before you relocate, here are some things to know about the Lehigh Valley—and if it wasn’t on your list of contenders, here are some reasons it should be.
1. Lehigh Valley has the coolest Minor League Baseball stadium with the weirdest minor league mascot.
Coca-Cola Park isn’t your typical Minor League park that’s high on kitschy fun but low on attendance and genuine fan interest. The state-of-the-art, $55-million facility opened in 2008, and continues to be considered one of the best Minor League parks for its upkeep, food, and fan outreach.
The team has the added bonus of being the Triple A affiliate of the nearby Philadelphia Phillies, and the double bonus of having maybe the quirkiest mascot in all of sports: the IronPig. Yes, a pig made out of iron.
2. Yocco’s Hot Dogs are local legends.
Locally famous, but universally delicious, Yocco’s has been a Lehigh Valley food institution since 1922. With six locations in Allentown, Yocco’s serves up their dogs crispy and smothered in chopped onions, mustard, and chili sauce for a mere $1.49 (or $1.79 with cheese) a pop.
3. Lehigh Valley is home to the most played rivalry in college football.
Known as “The Rivalry,” the famous college football game between the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks and the Lafayette College Leopards dates back to the days of thin leather helmets in 1884. The annual game played between the neighboring schools is loaded with football history, and has been referred to as “something you have to do once in your life” by Sports Illustrated. In honor of its 150-year anniversary, the teams took The Rivalry to Yankee Stadium.
4. You’ll want to dust the skis off come winter.
One of the coolest things about outdoor life in the Lehigh Valley area is it doesn’t have to end when the weather cools off. Lehigh Valley skiers have access to several great ski resorts, including local favorites like Blue Mountain and Bear Creek in the nearby Poconos. If skiing and snowboarding aren’t your thing, both mountain spots double as relaxing resorts with activities even the most left-footed among us can enjoy like snow tubing, ziplining, and apres ski lodge sitting.
5. Musikfest is huge and (mostly) free.
Bethlehem’s 10-day Musikfest has been happening for free every year since 1984, and is known as the largest non-gated music festival in the country. Past headliners have included everyone from the Beach Boys and B.B. King to Alice in Chains and Ludacris. Getting in to see the big headliners do cost you money, but there are plenty of smaller and local acts that are totally free. There’s also food and polka music, occasionally at the same time.
6. Everyone loves Wegmans. Everyone.
No Lehigh Valley list can be complete without name-checking the beloved grocery store chain Wegmans. To know Wegmans, which shows up on just about every “best places to shop” and “best place to work” list out there, is to be slightly obsessed with it. So what’s all the hype about? A layout and look that makes you feel like you’re in a hip indoor farmers market, store brand products that are cheaper and better than the name brands, and extremely helpful employees are just a few of the things that make Wegmans great.
7. That Billy Joel song probably should have been called “Bethlehem,” not “Allentown.”
You may have heard in history class or, more likely, from the Billy Joel song “Allentown,” that the steel industry ran the show in the Lehigh Valley for much of the 19th and 20th centuries. However, the industry was centered in Bethlehem at the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, not Allentown. While Bethlehem Steel shut down operations in 1995, it still has a lingering impact, both in the blue-collar ethos of locals and industrialized look of much of the area.
8. Wine culture is on the rise.
Officially designated an “American Viticultural Area,” the Lehigh Valley is one of five wine-growing regions in Pennsylvania. The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail is a great way to explore the burgeoning wine scene in the area. As an added bonus, Pinnacle Ridge Winery in Kutztown puts on an annual summer concert series.
9. And there’s a hoppin’ beer scene.
The Lehigh Valley mug overflows with awesome craft beer events. The local PBS affiliate hosts the MicroBrew Festival at Coca-Cola Park, Lehigh Valley Beer Week celebrates craft brewers all over the area, and the Celtic Cultural Alliance, which hosts the annual Celtic Classic, also organizes HopsFest. Be sure to check out Fegley’s Brew Works and Weyerbacher, two local breweries that Lehigh Valley locals get pretty hopped up about.
