Lehigh Valley PA Disers- help!

MomofKatie

Dairy World? Fairy World! OH, DARN IT!!
Joined
Apr 4, 2004
DH and I are moving to the Lehigh Valley area in a few weeks. We have never lived in PA and have a few questions:

Can you get local TV channels with a digital antenna? We are hoping to "cut the cord" and get our TV from the Amazon Fire TV box and a digital antenna. Since there really aren't any truly local stations (seems like the networks are all out of Philly), will the stations come in with an antenna?

Tell the truth- just how much snow do you get? And in which months is snow likely to fall? I have never really driven in snow, and I'm a bit nervous. We have lived in the South for a loooong time, where less than an inch of snow shuts down the whole state for a week.

Any other advice/information you think I need? Thanks!
 
Ahhh...the Lehigh Valley...you're making me sad. :sad: I'm a born and raised Philly area person, lived there well over 40 year. Even wearing a Philly t-shirt right this second. We lived at the southern end of the Lehigh Valley from 2004 to 2014, and I absolutely LOVED it. We now live in Atlanta. I like it OK here, as I'm happy to never...ever...see snow again. But beyond that, I miss home badly.

There is one local station, WFMZ. I'm not sure if you can get it via digital antenna...never tried. Yes, the Philly stations cover the area. Personally, I was a Channel 6 Action News person myself.

As for snow, it will really depend. Some winters are brutal...that's what finally drove us to leave and head south. Then again, some winters aren't as bad. Remember that you're at the foothills of the Pocono Mountains, so you're more likely to get snow. When storms pass through the Philly area, it's very common for the Lehigh Valley to get the most snow. If Philly gets 4", then Lehigh Valley gets 7". Storms can range anywhere from just a little dusting of snow to as much as 18" in one day. Not common, but a big Nor'easter can drop 24" of snow. The last winter we were there, which was '13-'14, was brutal. We had two Nor'easters in one week. We lived in a pretty rural area, with lots of open land, so there was a good amount of wind. In the wind driven areas, even after the storms, there was only a few inches of snow. But in the spots where it drifted, the snow was literally between 4' and 5' deep. I had a Mazda Miata parked outside and it was literally completely covered. Temps were also around -4 at night with daytime highs around 8. That was without the wind, windchill factor was around -15. That's not as common, but very much can happen. But a few years prior, we only had about 6" of snow the entire winter. "Normal" winter will probably bring around 24-30" of snow total for the entire season. Average temps will be 30-38 at the high and 20-25 at the low (during the coldest part of winter). Snow can come as early as Halloween...I think it was 2013 when we had 6" of snow on Oct 29th...knocked power out for 6 days. But that's very uncommon. Mostly snow will start after Thanksgiving and can last until mid-March. If you haven't driven in the snow, I'd highly, highly recommend having someone take you to an empty parking lot and practice. There's no magic to it, but you need to know what you're doing. First and foremost, if your car has ABS (and all cars built in the past 10-15 years do), and you have to stop quickly, stomp on the pedal and hold it down. There was an old way of doing it, which was to pump the brakes, but do NOT do that in a car with ABS. Stomp the brakes and steer.

Not sure where in the south you're from, but the Lehigh Valley can be pretty rural. I'd stay away from Allentown itself, most areas downtown are dumps. But the areas outside of it are very pretty. Lots of small towns, situated right next to each other. The town we last lived in, East Greenville (well, that was on my mailing address, but I was closer to a town called Barto), was a very quaint little town. Lots of open farmland, open spaces, peace and quiet. Had the quintessential downtown "Main St", with tiny local shops and such. My wife and I used to love getting a cup of coffee and walking up the street. The area had a hometown Halloween parade. The local towns would all have their fire trucks, local clubs, etc...complete "small town USA" stuff. Yet, still plenty of civilization nearby...Wal-Mart, grocery stores, etc... Make sure you look into property taxes, they can vary widely.

Tell me what town specifically you're looking at and I can tell you more about it.
 
