Lehigh Valley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lehigh Valley (also known simply as The Valley) is a region in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is the third-largest socioeconomic region in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
The Valley's official census area includes Pennsylvania's Lehigh and Northampton counties. The Valley is named for the Lehigh River, which runs through it.
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[edit] Cities and location
The Lehigh Valley's principal cities are Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, comprising the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metropolitan area. The traditional bounds of the region are The Poconos to the north, the Delaware River to the east, the boundaries of Berks County and Montgomery County to the southwest, and the boundary with Bucks County to the south. More recently, however, the area around Phillipsburg, New Jersey west of Pohatcong Mountain, parts of upper Bucks County around Quakertown, and portions of northeastern Berks County and southwestern Carbon County in Pennsylvania are considered outer parts of the Valley.
The Lehigh Valley is located approximately 60 miles (96 km) north of Philadelphia, the country's fifth largest city, and 90 miles (144 km) west of New York City, the largest city. The Lehigh Valley is home to some 790,000 people, making it Pennsylvania's third most populated metropolitan region. Recent Pennsylvania census studies show it to be the fastest growing region of the state, due mostly to its growing popularity as a bedroom community for the highly-populated neighboring regions of Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York City.
The Lehigh Valley is geologically and geographically part of the Great Appalachian Valley, a region largely made up of limestone that stretches along the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains. As such, the Lehigh Valley suffers from a great number of sinkholes, which have caused millions of dollars of property damage annually. The Lehigh Valley is so named because it comprises an actual valley that lies between two large Pennsylvania mountain ranges, Blue Mountain and Kittatinny Mountain to the north and South Mountain to the south.
[edit] Climate
The Lehigh Valley has four distinct seasons, which typically include humid summers, cold winters, and very short and mild springs and falls.
[edit] Industry
The Lehigh Valley is known historically for its production of steel, anthracite coal, and other natural resources. It has historically served as a major U.S. center of industrial manufacturing, though this role has diminished at least slightly in the 21st century as companies have shifted to Asia and other lower wage, off-shore locations for industrial mining and manufacturing.
The Lehigh Valley boasts the honor of being the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution, which began in the borough of Catasauqua with the development of anthracite iron.
[edit] Corporations
Companies based in the Lehigh Valley include Agere Systems (in Hanover Township), Air Products & Chemicals (in Allentown), Bethlehem Steel (in Bethlehem, which ceased operations in 2003), Binney & Smith, Inc. (in Easton), Buckeye Pipe Line (in Emmaus), Mack Trucks (in Allentown), Olympus Corporation USA (in Allentown), Pennsylvania Power & Light (in Allentown), and Rodale Press (in Emmaus).
The Lehigh Valley is also one of the larger areas on the east coast for the location of warehouses and distribution centers. This is due to the Lehigh Valley's central location in the BosWash metropolis. Most of these distribution centers are located along the U.S. Route 22 and Interstate 78 corridors.
After the 2003 demise of Bethlehem Steel, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network (in Allentown), one of Pennsylvania's largest hospital systems, has taken Bethlehem Steel's place as the Lehigh Valley's largest employer. The Lehigh Valley's top five employers are: 1.) Lehigh Valley Hospital, 2.) St. Luke's Hospital (in Bethlehem), 3.) Air Products & Chemicals (in Allentown), 4.) the Federal Government, and 5.) PPL Corporation (in Allentown).
[edit] Media
The Lehigh Valley is part of the Philadelphia DMA, though various New York City and Scranton/Wilkes Barre television stations also are available. Lehigh Valley-based television stations include:
- WBPH-TV, an independent television station (licensed to Bethlehem but based in Allentown).
- WFMZ-TV, an independent television station (based in Allentown).
- WLVT-TV, a PBS station (licensed to Allentown but based in Bethlehem).
Lehigh Valley-based radio stations include:
- WAEB-AM, a news, talk, and sports station (based in Allentown), owned by Clear Channel Communications.