10. ArtsQuest pumps creativity into the area.
If you’re doing something fun and artistic in the greater Lehigh Valley area, there’s a good chance that the Bethlehem-based non-profit ArtsQuest is behind it. The organization hosts several annual festivals, including the RiverJazz Festival and the Greater Lehigh Valley Filmmaker Festival. They also added a popular outdoor World Cup viewing party to their already impressive arsenal (art-senal?) in 2014. ArtsQuest has its own venue, the ArtsQuest Center, which features art exhibitions, outdoor performance venues, a movie theater, and a main public event hub.
11. Dorney Park is home to legendary roller coasters.
Dorney is a historic entertainment spot, with origins dating back to the 19th century, but these days it isn’t a Coney Island-esque glimpse into the past. Dorney is home to several major roller coasters, including Steel Force, which is notorious for being one of the best thrill rides in the world. The park is owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment, the same folks behind Ohio’s famous Cedar Point, so you know that they take all things tall, fast, and loopy very seriously.
12. Wind Creek has gambling, and some other stuff, too.
If getting your thrills from games of chance is more your speed, check out Bethlehem’s Wind Creek. In addition to its sprawling casino, which includes a new sports betting center, there are dining options like Emeril Lagasse’s Chop House and Carlo’s Bake Shop. There are also bars and nightclubs, an outlet mall, a massive events center, and everything else you’d expect from a Vegas-style casino.
13. It’s a college valley.
The greater Lehigh area holds the rare distinction of being a “college valley.” Home to over a dozen four-year universities and colleges, including Lafayette in Easton, Muhlenberg in Allentown, and Lehigh in Bethlehem, as well as four two-year community colleges. Education helps drive the area’s economic engine and give local arts and culture a boost.
14. Allentown has the area’s most impressive art museum.
One of the area’s most important cultural landmarks, the Allentown Art Museum boasts a massive collection of European art, American art, and textiles totalling a whopping 13,000 works. The museum is also a major art education center that features poetry readings, lectures, classical music, and anything else that’ll satisfy your culture fix.
15. Grown men proudly sport kilts at the Celtic Classic.
One of the area’s most beloved cultural events, the annual Celtic Classic in the fall sees some 250,000 turning out to eat haggis, take in music with a healthy dose of fiddles and bagpipes, wear kilts, throw heavy things long distances, and dance. Plus beer. There’s no shortage of beer involved.
16. Downtown Easton is swinging back up.
There have been times in Easton’s history when its downtown wasn’t exactly considered a hotspot, but the area has developed into one of the most vibrant cultural spots in the Lehigh Valley. The city has long had Heritage Day, the annual celebration commemorating the July 8, 1776 reading of the Declaration of Independence in their city, but the advent of newer events like the skateboarding event Drinky’s Skate Jam and live music events in Center Square, along with some high-end residential development, have helped bring Downtown Easton back to life.
17. Easton’s Crayola Experience is for the young and the young at heart.
Sure, the Crayola Experience is technically for the kiddos, but the kid in you will love it just as much. Easton’s Crayola Experience is an open-to-the-public museum and activity center featuring such wonders as a 1,500-lb. crayon. Of course, it’s a totally hands-on experience where kids can paint with melted crayons, work on digital projects, and even check out how Crayola crayons get made.
18. Easton has the oldest farmers’ market in the country.
Easton is home to the Easton Farmers’ Market, which runs from May through November. This massive farmer, artisan, and foodie gathering boasts the title of “America’s Longest Continuous Running Open-Air Market.” It was established in 1752, back before America was, well, America. EFM also keeps things eccentric with events like the annual Zucchini 500, where kids craft streamlined mini-racers out of squash.
19. A (Lehigh) River runs through it.
One of the few things that Bethlehem, Allentown, and Easton all have in common is their proximity to the Lehigh River. This means locals have quick and easy access to whitewater rafting, kayaking, canoeing, and fishing. A polluted body during the city’s steel days, over the past few decades, conservation efforts have made huge strides in improving the quality of the river. One of the most beautiful points on the river is near Lehigh Gorge State Park, which whitewater rafters, bikers, and hikers make their second home during the spring and summer.
