South Whitehall

Just east of Allentown and within 100 miles of Philadelphia and New York City, South Whitehall Township is in an Allentown suburb in the Lehigh Valley. The township was established in 1810 by petitioning Northampton County to divide Whitehall Township into Whitehall Township, North Whitehall Township and South Whitehall Township. Today, it boasts an A-rated school system, according to Niche with the Parkland School District and has put in added investment into its parks and recreation department. “South Whitehall Township has the lowest taxes in the area, so that fact draws people to the area,” says Mark Molchany, an associate broker with Re/Max Unlimited Real Estate, who has lived in the Lehigh Valley his entire life. “Combined that with the Parkland School District that attracts homebuyers to the township.” Featuring multiple subdivisions across the township, potential buyers will have pretty much every architectural style option. With rolling hills and trees that provide shade and show off a range of colors in the fall, home styles include Cottages, ranches, American Foursquares and Cape Cods, and both Tudor Revivals and Colonial Revivals. Buyers can expect a three-bedroom ranch to start around $315,000, while some larger Colonial Revival homes with six bedrooms can rise above the $1 million mark. “The market continues to move steadily, but the Lehigh Valley continues to struggle with lack of inventory,” Molchany says. Students are zoned for the Parkland School District, which scores an A on Niche, is ranked as the best district in the Lehigh Valley on the site and boasts a 96% graduation rate. While housing location determines the school path for elementary and middle school, every district student attends Parkland High School. One potential option is Kratzer Elementary, Orefield Middle and Parkland High School. The elementary and middle school each score an A-minus on Niche, while the high school grades an A. Parkland offers a virtual academy that issues enrolled students a Chromebook, allows them to graduate with the same diploma as an in-school student, and allows enrollees to participate in the school's clubs and athletics. South Whitehall Township has put an added emphasis on parks and outdoor green spaces recently. The township announced that it completed a master plan for the 25.7-acre Kohler Ridge Park to center around nature, ecology, heritage and history. South Whitehall also finished work on a 20,000-square-foot, unique playground, which features space for both younger and older children, a basket swing and a zip line at Cover Bridge Park. The park is also the starting point for the Jordan Creek Greenway, a hiking trail almost a mile along a wooden bridge. Work on the greenway will continue with another mile trail through Covered Bridge Park to be completed in 2024. Known for its two regulation soccer fields that can host youth rec matches, The Vistas Park also features a paved basketball court and playground. The Crest Plaza Shopping Center is a one-stop shop for groceries and retail. Locals can pick up their weekly needs from the Weis Market, shop the wide selection at Target or take care of first aid needs and prescriptions at Rite Aid. While there are plenty of chain restaurants, locals love starting their day with breakfast at Norma J’s Restaurant. Another favorite is Chris’ Family Restaurant, known for serving American, Greek and Pennsylvania Dutch Classics. South Whitehall community members come together each fall for the annual South Whitehall Township Fall Fest. The festival is held at Covered Bridge Park and features food, music and activities, including craft vendors, hayrides and a farmers market. For adventure seekers, Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom amusement park is about 5 miles south of the township. Located just under 60 miles from Philadelphia and under 100 miles from New York City, public roadways provide folks who want to commute to work or the big cities access from South Whitehall Township. The Lehigh Valley interchange off Interstate 476, the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Northeast corridor, is in the township and one way for commuters to reach Philadelphia. U.S. Route 22 also crosses the western part of the township, which is away from New York City.