- WAEB-FM ("B104"), a contemporary/Top 40 music station (based in Allentown), owned by Clear Channel Communications.
- WCTO ("Cat Country 96"), a country music station (based in Easton), owned by Citadel Broadcasting.
- WKAP-AM, an oldies music station (based in Allentown), owned by Clear Channel Communications.
- WLEV, a contemporary soft rock music station (based in Allentown), owned by Citadel Broadcasting.
- WLVR, a campus radio station operating out of Lehigh University, which is run by students and community members.
- WODE-FM ("The Hawk"), a classic rock music station (based in Easton), owned by Nassau Broadcasting Partners.
- WYHM, a Christian broadcasting station and Lehigh Valley affiliate for Philadelphia Phillies radio broadcasts (based in Allentown), owned by Clear Channel Communications.
- WZZO ("Z-95"), a hard rock music station (based in Whitehall Township) owned by Clear Channel Communications.
Lehigh Valley-based daily newspapers include The Morning Call (in Allentown), owned by the Tribune Company, and The Express-Times (in Easton), the Valley's second largest circulation newspaper. With over 100,000 daily readers, The Morning Call ranks among the top 100 U.S. newspapers by circulation. Lehigh Valley-based weekly papers include Pulse Weekly, a regional arts and entertainment paper.
[edit] Education
[edit] Colleges and universities
The Lehigh Valley is a center of post-secondary education, with seven four-year colleges and universities. These include: Cedar Crest College (in Allentown), DeSales University (in Allentown), Lafayette College (in Easton), Lehigh University (in Bethlehem), Moravian College (in Bethlehem), Muhlenberg College (in Allentown), and Penn State Lehigh Valley (in Fogelsville).
The Lehigh Valley is also home to three two-year colleges: Lehigh Carbon Community College (with campuses in Allentown, Carbon County and Schnecksville), Lehigh Valley College (in Allentown), and Northampton Community College (with campuses in Bethlehem Township and Monroe County).
[edit] High school education
As the third most populous metropolitan region in Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley is served by numerous school districts, public and private high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools.
Lehigh Valley-based high schools include: Allen High School (in Allentown), Allentown Central Catholic High School (in Allentown), Bangor Area High School (in Bangor), Bethlehem Catholic High School (in Bethlehem), Catasauqua High School (in Catasauqua), Dieruff High School (in Allentown), Easton High School (in Palmer Township), Emmaus High School (in Emmaus), Freedom High School (in Bethlehem Township), the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts (in Bethlehem), the Lehigh Valley Christian High School (in Allentown), Liberty High School (in Bethlehem), Moravian Academy (in Bethlehem), Nazareth High School (in Nazareth), Northampton Area High School (in Northampton), Northern Lehigh High School (in Slatington), Northwestern Lehigh High School (in New Tripoli), Notre Dame Area High School (in Easton), Parkland High School (in South Whitehall Township), Pen Argyl Area High School (in Pen Argyl), Phillipsburg High School (in Phillipsburg, NJ), Pius X High School (in Bangor), Roberto Clemente Charter School (in Allentown), Salisbury High School (in Salisbury Township), Saucon Valley Area High School (in Hellertown), Southern Lehigh High School (in Center Valley), Whitehall High School (in Whitehall Township), and Wilson Area High School (in Easton/Wilson Boro).
The largest Lehigh Valley high schools (12 in all) compete athletically in the Lehigh Valley Conference, widely considered one of the most competitive athletic divisions in the state and nation. Most of the smaller schools compete in the Colonial League, also very competitive throughout the state, especially in football.
| High Schools in the Lehigh Valley |
|---|
| Allen High School • Allentown Central Catholic High School • Bangor Area High School • Bethlehem Catholic High School • Catasauqua High School • Dieruff High School • Easton High School • Emmaus High School • Freedom High School • Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts • Lehigh Valley Christian High School • Liberty High School • Moravian Academy • Nazareth High School • Northampton Area High School • Northern Lehigh High School • Northwestern Lehigh High School • Notre Dame High School • Parkland High School • Pen Argyl Area High School • Phillipsburg High School • Pius X High School • Roberto Clemente Charter School • Salisbury High School • Saucon Valley High School • Southern Lehigh High School • Whitehall High School • Wilson Area High School |
[edit] Famous people from the Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley is the birthplace or home to a number of famous Americans, including:
- Mario Andretti, former professional race car driver.
