West Bethlehem
I want to tell you about my part of town, West Bethlehem. Do you like tree lined streets?…nice people?…finding a quiet place to run, or walk the dog? Move to the Westside! It’s a great place to live.
The general boundaries of the Westside are from the Lehigh River north to Route 22, the western edge is Club Ave., and the eastern side is Main Street downtown.
The Westside is made of various neighborhoods. Places called Mt. Airy, Rosemont, Rosemont Manor, Old Rosemont, Kaywin, Beth-Allen Gardens, Fireside Estates, Alexander Park, Catasauqua Gardens, Central Park West, Riverview, Monocacy Village plus there are lots of neighborhoods which don’t have names but they are all very nice places to live.
Generally speaking most of the Westside is made up turn of the century architecture from as early at 1900. The numbered avenues and named street are lined with twin (double) homes. Some are quite small while others are 3 floors full of huge rooms and space. Craftsman homes, big Victorian mansions and Cape Cod homes also dot the landscape. And then nestled along the Lehigh River are townhomes, apartments and a large apartment building and then right in the middle of everything is Holy Family Manor the retirement community which was started in one of the original mansions of the time.
But here on the Westside from morning to night you will see citizens walking, running, strolling, out with babies and dogs – all enjoying the tree lined streets and quiet avenues. We really enjoy our neighbors and neighborhood. Though we may not know one another by name we still say hello when we pass on the sidewalk.
Interestingly enough, when people move to the Westside of Bethlehem, many do not leave. If in need of a larger home, the new house usually is still in the neighborhood; just down the street or around the corner from the old house.
Local retailers are all close by. Highways and byways are close too. There are a few restaurants within walking distance and Main Street is not far either. Each neighborhood has some open space if not an official park. The WestsidePark is between 13th and 11th Avenues. It contains a pool, ball fields, jungle gyms, tennis courts and a community mural.
