My New Village

We were on our way to the Community Center for our daily workout, when my wife said: "We picked a nice and peaceful place." In fact, I could only concur with her assessment, since we had chosen this region together.

It had taken us almost two years of research. After exploring various places in New York State, New Jersey, and Maine, we had decided that this place suited our family's needs best. We actually had come to see a larger house in our neighborhood when we incidentally drove by a smaller one, which caught our attention and ultimately became "our" house.

Coming from New York, and driving through New Jersey, the Lehigh Valley offers vistas unlike those we had come from. These sights surprise and enchant the visitor coming by car or by bus. Our village is located about 15 minutes from Allentown, 15 minutes from Easton and Phillipsburg, New Jersey. The trip to New York City takes about an hour and a half and the distance to Philadelphia is a little less. We are situated between the hills of Bethlehem and those of Nazareth, a half an hour from the Blue Mountain ski slopes. Five minutes in any direction from the center of town, there are open fields with hills and mountains in the background — green during most of the year or wrapped in snow during the few winter months. These plains resemble those of the town where I was born, and this is maybe one of the reasons that weighed in favor of choosing this place. Looking at them, I always get the feeling of both openness and privacy — something hard to find in crowded cities.

A few hundred yards from the sports and recreation center is the place that brings together much of the region, every day. Like a church steeple, its tower is visible from afar, only this one is for all religions, since no one can go without food. It is Wegmans, one of our supermarkets. Visitors are impressed by the wide variety of produce and products from around the world. Its café is a pleasant meeting place and the take_out food department is of great help for busy working people. In the opposite direction, at the same distance from our house, is Weis Supermarket. So whichever way we go, when we drive home from the Community Center, we sometimes stop at one of them.

Our village is part of the greater Bethlehem area. By car, town is just a few minutes away. Bethlehem is a historic and picturesque town with wide horizons and what distinguishes it in a special way is the good family life of its inhabitants.

To the north, the Blue Mountain chain and further on, the Poconos are faithfully watching over the region and give birth to the Lehigh River that generously nourishes the land while heading toward Allentown, where it takes a turn eastwards, to clear South Mountain — the southern side of the Valley, witness of local history, continuing its course and flowing into the Delaware River, with which its waters reach the Atlantic Ocean.

No matter which direction you take, there are small roads leading to beautiful farms and a spectacular romantic view opens to the eye and the soul of the beholder who is sensitive to picturesque images. Our village is faithful to Pennsylvania's welcoming tradition of tolerance that always opened its doors to people of all origins and backgrounds who were looking for a new roof to shelter their families.

Despite the beauty around us, I often missed the feeling I had known when I was young, in my hometown. At the time, the inhabitants of our town felt very close to each other, since not only had they known each other, but their parents and grandparents had known each other and had lived there for generations as good neighbors.

With all the stress and the responsibilities of modern life, people no longer find the time to get to know each other. So far, all the people we have met here have been kind and welcoming. The Community Center — in a way the heart of the community, by affording its members of all ages the opportunity to keep their bodies and minds in good health — is also the perfect place for entertainment and celebrations, thanks to its spacious and bright halls. Everything seems to function flawlessly under the competent care of its recreation director and her dedicated team who make sure that every visitor feels welcome.