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Thanks for the info! We bought a house in Hanover Township, right along 22 and across from the big hospital. Looks to be a nice area- we are moving into a small subdivision that reminds me of the ones here in Charlotte. Property taxes in PA are outrageous compared to the rural county we live in now- going up from about $1300/year to $5700/year- yikes! We looked at a house closer to 78 in the Easton area that we loved, but the taxes were more than $2000 MORE than they were in Hanover Township!!

DH will be commuting to Union, NJ every day for work. We couldn't afford a shack in NJ- wow! Their housing prices are much higher than PA.

We are excited about the move, but it will be culture shock for sure. We both grew up in Atlanta and have lived in Birmingham AL and Charlotte for the past 17 years. DD is a student at U of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, so we will be going from an 8 hour drive away to a 14 hour one.
 
I live a bit south of the Lehigh Valley, about a half-hour from Philly, but my parents lived closer to that area, in upper Bucks county.

I wouldn't count on getting much of anything from an antenna. My parents tried that, and all they got was WFMZ. That's a local independent station that runs local news, syndicated stuff like Dr Phil and Judge Judy, and religious broadcasts. I believe you can get Sling TV with the Fire Stick, though, so that might give you what you need.

Snow...welp, it's a pretty snowy area, and can snow anytime from October to April. I think average annual snowfall for that area is around 3 feet. You won't get that all at once, of course, and some years are snowier than others. It's not like Buffalo, where you're regularly digging out of multi-foot snowfalls, but it's definitely going to be a lot more than what you're used to. Invest in a good snowblower or ask the neighbors how they get rid of their snow.
 


The snow is pretty unpredictable. For you it will seem like a lot, but compared to what they get north of here it really isn't that bad. Last year, about 18" was dumped at once and there wasn't much else. A few years before we kept getting 1-2" every week. As an earlier poster said, the snow season can vary greatly. Sometimes it's mild even into December. Other times it does snow in October.

If you are nervous about driving in the snow I would suggest a 4-wheel drive car. Schools will have a delay or close for a minor storm but many businesses will remain open unless it is a substantial snowfall.

I love the Lehigh Valley. There are a lot of things within driving distance to do. You can easily get to Philly or New York and D.C. is just a four hours away.

Like the other poster said, I would suggest being cautious in downtown Allentown other than the area immediately around the PPL center. If you have any other questions feel free to PM me.
 
Thanks for the info! We bought a house in Hanover Township, right along 22 and across from the big hospital. Looks to be a nice area- we are moving into a small subdivision that reminds me of the ones here in Charlotte. Property taxes in PA are outrageous compared to the rural county we live in now- going up from about $1300/year to $5700/year- yikes! We looked at a house closer to 78 in the Easton area that we loved, but the taxes were more than $2000 MORE than they were in Hanover Township!!

DH will be commuting to Union, NJ every day for work. We couldn't afford a shack in NJ- wow! Their housing prices are much higher than PA.

We are excited about the move, but it will be culture shock for sure. We both grew up in Atlanta and have lived in Birmingham AL and Charlotte for the past 17 years. DD is a student at U of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, so we will be going from an 8 hour drive away to a 14 hour one.

Yes, taxes up there are much more. Our house in East Greenville had taxes of $11,000/year. Hanover Township is very nice. Fairly busy area, as far as the Lehigh Valley goes. If DH is commuting to Union, be prepared for traffic. Tons and tons of people live on the PA side of the river and commute to NJ or NYC.

For snow driving, the tires make much more of a difference than AWD, 4WD or rear wheel drive. Have good tires on your car and it makes all the difference.
 
Good luck. Do you know how long the commute is? I'm only a few minutes from Union, NJ. Winter driving that distance will be a challenge but roads are often clear within a day if large storm - hours if smaller storm.
 


Good luck. Do you know how long the commute is? I'm only a few minutes from Union, NJ. Winter driving that distance will be a challenge but roads are often clear within a day if large storm - hours if smaller storm.
It is 70 miles, door to door. The commute will probably take an hour and 15 minutes, one way. I hate that DH has to spend so much time in the car each day, but it is what it is.
 
