New faculty at Kutztown University - finding a place to live (Allentown: apartment, rentals)

[sooby77]

Hi all,

A few weeks ago, I started a similar thread. toobusytoday pointed me to the proper way to ask help (thanks!). So here it is:

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When are you moving? Early to mid August
Where are you coming from? Raleigh, NC
Why are you moving? Full-time faculty position
Where will you be working? Kutztown University
Have you been here yet? Only once for the interview process.

Will you buy or rent? Rent, just starting out, don't think I can afford to buy.
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? I'm a musician. Ideally, I would like a place where I can practice at any time without disturbing neighbors. But I will rent an apartment if I have to and practice in my office. I can afford about $1000/month plus minus.

Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? No preference.

Are you married or single? Do you have children? Single - no children.
Do you prefer public or private schools? N/A
Do you have pets? No.
Do you want or need a yard? No preference
Are you keeping a car? Yes
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? No preference.

What do you want to be closest to? Work and basic services


Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? No preference as long as they are open minded.

Thanks for all your help.

[alexiskai]

We moved up from Raleigh-Durham last year. Welcome to the area.

You don't mention what sorts of things you like to do in your spare time or what kind of resources you want to have nearby (e.g. running trails, farmers' markets, church denomination), so without those constraints it seems like you could live anywhere.

[sooby77]

Hi alexiskai,

Sorry for not responding sooner. For some reason, I was not automatically subscribed to this thread that I created. To answer your question, I would love to be close to farmer's market, and running trails. But since I will be working at Kutztown University, I will most likely have access to the university's athletic services. So that's not a big factor.

My partner and I enjoy dining out on the weekends. However, he will won't be here for the most part since he has two more years to retirement. Therefore he'll be staying back in Raleigh. Right now, we live in an area that's really nice area in Raleigh in terms of amenities, about 2-3 miles from Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Costco, and North Hills Mall. So we are a bit spoiled.

But my career is the most important at the moment and I want to be close to Kutztown University where I can dedicate myself to my students. I know I will most likely not find an area like where we are in Raleigh right now, but as long as it's within 20-30min drive, I think I can live with that. Of concern is easy access to campus when winter rolls around. How are the winters here?

Where were you guys in the RDU area prior to moving here?

[alexiskai]

Being away from the TJ/WF/Costco triad has been a smidge traumatic for us, but we mostly solved the problem by scheduling trips down to Philly a few times a year to pick up nonperishables (it is Costco, after all) and switching purchases of perishables to local outlets.

If you live in Kutztown, you'll actually be close to a lot of local farm sources. The legendary Echo Hill Country Store is nearby in Fleetwood, as well as Mennonite farms selling goat milk, bell peppers, tomatoes, and many other things. However, I think Kutztown only has the one supermarket and no big-box stores, so you'd be limited in other ways.

The main trade-off you'd make if you chose to live closer to Allentown or Reading would be putting your commute in the hands of Hwy 222, which is notorious for congestion at peak travel times. However, as I mentioned above, if you did live in Kutztown you'd still need to use 222 to get to a lot of commercial locations for supplies. So it sorta depends on what time your daily rhythm tends to put you on the road to what location.

As for the winters, I can't speak authoritatively, since we've only been here a year and everyone says last winter was "very mild." But we haven't had any problems, and in fact you'll find that authorities here are much better prepared for winter than those in NC. Here in Lower Mac, even our small side road is usually plowed within a few hours of any significant snowfall.

We were in Chapel Hill prior to here. Quite the change!

[toobusytoday]

Adding on to the shopping. If you live in Kutztown, There's a great Farmers Market close by - Renningers Farmers Market Kutztown, Pa Agree with the Echo Hill suggestion too. Lot's of organic and bulk items. It's an easy combo shopping trip for those two places.

There's a Costco in Reading - Costco - Pottstown, PA My neighbors go to that one. I make a pilgrimage monthly to Montgomeryville and hit Costco and Trader Joe's. There's also a Whole Foods across the road from TJ's there. I think that area is really considered North Wales but since it's near the Montgomeryville Mall, that's how I think of it.

If you do come out more into the Lehigh Valley, every town will have a farmers market on weekends. My favorite is the Emmaus one that is on Sundays.

[sooby77]

Thanks alexiskai and toobusytoday! I'm very excited about Renningers and Echo Hill! At the moment, I buy almost all my foods from Costco in large quantities because I usually cook for the week. But I do like greens from Whole Foods. But getting greens from local sources are going to beat WF anytime!

I checked Costco locations, are you are of course correct. There's one in Pottstown and Montgomeryville. I think a roadtrip out from Kutztown once a week could be a good thing. I'll be very busy during the week and on some weekends with grading and course prep work. So I don't have much time to feel bored! Oh, I'm also a Sam's Club member so I think I'll be OK since there's one in Allentown and Reading too. I just prefer Costco that's all.

When I interviewed, I asked about winter as well and was told the same - last winter was quite mild (the same here in NC too). But I have lived in Northeast Iowa and in Bowling Green, OH before. So I'm not unfamiliar with 'real' winter. NC winter is nothing compared to IA and OH winters. Is 222 really that bad?

Right now, I plan on coming up there to check out places to live in mid July and probably move in around early to mid-August. Is that too late to look for places? I've been checking out craigslist, but I will call Kutztown HR to see if they can help in any way. toobusytoday - the OCH site is for students, but perhaps I should call them too to see if they can also assist. For the last 5 years, I commuted 110mi/each way, 3 days a week to teach. I think the prospect of living 5-10min away from campus is going to be wonderful!

[toobusytoday]

Yeah, I saw that the OCH site was for students, but am guessing that since it's mainly just a contact list, anyone could use it.

222 has a couple of things working against it. It narrows to one lane each way for a few miles so can get backed up and a big truck can slow it all down and it's in a wide open area so when it does snow, it can get snow covered and hard for snowplows to keep up with. There is a parallel road though south of it that winds around, but you could use that in good weather and it would be a pleasant drive.

[sooby77]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

Yeah, I saw that the OCH site was for students, but am guessing that since it's mainly just a contact list, anyone could use it.

I checked out the OCH website, but apparently you need a KU student email account to post something. So no go for me.

[alexiskai]

Early August isn't too late. In an area that caters to the academic calendar, you may find that the best rentals are taken, but you may also find that landlords with open spots remaining are more willing to give you a discount.

If you're an ice cream fan, I'd recommend starting a tradition of stopping at Premise Maid on 222 btw Kutztown and Allentown. Great ice cream at a great price.

Consider investing in a chest freezer, especially if you're a meat fan. Don't buy new - they show up on Craigslist constantly. Not only can you make fewer trips to Costco, but you can take advantage of great prices on large amounts of meat from local livestock growers, as well as freezing local fruit during the summer. For example, Eagle Point Farm Market in Trexlertown will sell you boxes of slightly bruised local peaches at low prices. Slice 'em, pack 'em in sugar, freeze, and you have smoothies all winter.

Lastly, if you crave fresh lettuce during the winter, check out Butter Valley Harvest in Bally. Not too far from you.

[sooby77]

You guys are both killing me with all the fresh farm produce places to go! I really can't wait to check out those places. I plan to come around July to check out places to rent, but won't move in until later.