The Brown and White spoke to Bethlehem residents to find out what their favorite part of the city is and how connected they are to the community.
Elton Jules, new Bethlehem resident
“The Steel Stacks are pretty cool. Whenever I take a walk by the (Lehigh River), I just feel cool. I like walking over the bridge, that specific river right there. There’s some steps that go down from that bridge and there’s a trail. I’ve seen some turtles there. There’s harmony. It’s peaceful.”
Jailene Ortiz and Akari Yamaguchi, graduate students at East Stroudsburg University
Ortiz: “We’ve lived in Bethlehem for four or five months. We are students. We are studying for a master’s degree at ESU. We have clinical practice at Freedom High School so that’s where we spend most of our time. I like Main Street, they have a lot of food. I really enjoy it. They hold a lot of festivals and celebrations. I like that place.”
Yamaguchi: “Yes, same for me. I like the buildings, landscapes and views.”
Bethlehem Resident, Descendant of Conrad Weiser
“I worked at the Bethlehem Steel right out of high school. I grew up in Greensburg, a little town close by. I went to a local high school here and played in the band. I played (at Lehigh) when I was only 13. I played the keyboard and the guitar. Occasionally, I’ll pick up my guitar. I love history and I love the history of this town. My favorite part is the oldest part of Bethlehem (that) I can take a walk through. I love the history of the area. My relations go back to before the American Revolution. My grandfather was Conrad Weiser and he spoke 10 different Indian languages here in the state. So I love history and anything to do with history and this town has a great deal of history.
Amanda Leaman, teacher at Nazareth School
“I have been living here for two years now and I live on the North Side. I’m a teacher in Nazareth. I like how much there is to do. There’s a lot to do all the time, you can kind of just walk (to) places. I dislike parking. I think just going out into the different restaurants around town. I know soon they do the bell ringing. Christkindlmarkt, I’ll go there this year. All those things are awesome.
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