Poll: Valley still a great place, but slipping

Respondents say traffic, crime, loss of open space concern them.
By John L. Micek
Call Harrisburg Bureau

Lehigh Valley residents find the region a great place to live and raise a family, but housing costs, sprawl and crime are sapping their contentment, a new poll shows.

Locals remain upbeat about big-picture questions such as the economy, job security and education, the fourth annual Morning Call/Muhlenberg College ''Lehigh Valley Quality of Life'' survey shows. But brows are furrowing over traffic and other day-to-day annoyances.

''They've got a positive view, but it's undermined by a nagging sense that all the things they like most are in a tenuous position,'' Christopher Borick, the director of Muhlenberg's Institute of Public Opinion, which conducted the poll, said of the mixed feedback.

Slightly more than half — 52 percent — of respondents from Lehigh and Northampton counties now rate life in the Valley as getting worse, the poll found. That's up from 43 percent last year and 39 percent in 2003, the first year of the survey.

With prices for an existing home hovering at $200,000, new homes approaching $400,000 and signs of construction almost everywhere, Valley residents are starting to worry about the region's traditionally rural character and essential costs.

Eighty-six percent of those surveyed are concerned about the loss of open space. One-quarter give ''not so good'' or ''poor'' marks to the Valley's current housing situation.

There's good reason for that unease.

More than 3 square miles of land a year are converted from open space to developed uses, according to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, bringing new residents from New Jersey and New York seeking an escape from the increasingly unaffordable housing markets in those states.

By 2030, roughly 700,000 people will be residents of Lehigh and Northampton counties, officials have said. That means further encroachment into the counties' most rural precincts. Within 25 years, more than half the Valley will be considered urban, up from 40 percent now.

Meanwhile, the average price of an existing home in Lehigh and Northampton counties has risen 63 percent over the last six years to $207,000. The average price of a new home was $391,000 at the end of 2005, up 71 percent from the end of 2000.

''The [accurate] perspective is that it's not as affordable to live here as it once was,'' Borick said.

And Valley dwellers, a number of whom spend their morning commutes snarled in traffic on Route 22, say all that development and growth is taking its toll on the local transportation system. In fact, 35 percent rank area roads as ''not so good'' or ''poor,'' up from 29 percent three years ago.

A good place to live

But on key pocketbook and family issues, Valley residents remain upbeat.

More than nine out 10 Valley residents give the area ''good'' or ''excellent'' marks as a place to live. Just 7 percent rate is ''not so good'' or ''poor.''

Valley residents answered the same way when they were asked whether they thought the region was a good place to raise a family, with 9 out of 10 saying it was, compared with just 7 percent who gave it poor marks.

Sixty-three percent of those surveyed said the regional economy was ''excellent'' or ''good,'' up from 43 percent in 2003 and 55 percent last year. Thirty-six percent of respondents gave the regional economy failing marks.

Local confidence in keeping jobs also improved. Buoyed by a lower unemployment rate, nearly two-thirds of respondents are unconcerned about losing their jobs, down from 58 percent last year.

Eight in 10 Valley residents are happy with the size of their paychecks, unchanged from last year. And seven of 10 are satisfied with their current jobs; just 6 percent are not.

Pollsters interviewed 618 Lehigh or Northampton County residents March 22 to April 8. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points. The Morning Call and Muhlenberg College annually conduct regional and statewide polls on topics such as political, economic and quality of life issues.

Article courtsey of The Morning Call

What are your thoughts on this article and life in the Lehigh Valley?

German Weekend

What: Celebrating the release of new vintages of both Traminette and Riesling wines. Sagra Cooking School demonstration at noon on Saturday--Bratwurst cooked with Riesling sauerkrat. Sandwiches and wine by the glass available for purchase. Always free wine tasting.

When: April 22-23, 2006

Where: Vynecrest Winery (172 Arrowhead Lane, Breinigsville, PA 18031)

Cost: Free

5 Things: Spring in the Valley

The birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, it springtime in the Valley. Here are a few of our favorite things to do around the Valley.

1. All the local wineries are gearing up for the season, so mark your calendars for the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, or visit one of the many local wineries for a free tasting on the weekends.
2. Get your fill of nature with a hike at Hawk Mt. Whether you are a beginner or an expert there are trails for everyone.
3. Nothing says spring like being able to dine (or drink) al fresco. Our favorite spots to check out include Looper's, JP McGrady's and the Tally Ho.
4. Take me out the the ballgame! There are plenty of baseball games to be seen in and around the Lehigh Valley. Either at the college level or the Phillies' farm team in Reading.
5. Need a little help with your golf swing? Check out a local golf course like the Allentown Municipal Golf Course for lessons or a tee time. Mini golf more your style? Putt-U offers discounts to all our members!

