Lehigh Valley Locations Ranked High for Livability, Nightlife

The Lehigh Valley’s prime quality of life was highlighted recently when two locations were named among the nation’s best.

Bethlehem was named one of America’s “Top 100 Best Places to Live,” and the West End Theatre District in Allentown was named one of the top underrated locations for nightlife.

The Best Places to Live ranking came from Livability.com, a website that ranks America’s most livable mid-sized cities. Its analysis considers factors such as the economy, housing, cost of living, cultural and leisure amenities, transportation, environment, safety, education, and health. Bethlehem scored 740 of a possible 1,000 points.

Here’s what Livability said about “Why You’ll Love Living in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.”

“Nestled in eastern Pennsylvania in the storied Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem is a city of about 75,000 with a rich heritage in colonial history and industry. While it may be small, Bethlehem is experiencing an economic and cultural renaissance, which makes it a natural draw for families and professionals to set down roots. Downtown is bursting with charm, thanks to the many original historic buildings dating back to the early 1740s. Living a stone’s throw from major players in the country’s economy, such as New York City and Philadelphia, doesn’t hurt either.

With a name like Bethlehem, PA, it’s hard not to think of Christmas, so why not celebrate the holiday in a big way? In fact, the city embraces the season with an 81-foot-tall steel “Star of Bethlehem,” sparkly trees and a German-style Christkindlmarkt Market. But, it earns a spot as one of the best places to live in the U.S. for many other reasons, too. Chief among them is affordable housing and a robust economy.

The city’s 76,000-plus residents are proud of Bethlehem’s innovative culture. After all, the Moravians who settled here were inventors, building the first public water system in the American Colonies back in 1754.

Today, the city’s strong community spirit carries over into the strong business community and the top-notch educational system. Bethlehem has excellent public and private schools and 11 colleges in the Lehigh Valley that turn out a highly educated workforce. Manufacturing is in this city’s DNA (think the steel industry), and companies here make everything from Mack Trucks to marshmallow Peeps. Other industries that flourish here include health care, business services, and transportation and logistics.

A location just 90 minutes west of New York City and an hour north of Philadelphia is also a boon for Bethlehem, but there’s no need to venture far from home since the city offers all kinds of arts and culture, nightlife, creative dining spots, historical sites and more. SteelStacks, for example, brings people together for all types of events and festivals the whole family can enjoy.”

Bethlehem also had ranked on the Top 100 Best Places to Live in 2023 and 2022.

Allentown’s West End Theatre District ranked 16th of “America's Most Underrated Nightlife Neighborhoods” by Wealth of Geeks, a website “dedicated to anything we can geek out about.”

Here’s what Wealth of Geeks said about the neighborhood, according to LehighValleyNews.com:

“With a number of specialty retailers at its core along 19th Street, a dozen restaurants and pubs within its boundaries, its own movie theatre and performance spaces, the District attracts many visitors looking for enriching experiences in the Lehigh Valley."

The West End Theatre District is centered around the Civic Theatre of Allentown, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The neighborhood, a mix of residences and businesses, is near the Allentown Fairgrounds and Muhlenberg College.

According to the West End Alliance website: “The West End Theatre District serves the community with dual purpose as a local residential neighborhood center that encourages a sense of comradery among homeowners and renters through community-wide service projects, dynamic social events, and open lines of communication that support a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere and safe living conditions. As a ‘main street’ with demographics that have always been fluid, the West End Theatre District exemplifies the best of what culturally rich and ethnically diverse neighborhoods have to offer.”

The district is “a regional specialty shopping, dining, and entertainment destination by encouraging an assorted business district that is accessible to all,” according to the West End Alliance.

“The West End Theatre District provides a fun and distinctive visitor experience. Every storefront and bar-back is accustomed to a friendly-tone set by the unique architecture, shared green spaces, and clean sidewalks that surround it. The people who operate the businesses do their part to individualize each customer visit and focus on creating a sustainable environment that will appeal to the Greater Lehigh Valley for generations to come.”

Wealth of Geeks, based in Sayre, Pa., north of the Lehigh Valley, describes itself as “a meeting place for the intellectually curious and the pop culture aficionado.”

It selected the most underrated nightlife neighborhoods through an online panel survey of 3,000 Americans age 21 and older.

Source: Paul Muschick, Lehigh Valley Economic Development

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