1 minute read
Why I Live Here?
Next Article
Walking Around the Neighborhood
LizBeth Johnson needed a change. Weary of commuting 75 minutes from her home in Westchester County, New York to Manhattan’s Upper West Side, she found a new gig as director of information and instructional technology at Penn State’s Lehigh Valley campus.
Of course, that meant finding a new home. “My #1 consideration was finding a place close to work,” she said. “I wanted to drive about 15 minutes each way.”
She set a radius for her search, and started looking. Although she found several possibilities in Allentown, she was drawn to Livingston St. – which ultimately became her new home. “I like to walk,” she said, “and I could really see myself walking around this neighborhood.” When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, she discovered PHOTO COURTESY OF LIZBETH JOHNSON just how walkable the Theatre District is.
“The kids were pretty much quarantined at home,” she recalls, “and I started going out every afternoon for some fresh air and exercise.”
That experience turned into a daily habit. “I walk about two miles every morning before work, and log about five miles on weekends. Two of my favorite routes are Trexler Park and Cedar Beach Park. Allentown’s parks are lovely, and I even walk through them in the winter.”
Her favorite spot in the West End Theatre District? The Fairgrounds Farmers Market. “I’m a vegetarian,” she said, “and I was elated to find that place. It was one of the first places I visited when I moved here. I love to cook, and I always find good, fresh produce there.” n
LizBeth Johnson
“I like to walk, and I could really see myself walking around this neighborhood.”
