About Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown, located in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, is the third largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It is also the county seat of Lehigh County.
Arriving in Allentown
By air
The primary and most convenient point of airline entry to Allentown and the Lehigh Valley is Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), which is less than twenty minutes away from most parts of the city. Various airlines operate out of this airport. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is a major international airport that is about 70 miles away. Since it is a hub for several national airlines, it is easy to obtain non-stop flights to Philadelphia International. However, given the proximity of Lehigh Valley International, it is usually cheaper and more convenient to fly directly to the Lehigh Valley.
By car
- US Highway 22 is a main thoroughfare, being a 4-lane limited-access highway with a speed limit of 55 miles per hour through all of the Lehigh Valley except in Easton.
- Drivers coming from points east will want to note that all of the major bridges across the Delaware River (from New Jersey) are free eastbound, but require tolls westbound. Locating the free bridge in Phillipsburg is possible, but not recommended to those unfamiliar with the area. It is called Northampton Street for the adventurous, and only adds about half a mile to the trip (assuming you don't get easily lost).
- From the southeast and northwest, PA Route 309 provides fairly quick access and is a good road to travel.
- Interstate 78 and Interstate 476 (PA Turnpike; tolled) intersect very close to the city of Allentown, going in all directions north, south, east, and west.
- PA Route 33 is the best approach for travelers from I-80 in Mount Pocono and points east.
By bus
- Trans-Bridge bus line offers daily service to and from New York City and Newark, New Jersey.
- Carl Bieber Tourways offers daily service to New York City, Philadelphia and other regionally-located cities. It also provides bus service within the Lehigh Valley and its surrounding areas, including to and from Reading.
Getting Around in Allentown
By bus or cab
Extensive bus services are provided by Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA). Several cab companies also operate throughout Allentown and the Lehigh Valley.
By car
Most visitors to the Lehigh Valley will want to either rent a car or drive their own. Traffic can be heavy and perhaps slightly intimidating to those who are unfamiliar with driving through heavy traffic, but here are a few things to consider:
The city is known for its fast and reckless driving tendencies, especially late at night and on weekends. Most dangerous are the street races in the city and its suburbs. Sometimes these races are drag races on open highways and roads. Other times they take place on city streets, with the racing participants disregarding traffic lights.
7th Street in Allentown is a three-lane-wide one-way street, and can be challenging for novice or rural drivers. Use Cedar Crest Boulevard or Airport Road if this could be a problem for you.
Due to the fact that 7th street in Allentown is one-way, if you aim to go north to Whitehall, you will want to be on 6th street. Be forewarned, it does look a little bit un-city-like (going through a grove of trees with a couple houses scattered about) for a while, but you are on the right road.
Hamilton Street (PA 222) is a continuation of US 222/ Hamilton Boulevard and provides easy access for travelers from Reading & Lancaster and vicinity. Hamilton continues into nearby Bethlehem as Hanover Avenue providing direct access to its downtown as well
Tilghman Street is also a useful east-west urban thoroughfare which also provides access to Bethlehem, as Union Boulevard, and Easton as well
US Route 22 is a 4 lane limited-access freeway across the north side of the city, and is often the best route of approach. However, this road is prone to minor traffic jams and accidents, especially during rush hour. Don't panic, though, most traffic jams are only a mile or so long, and usually take less than half an hour before opening up into freer travel.
Interstate 78 is a better bet during rush hours as it is as wide as eight lanes in some areas.
Safety in Allentown
Allentown is a generally safe city for its size. But its crime rates are slightly above the national averages in most categories. The greatest danger in the city comes from the presence of some of the nation's most violent gangs, including 18th Street, Black Dragons, Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings, Los Solidos, Mexican Mafia, and MS-13. These gangs are most prominent between 2nd and 15th Streets, north of Hamilton Boulevard. Gang signals and graffiti are prominent in these areas. Sneakers thrown over street lighting wires usually suggest that drugs are for sale at that area. Crossed out graffiti is usually suggestive of coming retaliatory gang violence. Most gangs are involved in illegal drug trafficking, including heroin, morphine, opium, MDMA, methamphetimines, and others. Both the federal and city governments have been working to reduce the gang presence in Allentown, which increased substantially when gangs were driven out of New York City and joined existing gangs in Allentown.
Prostitution is prevalent in certain areas of center city, especially 6th and 7th Streets, north of Hamilton Boulevard.
Allentown is also one of several notoriously rugged U.S. cities. Street and bar fights are not uncommon. Street drag racing has grown in popularity in almost all areas of the city and its suburbs, usually late at night and especially on weekends. These street races can be highly endangering with car speeds usually exceeding 100 miles per hour on 40 and 50 mile per hour roads. Unlike some violent cities, however, visitors have not typically been targeted for crime or violence.
Allentown Trivia
Allentown was the inspiration for the 1982 Billy Joel hit song "Allentown," which appeared originally on Joel's The Nylon Curtain album. Allentown is the birthplace of several famous Americans, including:
- Michaela Conlin, actress, Fox's Bones.
- Lee Iacocca, former chairman, Chrysler Corporation.
- Keith Jarrett, jazz musician.
- Michael Johns, conservative commentator and writer, former White House speechwriter.
- Andre Reed, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins.
- Amanda Seyfried, model and actress, The CW's Veronica Mars, HBO's Big Love and Mamma Mia!
- Christine Taylor, actress, wife of actor Ben Stiller.
- Lauren Weisberger, author, The Devil Wears Prada.
More Info on Allentown
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