- Michael Andretti, professional racing team owner, former professional race car driver.
- Chuck Bednarik, former professional football player, Philadelphia Eagles.
- Stephen Vincent Benét, author.
- Leon Carr, Broadway composer and television advertising songwriter.
- Jack Coleman, actor, NBC's Heroes .
- Michaela Conlin, actress, Fox's Bones.
- H.D., writer, poet.
- Jimmy DeGrasso, former drummer, Megadeth.
- Charlie Dent, member of Congress.
- Devon, adult film actress.
- Keith Dorney, former professional football player, Detroit Lions.
- Jonathan Frakes, actor, Star Trek: The Next Generation.
- Peter Gruner, professional wrestler.
- Bob Heffner, former professional baseball player, Boston Red Sox, California Angels and Cleveland Indians
- Larry Holmes, former boxing heavyweight champion.
- Lee Iacocca, former chairman, Chrysler Corporation.
- Keith Jarrett, jazz musician.
- Michael Johns, health care executive, former White House speechwriter.
- Dwayne Johnson ("The Rock"), actor, former professional wrestler.
- Daniel Dae Kim, actor, ABC's Lost.
- Steve Kimock, rock musician.
- John Kline, member of Congress.
- Dan Koppen, professional football player, New England Patriots.
- Brian Knobbs, former professional wrestler.
- Carson Kressley, fashion consultant, Bravo's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
- William Marchant, playwright and screenwriter.
- Ed McCaffrey, former professional football player, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers.
- Matt Millen, former professional football player, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins, current President and General Manager, Detroit Lions.
- Lara Jill Miller, voice actress, Cartoon Network's The Life and Times of Juniper Lee.
- Marty Nothstein, Olympic gold medal winner, track cycling.
- Andre Reed, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins.
- Daniel Roebuck, actor, ABC's Lost.
- Brian Schneider, professional baseball player, Washington Nationals.
- Amanda Seyfried, model and actress, The CW's Veronica Mars and HBO's Big Love.
- Sheetal Sheth, actress, Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World.
- Curt Simmons, former professional baseball player, California Angels, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals.
- Dana Snyder, voice actor, Cartoon Network's Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
- Christine Taylor, actress, wife of actor Ben Stiller.
- Jonathan Taylor Thomas, actor, ABC's Home Improvement.
- Boris Vallejo, artist.
- Lauren Weisberger, author, The Devil Wears Prada.
- Cindy Werley, former Olympic field hockey player.
[edit] Athletics and entertainment
[edit] Philadelphia Eagles
The Lehigh Valley is the home of pre-season training camp for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, who hold their pre-season training camp each summer on the practice fields of Lehigh University in Bethlehem. The camp draws some of the largest crowds of any NFL team's pre-season camp.
[edit] IronPigs Baseball
In 2008, the Lehigh Valley will open Coca-Cola Park, a 7,000-seat AAA minor league stadium, to be located in east-side Allentown, in the Lehigh Valley. Beginning in April 2008, the stadium will host the Philadelphia Phillies' new AAA-level minor league team. The Phillies' former AAA team, the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Red Barons of Scranton, is now a Yankees affiliate. The 2008 move will bring the Phillies' current AAA-level team, the Ottawa Lynx, closer to the franchise's Philadelphia and eastern Pennsylvania fan base. The Lynx will be redubbed the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, a reference to the production of pig iron, a key ingredient in the steel-making process for which the Lehigh Valley area is world famous.