Things to note about PA:

Highest Gas Tax (not natural gas, but fuel for your car) in the country. So be prepared to pay more at the pump.
Winter sucks. Depending on the track of a storm, you could get nothing, something, a lot of something or just rain.
Schools (if you have kids) will go in late a lot or totally cancel depending on the weather.
School starts end of August, goes til about early-mid June.
Summer is road construction season. Cones go up in March, get taken away in November. You'll be stuck with a lot of construction zones in between.
To go with road construction... POTHOLES!!! Some of the worst in the country thanks to rock salt from the winter.
In your area, you have Dorney Park... Tourist trap.
Not cheap living. As others pointed out, lots from NY, NJ and Philly live in the burbs and raise the property values.
 
I am closer to the Philadelphia area, but not too far from the Lehigh Valley. My advice would be to embrace the winter season - learn how to ski or snowboard (if you don't know how to already), ice skate, etc. If you have winter activities that you enjoy, you'll look forward to the snow!

As far as driving in the snow goes, it would be helpful if someone who is experienced with driving in the snow could take you out on a snowy day and give you some pointers/driving practice. Good luck and hope you enjoy the area!
 
I agree with the others about the winters being unpredictable. And that's not just the snow but the temperatures as well. I remember some years that it was t-shirts and shorts weather around Christmas and Thanksgiving. Other years, it snowed. While snow is certainly possible from October on, I feel like the last couple of winters most of it has come after Christmas. Also, keep in mind that Lehigh Valley weather/snow is different from Philly and the Poconos. It's almost like three different weather zones.

As others have said there is a lot to do around here. Lots of local festivals and two minor league (Philly affiliated) sports teams -- Iron Pigs (baseball) and Phantoms (hockey). You'll be close to Bethlehem and Steel Stacks (former Bethlehem steel property). And if there isn't enough to do, Philly and NYC are very close. There are two local bus companies that regularly run buses into both of those cities if you don't want to drive.

Probably the worst thing around here is the increasing traffic as it gets more developed with no only houses but also industrial parks. Beware of 22!!!
 
It is 70 miles, door to door. The commute will probably take an hour and 15 minutes, one way. I hate that DH has to spend so much time in the car each day, but it is what it is.

An hour and 15 one way for a 70 mile ride from Hanover to Union? I guess if he leaves for work at 4am and goes home at 1pm, maybe. But if he works 9-5, that's more like 1hr 45 to 2hr each way. It just is. Like I said, TONS of people do what you're doing and Rt 78 is clogged with traffic.

I do a similar commute here in Atlanta. 60 miles each way. In the morning, it takes only an hour, because I leave at 5:40am. However, in the afternoon (I leave at 4pm) it takes me 1hr 20min on a really good day and 1hr 45min on a bad day...and your DH has to go 10 miles more than I do.
 
Welcome to PA! I do hate our winters but they can be beautiful. The snow on the trees right after is beautiful. Also make sure you go to Valkey Forge Park! You can go in the log cabins and learn so history there. King of Prussia mall is huge tourist trap. It's huge but you can find all the same stores pretty much in any Target shopping center.
 
Keep in mind, state income tax here is a flat 3.07%. There is no tax on clothing, most groceries, and other items considered necessities, so yes, the real estate taxes are higher; however, other taxes may well off set some of those taxes.
Many people stream their TV over their computers now, so you need internet service, but you can pick up some of the local stations that way. I live in the Susquehanna Valley, and I can cast local stations that stream through apps onto my smart tv. I was intimidated by it at first, but now, it's quite easy. If you are going to have internet, the digital antenna might not be necessary.
 
King of Prussia mall is huge tourist trap. It's huge but you can find all the same stores pretty much in any Target shopping center.

I'm not a big fan of malls, but the above statement is completely inaccurate. Last time I checked (and I haven't lived there in 3 years now), KoP Mall was the second largest retail mall in the country, next to Mall of America. It has 10x more than your average Target anchored shopping center, literally. Plus it has an entire cottage industry of shops and restaurants built around it. Tourist trap? I guess it depends on how you define tourist trap. But it's a mega mall like you won't see anywhere else, outside of Mall of America. I can't tell you how many Black Fridays I spent in that mall...it was a tradition for DW and I.