20. The Lehigh Valley is growing like a weed.
The Lehigh Valley is the fastest growing region of Pennsylvania, and one of the fastest in the country. Due to the region’s business-friendly environment, respected public education system, and low cost of living, greater New York City area residents and New Jerseyans have been moving there in droves, and there’s no end in sight. According to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, there are currently a little over 690,000 residents, but that number is projected to balloon to over 800,000 by 2040.
21. The Lehigh Valley is packed with renewable energy leaders.
With crisis comes opportunity, and so seems to be the case when it comes to the Lehigh Valley’s economy. With the end of the area’s steel business, renewable energy has emerged as a huge regional industry, especially solar power. Government incentives to make the area a leader in the booming industry have paid off hugely, with the Valley ranked amongst the highest in the nation for renewable energy production.
22. Amazon has a huge local presence.
Amazon is an economic force in the area. The company is one of the region’s top five largest employers, with around 3,000 Lehigh Valley residents working at their massive fulfilment centers. In addition, they have plans to hire additional workers and open another million-square-foot warehouse close to the area sometime in 2021.
23. Allentown has its own symphony orchestra.
High art lovers can get their classical fix from the Allentown Symphony Orchestra at their home in Miller Symphony Hall, a local institution that has been bringing the highbrow to the Lehigh Valley since 1951. The symphony also helps develop young, talented musicians around the area with their youth programs. If classical music isn’t your bag, the Hall also hosts jazz, dance, and family-friendly entertainment.
24. You’ll pay less for just about everything.
If you’re moving to the Lehigh Valley from New York or New Jersey you’ll notice that life is easier on your wallet. Things like taxes, food, entertainment, and especially housing are significantly more affordable than the rest of Northeast. Currently, the median home price in the area is approximately $250,000 compared to $650,000 in New York City and $355,000 in Newark.
25. The PPL Center hosts more than just sporting events.
The PPL Center is a relatively new addition to Allentown. Opened in 2014, the sports arena is home to Lehigh Valley’s American Hockey League team, the Phantoms, and their indoor football league team, the Steelhawks. The downtown venue has also hosted several big concerts and comedy shows, including Tom Petty, Kevin Hart, Carrie Underwood, and Elton John.
26. Allentown has an impressive auto collection.
A veritable dream come true for gearheads, motorphiles, and car nuts alike, Allentown’s America on Wheels is a monster of a mechanical museum. With 43,000 square feet of show space featuring everything from Pee Wee Herman’s Schwinn Bike to the Morris Salom Electrobat IV, an electric automobile that dates all the way back to 1894. Longtime Lehigh Valley resident Mario Andretti has even been known to pop in once in a while.
27. Lehigh Valley Mall and the Whitehall Mall are your best-bet shopping spots.
If you’re the kind of person who could shop in perpetuity, or the kind of person who likes to get all your shopping out of the way one day a year, MacArthur Road Corridor north of Allentown will become your new home away from home. That road is where you’ll find the Lehigh Valley and Whitehall Malls. Between the two of them, you can cross pretty much everything off of your to-buy list.
28. The historic Civic Theater of Allentown is where locals go for drama.
Housed at the historic Nineteenth Street Theater, Civic Theater of Allentown is a non-profit production company known for its community theater productions. But with film, art exhibitions, and concerts, the venue is more accurately an arts and culture center. In addition to hosting acting seminars and putting on several plays a year, Civic Theater of Allentown also operates the black box Theatre514 for rehearsals, workshops, and smaller productions.
29. Let college kids cook you dinner at Hampton Winds.
You can consider dining at Hampton Winds Restaurant a public service: Not only are you getting an incredible gourmet meal, but you’re also helping the next generation of local executive chefs hone their craft. Hampton Winds is Northampton Community College’s testing ground for students enrolled in their culinary program. The students are guided by proven executive chefs and instructors at the Community College where they cook up gourmet prix fixe lunch and dinner menus from Tuesday to Friday every week.