Walk for Wildlands

Walk for Wildlands
On the Ironton Rail Trail
Earth Day
Saturday, April 22, 2006
9:00 a.m. registration check-in

Celebrate Earth Day 2006 with Wildlands Conservancy and get in step to raise funds for your local conservation organization! Gather family and friends together for a day of outdoor fitness and fun, while helping to preserve, protect, and enhance the land, water, ecological, and recreational resources of the Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh River valley.

Beginning at Saylor Park in Coplay, Pa., participants will walk the five-mile loop of the Ironton Rail Trail, leading them along the Coplay Creek to the Lehigh River and looping through Whitehall Township back to Saylor Park. Half way, walkers can stop, rest, and pick up a bottle of water and a snack at the Hokendauqua Park (to view a map of the trail, visit www.irontonrailtrail.org).

Walkers will enjoy the route, visit various education stations, experience fun environmental activities, all while learning how Wildlands Conservancy does the work of protecting open land and wildlife habitat, restoring streambanks, creeks and rivers, and enhancing outdoor recreational greenways.

A Go Green Challenge will also be a part of the fun! While on the trail, simply fill in the answers to the questions listed on the sheet given to you at registration. All registrants who complete the Walk and the Go Green Challenge will receive an event T-shirt, conservation literature, and other goodies. Additional prizes will be awarded to the first 100 registrants who complete the Walk and correctly answer the Go Green Challenge.

Entry fees are $25 per person, $45 for a family, or $100 for a team of eight or more. A pledge sheet is also available for those who wish to solicit additional funds from others and help widen the support. Call (610) 965-4397, ext. 10 or contact us via e-mail to request a registration form.

Crazy For You

Looking for a little culture in your life? Desales University Theatre is putting on "Crazy For You" with music and lyrics by George & Ira Gershwin. April 26-May 7. Tickets cost $19-$24 depending on what day you go.

Crazy for You is a comic feast of toe tappin', hilarious mayhem and some of the best George and Ira Gershwin melodies and lyrics ever written! This Tony Award winning show, filled with spectacle, farce, and the "hottest" dance choreography ever seen in the Lehigh Valley, will have the entire family singing "I Got Rhythm!"

For Tickets contact the box office at 610.282.3192

Your Thoughts on Mayfair?

On Memorial Day Weekend the city of Allentown will celebrate 20 Years of Mayfair. To help in the celebration, Lehigh Valley Marketplace wants to know all about your Mayfair experience. Give us a brief summary of your favorite things about Mayfair, great tips to share with festival goers (best place to park, best food, music not to miss, etc.), or your best Mayfair memory. If we use your comment, you'll win two full festival passes ($20 value) good for entry every day of the festival. You must include your contact information, if you wish to be eligible for the free tickets. Your information will not be sold or use for any other promotional opportunities.

Please pass this on to Allentown area friends or out of town visitors you know love to come to the Lehigh Valley for the Mayfair experience!

Thanks for sharing with Lehigh Valley Marketplace!

You can email your opinions to Lori here or mail them to this address:

LEHIGH VALLEY MARKETPLACE
1275 Glenlivet Drive, Suite 100
Allentown, PA 18106

Please use this format when submitting your opinions:

MY MAYFAIR EXPERIENCE
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Free Film Screening by SSFF

The SSFI will be supporting their community-building effort by programming two nights of FREE films selected from our 2004 and 2005 SouthSide Film Festivals. Each night is a different two-hour block of films. You can catch up on films you missed, or see these great films again. The A/V setup will be using Lehigh's equipment, which is pretty good, but nowhere near the caliber of what you will see during our film festival. The films will be of high quality, and the point really is to get out and view art.
Where: Packard Lab Auditorium 101 (view map )-- Easiest point of entry is straight up Vine Street from Deja Brew. Packard Lab is the large stone building at the end of that street. Take the door facing the temporary gravel parking lot and the auditorium is only a few steps down the hallway.

When: Wednesday and Thursday nights, April 5th and April 6th7:30pm (screenings start at 7:45 sharp both nights

Cost: Free