Some of our favorite cities in all of the U.S. are located in Pennsylvania. Let’s take a look at some of the best cities in the eastern part of the state that we recommend you visit.
Bethlehem
As we are all aware, Pennsylvania was one of the most important colonies during the creation of our country. Bethlehem is located in the Lehigh Valley along the Lehigh River. One of our favorite things about Bethlehem and Pennsylvania, in general, is experiencing the full four seasons. However, there is one season in particular that resident’s love and that is the Christmas season.
The town was named Bethlehem in 1741 by Moravian Bishop. And in 1747 it was the first city to feature a decorated Christmas tree. This area was settled during this time and part of the town was dedicated to the Moravian Settlement Congregation. During the American Revolution, many residents fled to Bethlehem from Philadelphia as the British advanced. The industries that helped shape Bethlehem were steel and other industrial manufacturing.
Today Bethlehem is a beautifully scenic city that is home to Lehigh University, Moravian University, International Institute for Restorative Practices, and the main campus for Northampton Community College. The city has many annual activities including Musikfest which is a week-long festival thorough the city with vendors, food, and live music.
Philadelphia
The city of brotherly love, the home of the liberty bell, and the birthplace of Ben Franklin. Philadelphia will always be very historically vital to the creation and colonization of the United States. Some great reasons for browsing Philadelphia homes for sale are the affordability and the walkability. Although Philadelphia is a little bit more pricey compared to the national average, for a big city, its costs are surprisingly reasonable.
There are a lot of really amazing national and historical landmarks to visit in Philadelphia such as the Liberty Bell, the Franklin Institute, Independence Hall, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. There are a bunch more attractions, but those are just some of the prominent historical locations. You’re going to be hungry after visiting all of these monuments, museums, and even the Philadelphia Zoo.
Good thing this city knows what it’s doing when it comes to cuisine. Philadelphia is probably most famous for its cheesesteaks which are a MUST if you are visiting. There are a lot of local favorites so be sure to ask around to see where the residents recommend you stop first. Roast pork sandwiches are another favorite of Philadelphians. In Philly, there’s really no end to the varieties of meat you can put on a hoagie roll.
Lancaster
During the American Revolution, Lancaster was the state’s capital for 1 day after the Continental Congress fled due to Philadelphia being captured by the British. Lancaster is also the hometown of the first “five and dime” store, the F.W. Woolworth Store. If you are familiar with this area of the nation, Woolworths will sound quite familiar to you. Eventually, he would go on to open over 4,000 stores across the nation.
It was determined that Lancaster currently has the second-highest concentration of Puerto Rican ancestry in Pennsylvania which just shows how culturally diverse it has become in the past couple of decades. There are many boutiques and shopping centers that have been constructed to recreate the city and give it a bit of a make-over.
All of these Pennsylvanian cities are amazing to visit, but even better to live in. The next time you find yourself traveling down the east coast, you can easily stop at all three of these suggested cities to check them out for yourself. Don’t pass up the cheesesteaks! You will regret it!
