Safe, low crime area Allentown (Liberty, Salisbury: apartment, lofts, condos)

[Anton Lavay]

I bought a home in Allentown(east side) about 4yrs ago,I thought it was a safe place to live,but I was sadly mistaken!!!! I truely cann't believe the crime that is going on here!!! I feel the animals from the west side are moving over here in the apartments that accept section 8, Most of these people need to learn Respect for themself!!!! And maybe then they may have Respect fot others's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!PS YOU ANIMALS STAY ON THE WEST SIDE!!!!! WE DON"T WANT YA!!!!!!!!!

[toobusytoday]

Lavay, Interesting first post. What would be helpful would be more specific areas to avoid. I doubt that the "animals" read this forum and I'm assuming that your stay away message is meant for them.... The original poster is looking for specific information about danger zones. If you could provide that, it would be great!

[lorib49]

I recently bought a house in West End Allentown, near Muhlenburg College. I'm extremely happy with the neighborhood. I feel safe and haven't noticed much crime in the area at all. All of my neighbors are caucasian, (which by the way has nothing to do with what type of person you are) It is a nice, established neighborhood with a lot of character in the architecture. I don't have children or plan on sending any children to the Allentown School District, so this doesn't concern me. I don't like boring suburban places, where each subdivision looks exactly the same, it's just a matter of preference.

In my opinion, it depends on where you are coming from. I've lived in mid-sized cities in various parts of the country my entire life. Obviously, if you are from the country or a small town, you might feel uncomfortable with diversity or conditions in a city. Allentown might be very different from what it used to be, but honestly if you people think that Allentown is that scary, then you have no idea what many cities in this country are like. Try going to Newark, Paterson, or Irvington, NJ or "ghetto" sections of cities in the South. Allentown is a picnic.

[polbio74]

Near Dorney park is nice, and in a different school district. I think it is Parkland School District. I know it is South Whitehall twnp. Try Cetronia, it still has a kind of small town feel, even though it is part of the city. You will have crime anywhere you go in Allentown, but my friend said in Cetronia people still look out for thier neighbors.

[airbayforce]

Anybody know how it is around Union Blvd off of Airport Rd? Theres supposed to be a new place there called the Pig Pen. Never drove through any part of Allentown before. Thanks

[atowners]

Any part of Allentown is a good place to live if you live cleanly. Some of the better neighborhoods for community include Old Allentonwn, West Park, Old Fairgrounds, Midway Manor, and the area around Good Shepherd. Like most places in the world, the crime that you read about in Allentown happens to people engaged in illicit activities in the first place. If you can get past the racist invective that you find on comment forums, you will find many safe places to live in the city.

[njbuyer]

I work near Good Shepherd, and although it's a "nicer" part of Allentown, it's still not the best. There was a shooting in an alley near hear, from what my co-workers say, just last year, and another co-worker actually claimed bankruptcy just to get out of the row home they had bought, and not be liable to pay the rest of the loan, due to all the drug exchanges just outside! Plus, her neighbor actually got shot and killed due to a gang. Of course, it's a buyer's market right now, and if you can, I would suggest looking outside of Allentown. It is cheap everywhere, which is why it's so hard to sell your house, and why she had to claim bankruptcy. Regardless, do your research. Center city is to stay away from. I know kids in the Allentown school district that just graduated and won't even think about getting an apt. near there due to all the crime - and these high school kids are the very open minded type. In response to the person that posted that certain towns in Jersey are worse - I'm actually from Jersey, and am familiar with Newark and Irvington. My husband even lived in Newark for a while. The conclusion I've come to is this - there are bad sides and good sides to EACH of these towns, and being exposed to bad Jersey towns and Allentown, this is my two cents....the bad sides of both are NO joke, so do your research.

[njbuyer]

PS - if you have kids, be very careful even of the "good" sides of Allentown. Remember, you're still sharing a school system, and seeing applications coming in each day to my job - many kids are from the Allentown system and don't even possess a GED. The school isn't the best or safest.

[toobusytoday]

Actually parts of Allentown are in Parkland School district and they have a very good reputation. I'm not quite sure where the lines are but I'm pretty sure it's the area of West Allentown near Wegmans and Northwest Allentown. There is a good combination of new townhouses and nicer older homes in good looking neighborhoods.

[Stavs]

Salisbury Township is safe. Very low crime.