Northampton

North Catasauqua, also known by its nickname North Catty, straddles the line of a rural and urban area. Located between Allentown and Bethlehem to the south and east respectively, North Catty has a 9 course golf course, and a small town charm more reminiscent of a rural town. “We’re a little less than one square mile, but we are definitely our own community,” says Peter Paone, who has been the president of the town council since 2015. “We try to focus on community activities to provide a high quality of life.” North Catty’s Community Day gives opportunities for civic organizations to come and explain what they do, while the Betterment Committee has an annual carnival spread out over four days. “We’re primarily a bedroom community,” says Paone. “A lot of people will live in North Catty and then work elsewhere.” The size of North Catty may be small, but the range of housing is large. There are some older homes built around 1900, located closer to the Lehigh River, however, these turn-of-the-century homes do not define the neighborhood as a whole, as homes built over the years fill the area. While not as common, there are some roads where doubles line the roads. Street parking is also more common along these roads, but most homes have a two-car garage, generally attached. The most common housing styles include Colonial Revival and American Foursquare, with scatterings of ranch, bungalow, Cape Cod and bi-levels throughout. These homes can sell between $250,000 and reach around $327,000. While homes aren’t sharing walls, they do sit on smaller lot sizes, usually sitting closer to the curb to allow for more backyard space. Homes closer to the Willow Brook Golf Course tend to be New Traditional styles, often ranch or Colonial Revival inspired, and sit on larger plots of land. These homes tend to start around $350,000 and reach $710,000. While rare, there are a few homeowners’ associations with monthly fees ranging between $23 and $97. At the corner of Howertown Road and Grove Street and separated from the park by a single road, the Grove Street Pub and Grill sells cheesesteaks and burgers alongside cocktails and beer. Some nights, live music fills the place, while during the warmer months, a patio opens to patrons. About two miles to the south, a GIANT grocery store shares the commercial space with a Walmart Supercenter, T.J. Maxx and others. Community Day, normally held in June, includes family-friendly activities with face painting, a magic show and more. The William J. Albert Memorial Park has three concerts over the summer, as well as a Family Night on August 7th. The North Catty Carnival takes place from June 12th to June 15th and includes concerts throughout the event. Other events include a Halloween Parade and Christmas Tree Lighting. Children in North Catasauqua begin at Francis H. Sheckler Elementary, which receives a B-minus from Niche, for kindergarten through fourth grade. Children then attend the C-plus-rated Catasauqua Middle for fifth through eighth grade. At Catasauqua Senior High, which receives a B-minus from Niche, students can take college prep classes like Advanced Placement and honors classes. Catasauqua Senior High also partners with Lehigh Career and Technical Institute to allow students to take trade or technical classes. “Our centerpiece is the William J. Albert Memorial Park,” says Paone. “It’s home to a wide number of recreational leagues, and our recreation committee runs a little snack stand in the park during the summer.” With room for a baseball diamond, basketball and volleyball court, the park also has age-appropriate playgrounds for children to run through, including a Tot Lot for younger children. “Another big thing for us is the D&L Trail,” says Paone. “We’ve done a lot to make sure we have a good trail system.” The D&L Trail crosses 1.5 miles through North Catty but stretches for more than 165 miles following the Lehigh River and Delaware River. The North Catty section was renovated in 2022, creating a new pedestrian bridge and making the trail accessible. U.S. Route 145, also known as MacArthur Road, is about 1 mile southwest from the neighborhood. This state highway runs from Palmerton further north through Allentown to end just south of the city. The Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority has one bus that follows 4th Street down the approximate middle of North Catty. The bus makes its way from Northampton to the north, through Allentown before ending in Bethlehem to the east.

When visitors drive through the historic Kreidersville Covered Bridge into Allen Township, they are taken out of the hustle of nearby Allentown and into an area filled with farmhouses and scenic trails. Only 8 miles away from the nearest city, Allen Township offers a rural pace of living while still being an easy drive to the neighboring airport and shopping hubs. “This area offers the flexibility to be out of the busyness of the town but is still convenient for everything from shopping to skiing. It’s a good little pocket to be in,” says Rob McCann, the owner of Assist 2 Sell Buyers & Sellers in the neighboring town of Northhampton. Homes in Allen Township range from Colonial Revival farmhouses to ranch-style properties and townhomes on populated streets. Regardless of style, residences typically have large yards that have room for gardens, sheds and even barns. “You can get just about anything you want from a twin home with a modest yard to a single home with more acreage,” McCann says. Streets are well-organized and tend to be walkable, even though not all neighborhoods have sidewalks. McCann says the local market has been slow to grow after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, but new construction is giving buyers more options. Homes typically range between $300,000 and $400,000, while some custom-built properties can reach up to $700,000. Families in Allen Township can send their children to the Catasauqua Area School District, which is made up of just three schools. Francis H. Sheckler Elementary School earns a B-minus on Niche, Catasauqua Middle School ranks a C-plus, and Catasauqua Senior High School also scores a B-minus from Niche. The high school gives students the option to dual enroll in the Lehigh Career & Technical Institute, which offers programs in commercial art, technology, engineering and health and human services. For students interested in higher education, Moravian University and Northampton Community College are all within about 10 miles of Allen Township. The Northampton and Bath Trail – more commonly just known as the Nor-Bath Trail – cuts through many parts of Allen Township. Hikers on the trail can see open fields, forests and streams along the 6 miles that stretch from Northampton to Bethlehem. The trail connects to several parks managed by Allen Township, including Allen Township Dog Park just off Savage Road and Wayne A. Grube Memorial Park on Willowbrook Road, which has picnic pavilions, a sand volleyball court and a tricycle track for kids. Wayne A. Grube Memorial Park is next to Willow Brook Golf Course, a nine-hole course built alongside Catasauqua Creek. For a less traditional golfing excursion, Hillside Mini Golf & Ice Cream on Cherryville Road offers 18-hole games on a textured course and an attached ice cream parlor with over 30 soft-serve flavors. Several state routes run through Allen Township, including Pennsylvania Routes 145 and 329, which connect to other large highways like Interstates 476 and 78. The township is only 6 miles north of Lehigh Valley International Airport, making it easy for local travelers to catch a flight or take advantage of the shopping, dining and hotels around the airport. The airport also runs alongside U.S. Route 22, offering another high-speed route for local drivers. Allen Township locals might start the day off with a latte and bagel at Taylor Roasted Coffee on Main Street and have a quick lunch of hand-breaded fried chicken at Northampton Krispy Krunchy Chicken, which is just up the road from the coffee shop. Whether for takeout or dine-in, Palermos Italian Grill on East 24th Street has a wide range of pizzas, including the signature Grandma’s Pizza, which takes 30 minutes to cook perfectly. For weekly grocery shopping, there is a nearby Redner’s Market along Cherryville Road. Airport Shopping Mall is located alongside the Lehigh Valley International Airport and has several grocery options in one place, including Walmart, Target and Aldi. Lehigh Valley Mall, which is off MacArthur Road in neighboring Whitehall, is 10 miles away and has two floors of clothing, furniture and electronics stores.