<p>Hey everyone,</p>
<p>I'm a Tufts grad moving to Bethlehem after a year at my company's HQs in Los Angeles. I was wondering if some of you might shed light on the cultural and social aspects of living in the Lehigh Valley. </p>
<p>Also, how long is the commute from Philly to Bethlehem? </p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>
<p>Over an hour depending on which part of Philly you would be going to. Not worth the drive.</p>
<p>Lolabelle, I live in the Lehigh Valley (as a non-student) so I can tell you what it's like from a perspective more similar to yours: it's fantastic. You have several performing arts outlets: Lehigh's Zoellner, Lafayette's Williams Center, and the DeSales's Shakespeare Festival, PLUS you have ongoing stuff at Muhlenberg, the Allentown festival in the summer (I can't remember the name), and Bethlehem's Music Fest.</p>
<p>Sports? Besides the colleges (five in all), we will have a Yankee minor league team, the Iron Pigs, starting next year. There's also an arena football team, the Outlawz, here. For major sporting events, you'll have to go to Philly (a little over an hour) or NYC (closer to two hours), but both depend on where you're going in the cities.</p>
<p>We have lots of restaurants to choose from, although ethnic food choices are somewhat lacking. Still, for upscale dining, there's Edge and Apollo grill in North Bethlehem. For more college-like fare, there are two brew pubs (one in Bethlehem and the other about to open in Allentown) and countless chain stores. </p>
<p>Shopping? It's improving all the time. The Lehigh Valley Mall, your standard mall, is currently undergoing an expansion. We also have the new outdoor Promenade Shops, with a brand new Barnes and Noble, LL Bean, huge RAVE movie theater, Fresh Market upscale grocery store, upscale restaurant (Melt -- with a fusion restaurant on the way), and lots of stores. On Route 33 (between Easton and Bethlehem), there's another Barnes and Noble, Bed N Bath, Lowe's, Pier One, etc. shopping area, with a proposed mall across the street.</p>
<p>Your access to these things depend highly on where you live. </p>
<p>The region is growing at a phenomenal clip. We will be getting a Sands casino (slots only, for now) with entertainment and shopping complexes in the steel mill area, so choose your living area carefully. </p>
<p>You can PM me for more info.</p>