OP, you'll be about 40 minutes or so from it.
 
I lived in the Lehigh Valley for 9 years (Actually I also lived in Hanover township off of 512). As someone who grew up in the Northeast, in my and my husband's opinion, PA is the WORST when it comes to clearing the roads when it snows. Make sure you take your time or leave later if you can. All that being said, I really enjoyed living in the valley. Good Luck! :)
 
DH will be commuting to Union, NJ every day for work....

From around Lehigh Valley Hospital? Wow, that's a rough/long commute. On a good day, 1 1/4 hours might be attainable, but there will be plenty of days that doesn't happen. If I were your DH, I'd see if I could get some alternative work hours or some telecommuting, if possible. The savings you talk about will partially be erased by gas, quicker vehicle depreciation and tolls (although the only one right now would be the NJ-PA bridge toll)

Make sure you have a 4WD/AWD vehicle that gets decent mileage for winter, although we've been fortunate the past couple of winters where most snow storms have been on the weekend. I-78/US-22 between that area and Union definitely is not flat. The Lehigh Valley recently seems to have a target painted on it, where that area gets the hardest hit by thunderstorms in the summer and when it does snow, it can pile up. As for DH's commute, Hunterdon County in NJ along the way also gets nailed sometimes.
 
Thanks for the info! We bought a house in Hanover Township, right along 22 and across from the big hospital. Looks to be a nice area- we are moving into a small subdivision that reminds me of the ones here in Charlotte. Property taxes in PA are outrageous compared to the rural county we live in now- going up from about $1300/year to $5700/year- yikes! We looked at a house closer to 78 in the Easton area that we loved, but the taxes were more than $2000 MORE than they were in Hanover Township!!

DH will be commuting to Union, NJ every day for work. We couldn't afford a shack in NJ- wow! Their housing prices are much higher than PA.

We are excited about the move, but it will be culture shock for sure. We both grew up in Atlanta and have lived in Birmingham AL and Charlotte for the past 17 years. DD is a student at U of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, so we will be going from an 8 hour drive away to a 14 hour one.

At first I thought you were talking about Union that's by Clinton, but he's commuting to Union in Union county, NJ? Yikes!

I would check traffic before he leaves for home/work, know the alternate routes, and get a 4 wheel drive for all the hills. Lol.

I don't know about PA, but he can listened to 101.5 FM once in NJ for traffic reports. He can also call 511.

I realize houses in New Jersey can be pricey, but dang, wasn't there anywhere closer you could have moved to? Lol.

Sometimes we go to the Sands casino in Bethlehem so I am familiar with the area. Traffic can be heavy on weekends and really bad on workdays. Does your husband have flexibility with his work hours or can he work from home if he needs to?

Don't mean to scare you just trying to give a heads up regarding traffic.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy living in the area.
 
I live very close to your new home! I have lived in the area all of my life. Please private message me!
We can exchange phone numbers if you would like. I can help you out with anything you need.

Snow depends on the year.
TV stations aren't that good. We have local cable. WFMZ is local.
 
I'm not a big fan of malls, but the above statement is completely inaccurate. Last time I checked (and I haven't lived there in 3 years now), KoP Mall was the second largest retail mall in the country, next to Mall of America. It has 10x more than your average Target anchored shopping center, literally. Plus it has an entire cottage industry of shops and restaurants built around it. Tourist trap? I guess it depends on how you define tourist trap. But it's a mega mall like you won't see anywhere else, outside of Mall of America. I can't tell you how many Black Fridays I spent in that mall...it was a tradition for DW and I.

OP, you'll be about 40 minutes or so from it.

To each their own I guess. Totally not worth going that mall and getting stuck in traffic or finding no parking or teens loitering on any night of the week when I can go to one of the four target shopping centers around me that hAve everything I need.
 

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