Why Should I Come to First Thursday?

Maybe the questions should be "Why not?"

First Thursday is a great event to meet new people in an easy and relaxed setting. For the past couple of months, Stooges in Allentown has been our First Thursday host and each month attendance is growing.

Whether you are a long time member of the NET or new to the Lehigh Valley this is a great time and place to come out and see what the NET is all about.

Come alone, bring your friends, introduce someone new to the NET, introduce yourself to someone new. Expand your network...

Connect.

See you next week at Stooges!

Happy Holidays to You!

Thanks for reading...

We usually post a "5 Things" on Fridays, but due to the spreading of holiday cheer,

we didn't quite get it together.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

5 Things: Holidays in the Lehigh Valley

Maybe you are new to the Lehigh Valley and this is your first holiday season here. Or maybe you have been so busy with holiday parties and all that 'year-end' fun at work that you haven't had a chance to see what the Lehigh Valley has to offer. Take some time out this weekend and see what's going on. Here are a few popular suggestions.

1. Visit Christkindlmarkt in downtown Bethlehem. This is the last weekend, so be sure to stop by for some great food, entertainment and homemade crafts.
   
2. Check out the Lights in the Parkway in Allentown's Lehigh Parkway to get you in the holiday spirit.
3. Visit the Toys for Tots Train Display in Allentown and donate a new and unwrapped toy to needy families in the Lehigh Valley
4. Don't have plans for New Year's yet? Go to First Night in Bethlehem for music, performances and fireworks!
5. Go see the Nutcracker Ballet at the State Theater in Easton this weekend.

Anything we missed? Leave a comment and let us know what you favorite holiday activity in the Lehigh Valley is.

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5 Things: Our Wish List

Everyone has a wish list for the holidays, so it should come as no shock that the NET has a wish list too. Here are our top 5 things we are wishing for...

1. To increase NET membership (You can join here!)
   
2. To have continued success and high attendance at First Thursday and all other NET events
   
3. To offer an even better variety of events that appeal to more NET members. (Have a suggestion for an event? Let us know what you think.)
   
4. A new laptop computer (preferably one that was made after Y2K) for the officers to house the database and all NET materials.
5. To throw the biggest and best anniversary party this side of the Delaware to celebrate 5 years of the NET.

So what's on your wish list this year?

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Happy Thanksgiving

December is next week!! What happened to November??

Escape the cold weather and join the NET on December 1st from 7-9pm at Stooges for our monthly First Thursday event. We have been averaging about 65 people for the past couple of months! Imagine the networking opportunities!

In the meantime, we hope you all enjoy your Thanksgiving (and a long weekend off from work)!

Event Ideas?

The next Events Meeting will be held on Sunday, November 20th, but we are always looking for new and exciting ideas for events in the meantime. It doesn't have to be anything too labor intensive, or thought out, just give us some ideas to run with...

• Professional Development
• Social
• Philanthropic
• Sports/Outdoors - Related
• Miscellaneous
  

We are hearing that we don't have all the events that you want to participate in, so please feel free to fill up the comments with anything and everything, no matter how big or small!

5 Things: The Numbers of the Valley

We don't suggest playing these numbers on the next Powerball and they might not hold the same mystique as 4 8 15 16 23 42 does to the fanatical LOST viewer, but in the NET, these numbers are pretty interesting:

1. 149 = The number of paid NET members
2. 789 = The number of people on the weekly email distribution list
3. 22 = The Lehigh Valley's ranking in the "Best Cities for Relocating Singles"
4. 610-867-5855 = The number for the local cab company for those not so sober nights
   
5. 357 = The number of companies represented in the NET

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5 Things: Our Favorite Dive Bars

Let's face it, sometimes you get tired of paying top dollar for a martini or a pint of beer. Lucky for you, there's plenty of places for young people in the area. This week at 5 Things, we're tackling Dive Bars!