Groundbreaking ceremonies for Lehigh County Ballpark were held September 6, 2006, and construction is due to be completed in December 2007 in sufficient time for the April 2008 opening.
[edit] Stabler Arena
Lehigh University's Stabler Arena, an indoor arena, is in Bethlehem, in the Lehigh Valley. Stabler hosts regular sporting and concert events. The arena is home to Lehigh University men's and women's college basketball teams and also to the Lehigh Valley Outlawz, an indoor football team that plays in the Continental Indoor Football League.
[edit] "The Rivalry": Lehigh vs. Lafayette
The Lehigh Valley is also home to one of the country's premier collegiate football rivalries, between two Lehigh Valley colleges: Easton's Lafayette College and Bethlehem's Lehigh University. The two teams, which are located a mere 17 miles a part, have played each other 142 consecutive times since 1884, making it the longest-running, uninterrupted series in all of college football. For this reason, the game is referred to nationally as simply "The Rivalry".
In the 142-game series, Lafayette currently leads with 75 wins to Lehigh's 62. The two teams also have played to a tie on five occasions.
[edit] Arts
The Allentown Art Museum, based in center city Allentown, is the Lehigh Valley's largest museum. The museum carries over 11,000 works of art. Lehigh University's Zoellner Arts Center, as well as Lafayette College's smaller Williams Center for the Arts, host a wide variety of plays, concerts and performances throughout the year.
[edit] Lehigh Valley in popular music
The Lehigh Valley is the subject of four rock music songs:
- "200 Years Old", by Frank Zappa (appears on Bongo Fury) (1975).
- "Allentown", by Billy Joel (appears on The Nylon Curtain) (1982).
- "Speedway at Nazareth", by Mark Knopfler (appears on Sailing to Philadelphia) (2000).
- "The Weight", by The Band (appears on Music from Big Pink) (1968).
Also, a folk song, "Allentown Jail", referencing the city, was released as a single by Jo Stafford (1951).
[edit] Recreation
The Lehigh Valley is home to Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, a popular amusement and water park. Located in South Whitehall Township, Dorney Park is known nationally for its elaborate roller coasters and water rides.
The region's ski resorts are Bear Creek Ski and Recreation Area and Blue Mountain Ski Resort. Bear Creek is a 21 slope resort located outside of Macungie, Pennsylvania. Blue Mountain is located near Danielsville, Pennsylvania. Poconos, which feature some of the East Coast's best-known ski resorts, is approximately 30 miles north of the Lehigh Valley. Several large lakes used for boating and fishing also are located there. The Pocono 500, a NASCAR Nextel Cup race, is run each June at Pocono Raceway in the Poconos.
New Jersey shore beaches are approximately 45 miles east of the Lehigh Valley.
Dutch Springs, the nation's largest SCUBA amusement park, is located in Bethlehem and Lower Nazareth Township. Over 40,000 divers annually utilize the facilities, which have sunken "treasures" to enhance the underwater experience. In addition to scuba diving, kayaking and paddle boats are available. The facility has a water park, camping grounds, and picnic areas.
In July 2008, Sands BethWorks, a casino, hotel and apartment complex owned by the Las Vegas Sands is scheduled to open in Bethlehem, bringing legalized gambling to the Lehigh Valley for the first time.
Three large festivals are held each year in the Lehigh Valley. Musikfest, a large, 10-day music festival, is held in Bethlehem each August. Mayfair, an arts and crafts festival, is held in Allentown each May. The Great Allentown Fair is held on the grounds of the Allentown Fairgrounds in Allentown annually in late August through early September, and has been for more than 150 years.
[edit] Retail
The Lehigh Valley is home to many retail establishments. The largest retail area of the Lehigh Valley is the Pennsylvania Route 145/MacArthur Road Corridor, just north of Allentown. It is anchored by the Lehigh Valley Mall. October 2006 saw the opening of another Valley-based shopping mall, The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley. Located off Route 309 in Upper Saucon Valley Township, it is roughly half the size of the Lehigh Valley Mall, but features more upscale stores.
