A sleepy town wakes up
South of Bethlehem, the suburban village of Hellertown rises in the countryside. Known for its Main Street corridor with colonial-style homes, offices and taverns made of brick, stone and vinyl, it’s incredibly close to the job centers of Bethlehem and Allentown, yet there’s a definite separation. It’s an area that has evolved over time – while it used to depend on the steel mills of the region located just north, it has kept up with the times, pivoting to become a place to settle for those who help the medical and manufacturing companies that call the Lehigh Valley homes going. “Hellertown’s really come a long way. It’s a cute place to live,” says Rebecca L. Francis, associate broker with the Rebecca Francis Team at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services and a longtime community resident. “It was much sleepier back then.” Even with the evolution, the town continues to value its historic roots and small-town camaraderie, creating a slice of America.
A spooky community party
While plenty of events bring out residents throughout the year, the Hellertown Halloween Parade is the highlight for many. Celebrating spooky season, floats, costume-glad groups and individuals, bands and emergency vehicles make their way along the route, with hundreds of pounds of donated candy thrown to thousands of attendees who line the roads. It wraps up with a community after-party in Dimmick Park. The park is also home to the annual Light Up the Night on the Friday after Thanksgiving, as the town comes together to kick off the holiday season with ice carving, reindeer, food and drink, entertainment and of course, the opportunity for pictures with Santa at Santa’s Sleigh tent.
Main Street is lined with cuisines from across the globe
Locally owned shops and restaurants flourish along Main Street - Beef Paprikas, halupki and other Hungarian dishes feature on the menu at Paprikas, while Limon presents an authentic Turkish kebap house experience with homemade sigara boregi, kebap wraps, and kunefe accompanied by Turkish coffee to wrap up the meal. The Braveheart Highland Pub offers a distinctly British twist on pub fare, with scotch eggs and shepherd’s pie served up with a pint of English ale or a fine whisky. Part of the community for generations, Francis says the 14-foot blue marlin hanging up on the back wall of the Hellertown Crossroads Hotel has become a signature part of the restaurant. “It’s still the best place for pizza. My kids don’t like it much, but a lot of people who come back like to visit and take pictures with the marlin,” she says. “When the place changed owners a few years ago, there was a condition that they keep it there.” Finish up with a nightcap at Lost Tavern Brewing, where beers from the usual ales to outlandish gelato-inspired sours and sweet stouts mimicking cookies and candy bars are brewed on site. Residents can swing past the Giant and the Shoppes at Hellertown at the bottom of town for necessities, while local businesses like Saylors & Co and Saucon Valley Bikes sit along the main drag.
Generations of housing offer great choice
The homes of Hellertown are influenced by the generations of town growth. The Federal and Colonial Revival homes of the steel mill management from the early 1900s sit in the heart of town, spreading out to the midcentury split levels and Cape Cods of the post-war boom. Further from the center of town, modern traditional condos, townhouses and modern colonial single-family homes offer the latest in design and function like butcher block countertops and stainless-steel kitchen appliances. On-street parking is common, although some homes may come with a one-car garage or room enough for a single off-street parking spot. Older twins, townhouses, condos and row homes sell in the range of $150,000 to $400,000 while single-family homes generally garner from $225,000 to $450,000.
Saucon Valley students work for success
To the south of town, the Saucon Valley School District’s campus is home to all of the district’s primary and secondary level schools. Saucon Valley Elementary, Saucon Valley Middle and Saucon Valley High School enroll roughly 2,000 students in total, and all three schools earn an A-minus from Niche. Niche rates the school district an A-minus overall and the fourth-best school district in the Lehigh Valley Area.
Outside activities and a long-running spot to work out
Morris J. Dimmick Park is the hub of activities in Hellertown. Basketball courts host pick-up games, baseball and softball fields are home to the town’s Little Leaguers, and most holiday parades and activities either fully take place or start and end at the park, including the annual Dewey Fire Company Carnival. The bandshell plays host to the Summer Music Concerts as well. Across the street, the Hellertown Pool is open to the public, while golfers can enjoy a round at Steel Club. For an indoor workout, Main Street Gym is a locally-owned alternative to corporate gyms, and has been open to the community for almost three decades.
Car-dependent living
While walking up and down Main Street is easy and convenient, the residents of Hellertown still use their cars to get around most of the time. LANTA runs some bus routes through the borough, but it’s not a strong enough presence for residents to count on for constant transportation. Residents wanting to take flight can head 10 miles north to Lehigh Valley International Airport to catch commercial flights through one of four major airlines that service the airfield.
Flooding concerns and emergency response
Saucon Creek runs along the west side of town and, unfortunately, is at a high risk for flooding. Low-lying areas throughout town, particularly along Water Street – no pun intended, surely – are subject to flooding and standing water particularly during spring storms and snow melts. Local fire companies and water rescue units are familiar with the issues this can cause, plus emergency care is close by, thanks to St. Luke’s University Hospital – Bethlehem Campus being located only 5 miles away, usually a drive of 10 minutes or less.