5 Things: Our Favorite Dive Bars of Lehigh Valley

1. Cannon's - 448 N 9th St, Allentown: The editors of Stuff magazine are in the know! The floors are sticky, but the food is terrific! Bring a friend if you go to this one...
   
2. Stahley's Cellarette - 1826 Hanover Ave, Allentown: Reminds us of Moe's from The Simpsons, a good ol' boy town bar where you can feast and drink for under $15 total.
   
3. Mother's Bar & Grill - 3 Lehn's Court, Easton: If you can manage the circle, find parking, and the squeeze through the crowd of Lafayette students, this one's a keeper!
4. Tap Room - 15th Street near the corner of Union, Allentown: A bar that the boys from The Dukes of Hazard would feel comfortable in. And one that you will too, if you drag some friends along for company.
   
5. Joe's Tavern - 12 W Broad, Bethlehem: Still in the thick of things in the historic district of Bethlehem, but worlds apart! After a few plastic cups, you'll be set!

Do you know of any other terrific places? Why don't you leave us some in the comments section so that we don't overstay our welcome at the ones named above. :)

Cheers!

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November First Thursday...A Recap

Wow! What a great turnout!

It was great to see so many new faces at First Thursday tonight! Hope everyone had a great time and met some new people and caught up with a few old friends as well.

Also, thanks to everyone who brought food to help with our food drive. All the food collected will be donated to the local food banks, who have been hit especially hard by Hurricane Katrina, Rita and Wilma. If you forgot to bring food tonight, you can bring canned food to any NET event this month and hand it off to an officer and we will see that it gets to the food banks for you!

Don't forget our next event - Movie Night on Tuesday at the 19th Street Theater. The feature presentation is Everything is Illuminated starring Elijah Wood.

Eventually There Will Be A Daily Post...

First, thanks for bearing with us here at The After Work Chronicles.

We would be remiss if we didn't address the lack of postings. It's been a bit slower than expected to get this concept off the ground. We are still gung-ho and ready to give you a place to find new and exciting happenings in the Valley, though. We have plans and posts just waiting to get online! So, we appreciate those of you who have been stopping by already, and hope to continue our good start!

In other NET news, three orders of business:

1. NET members were featured in the following article from The Allentown Times
   
2. We're also pretty psyched about skiing this year; due to the weather patterns, it looks like we're gonna see lots o'snow! Matt Sommerfield is running a NET group on Wednesday nights at Blue Mountain Ski Area in January and February. The details can of course be found on the website...go ahead and click "Events" on the side bar :)
3. In an effort to push the NET straight into 2006, the Events Committee will be meeting on Sunday, November 19th at 6:30pm. Not quite sure where, but if you feel like hosting a few NET members for about an hour, that'd be awesome! Otherwise, just drop an email to events@netyp.org or vicepres@netyp.org and we'll try to keep you posted!
   

Hope you're all having a great week and we'll see you at Stooges (in Allentown) for First Thursday!

A Weekly Exercise -- 5 Things

This is going to become a weekly post with a different topic each Friday. If you have additional thoughts or "things" to add, we want to hear it. Comment away!

5 Things: Reasons to Keep Coming Back to This Blog

1. Because we will have interesting and informative posts - we got plans, yo!
2. Because starting next week, we will start posting up-to-the-minute things - places to go, people to see!
3. Because you need another website/blog to add to your bookmarks.
4. Because you will be on the ground floor to become the voice of the young professionals in the Valley.
5. Because coming soon is the return of Paul's Picks!

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Inaugural Posting!

Welcome and thanks for dropping by!

This blog is meant to be an extension of the communities that you already know and love:
The NET and the Valley.

We see this as an opportunity to do everything that you wish the website did.  We want input
and comments and last minute plans.  We are open to thoughts and ideas such as:

• Best places to live and work

• Impromtu gatherings (grab a coffee, see a movie, take a bike ride, etc.)

• Sports leagues 

• Discussion topics

• Volunteer opportunities

• Best drink special on a Tuesday night

• Where to go to get a great haircut, massage, inexpensive lunch, date place, etc.