Yocco's Hot Dogs, the regionally-famous fast food establishment known for their hot dogs and cheesesteaks, maintains only six locations, all of which are based in the Lehigh Valley. Its original restaurant, founded in 1922, is still located at its original center city Allentown location, on West Liberty Street. Four additional Yocco's locations can be found in the Lehigh Valley (in west-side Allentown, east-side Allentown, Emmaus, Fogelsville, and Wescosville).
[edit] Transportation
[edit] Air transportation
The Lehigh Valley is served by air transportation through Lehigh Valley International Airport (IATA: ABE, ICAO: KABE), located in the Lehigh Valley's Hanover Township, three miles northeast of Allentown.
Other regionally-located airports include Philadelphia International Airport (in Philadelphia), Newark Liberty International Airport (in Newark, New Jersey), John F. Kennedy International Airport (in Jamaica, Queens) and LaGuardia Airport (in Flushing, Queens).
[edit] Bus transportation
Private bus companies provide multiple daily roundtrip transportation to New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal, Philadelphia, Atlantic City and other popular regional locations. Public bus service within The Valley is provided by LANTA, which serves Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and the cities' suburbs with various routes.
[edit] Roads
The Lehigh Valley has three major highways: Interstate 78, a major east-west highway, runs through the southern part of the Valley, duplexed with Pennsylvania Route 309. I-78 runs from Harrisburg in the west to the Holland Tunnel and New York City in the east.
U.S. Route 22 is a major freeway that runs through the Valley from Kuhnsville in the western part of the Valley to Easton in the eastern part of the Valley. U.S. Route 22 starts in Cambridge, Ohio in the west, running through the Valley to Elizabeth, New Jersey in the east. A third highway, Pennsylvania Route 33, runs north-south through the Lehigh Valley, from the Poconos in the north to Northampton County in the south.
Other major roads in the Valley include MacArthur Road (PA 145), a divided local road that leads to the Lehigh Valley Mall and its surrounding commercial district. Cedar Crest Boulevard, a north-south highway, runs from South Whitehall Township in the north through west-side Allentown to Emmaus in the south. Lehigh Street runs from Bethlehem in the east, through Allentown, to Emmaus in the west. Tilghman Street runs from Fogelsville in the west to MacArthur Road (PA 145) in the east. Tilghman Street runs through most of Allentown and also intersects with Cedar Crest Boulevard, Pennsylvania Route 100, Pennsylvania Route 309 and several other major Lehigh Valley highways.
| Transportation Infrastructure of the Lehigh Valley | |
|---|---|
| East-West thru-highways | I-78 | US 22 | PA 248 |
| South-North thru-highways | Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike | PA 33 | PA 309 | PA 611 |
| Allentown Roads | PA 145 | PA 222 | PA 987 | Cedar Crest Boulevard | Lehigh Street | Tilghman Street |
| Bethlehem Roads | PA 378 | PA 412 | PA 512 | Bethlehem Pike |
| Other roads | US 222 | PA 29 | PA 100 | PA 143 | PA 191 | PA 329 | PA 873 | PA 946 |
| Public transportation | Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority |
| Airports | Lehigh Valley International Airport |
| Waterways & Rail | Lehigh Canal | Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal | Norfolk Southern Railway |
[edit] External links
- Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.
- Lehigh Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau.
- Bear Creek Ski Resort.
- Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom Official Web Site.
- Dutch Springs Official Web Site.
- Famous People from the Lehigh Valley.
- LANTA (Lehigh Valley public transportation).
- Lehigh Valley Baseball AAA Official Web Site.
- Lehigh Valley Chorus.
- Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC).
- Lehigh Valley International Airport.
- Lehigh Valley Mall.
- Lehigh Valley Music News and Events.
- Lehigh Valley Online.
- LehighValleyPA.org.
- Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.
- "Living in the Greater Lehigh Valley".
- Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp at Lehigh University.
- The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley.
- Stabler Arena Official Web Site.
