Category: Fun things to Do

The Lehigh Valley is packed with fun filled things to do and places to go.

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10 Things that I love About Bethlehem, PA

When you’re thinking about Moving to the Lehigh Valley, you may consider Bethlehem!

Hi Everybody!  I want to tell you about the ten things that I love about Bethlehem.  If you’re thinking about moving here, it’s a great place to live!

#10-  It’s close to Philadelphia which is about an hour and a half away.  New York City is almost two hours away.  And the Poconos where we can go skiing and have fun in the mountains is just about forty-five minutes north of here. But still there are lots of rural spaces all around town.

#9 – It’s a great place to live with a good cost of living and plentiful jobs

#8 – You can’t miss the restaurant scene and the beer scene here in Bethlehem.

#7 – there is lots of music and the arts scene is really cool

#6 – Because of the universities and colleges there is a great academic vibe throughout town

#5 – There is always fun places to go and exercise outside

#4 – Main Street!  Spending the day on Main Street in Bethlehem is always a great pastime.  It’s fun to visit all of the shops, enjoy really wonderful food in fabulous restaurants and just watch the world go by

#3 – Bethlehem is filled with gorgeous architecture

#2 – The Historic District as well as the City’s history cannot be beat

#1 –  We love our festivals in the summertime!

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Southside Bethlehem’s Murals

Wathc the video on: https://youtu.be/GqmTQzMWwlA

Welcome to the art of Bethlehem!

At the first major intersection is a mural by a local artist named Matt Halm.  His mural is appropriately called “Southbound” and today we’re going to start on the southside of town.


Right around the corner is “Steelworker” by a collective of local artists named, Dripped On The Road.  The work pays homage to the men and women who worked in Bethlehem Steel plant for generations.  The artist group is lead by Lehigh University grad, named Denton Burrows.

And just up the street is a work by Joseph Iacona.   It’s called “Southside Proud”.  His work speaks to the community of sharing and why citizens are proud to live on the southside of the City of Bethlehem.

And around the side of Taylor Street, The Bonn Place Brewing Company is wrapped in a beautiful mural painted by local artist Amy Perdue.  And as the camera moves turns the corner, you’ll see other artwork (by Denton Burrows) that pays homage to brewing, festivities, fun, community and just having a good time.

Up on Hayes Street is a mural painted by Ramiro Davaro-Comas.   This entire mural was painted on the flat side of a building, but if you’ll notice up towards the top it appears that there is a roof line with someone peeking out of a window; all of which don’t exist. The artist’s use of trompe l’oeil is truly magical.

Then we went up on Broad Street on the north side of town to see another beautiful mural by Matt Halm. It’s been painted on the side of Christmas City Veterinary Hospital.  The mural curves around the corner of the building to include another fun surprise.

Back on the Southside at the corner of Hayes Street is a traditional phone booth which has been painted brightly and beautifully by Devyn Leonor Briggs.  Then over on Third and New Street is another mural by Devyn Briggs.  The mural reflects “a desire to develop a community that embraces economic opportunity with cultural diversity as a foundation.”

Up on the street on the side of Café The Lodge, is “Calma” by Pau Quintanajornet.  This artist is from Chile and was raised in Germany.  Her work of art was completed in Pau’s signature style while highlighting Café The Lodge’s mission which is focused on mental health recovery.

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A fun Day watching Trains in Bethlehem at “The Hump”

Today was a busy Tuesday at “The Hump” …..Free and Fascinating..…could describe this adventure just around the corner on the west side of Bethlehem, PA.
Trains coming into the train yard
Central Avenue is a little secondary road that connects West Bethlehem to Allentown. You may not have been on it for a long time or perhaps you never knew it existed.
Approaching the Hump
Approaching the Split
Separation of the cars
Separation of the Cars
Freewheeling to a New Train and  a New Location
A Full Train Yard
Lots of Train Cars In
 
 
 
 
 
 
Put the kids in the car and take a drive.  Once on Central Avenue you will feel like you are in another world. It is very lush & green with vegetation and shaded by trees. 
 
 
 
 
It follows the Lehigh River and the Norfolk Southern train tracks.  Along the route sits the train yard for the Norfolk Southern railroad…..
 
 
 
 
 
 
…affectionately called “The Hump” by Lehigh Valley natives.  
 
If you didn’t grow up in the Lehigh Valley you may not know that The Hump exists. This is the spot where all trains pull into the yard to be separated and rearranged.  
 
 
 
 
The cars are separated to form new trains which eventually will be headed for another part of the country.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It is fascinating to watch the cars being separated by hand on The Hump and to watch each car being sent to a specific track to form another train.
 
 
 
Throughout the week the newly formed trains will pull out of the yard headed for their new destinations.  By Saturday night the yard is completely empty ready to start the new week making new trains.   Take a short ride and learn something new.  I love to watch the process in motion.  Be careful of Central Avenue (it can be busy during certain times of the day) but there are spots where you can pull over to watch.