A small-town community with an active social calendar
Macungie (ma-CUN-gee), a Lenape Native American word that translates as “feeding place of the bears,” fits this second-oldest borough in Lehigh County well. First settled by German immigrants in 1735, Macungie is surrounded by wildlife and wilderness in the foothills of Brenner-Penfield Macungie Mountain. What draws people together are community events, such as antique car and craft shows, and holiday parades with carnival rides, games and food trucks.
“Macungie Memorial Park is the center of community life,” says Cheryl Snyder Teichman, an associate broker with Re/Max 440, who lives five minutes from Macungie and knows the area well. “It may be a small community on the outskirts of Allentown, but it’s growing and offers many opportunities for people to socialize and live close to their jobs.” Macungie is home to the Allen Organ Company and a short drive to employers Smooth-On, a rubber and plastics company, and Bear Creek Mountain Resort, a year-round vacation facility. In 2024, Lehigh Valley Hospital opened its first neighborhood hospital on Main Street in Macungie. The new hospital features a medical center and an emergency department with state-of-the-art imaging equipment.
Abundant shopping, a good school district and a hospital nearby also satisfy many homebuyer wish lists. “It used to be all farmland, but it’s grown a lot,” says Michelle Weber, a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomesServices Fox and Roach Realtors and a longtime area resident. “It’s close to everything — ski resorts, parks, shopping. It’s a convenient place to live.”
Immerse yourself in nature at Kalmbach Park.
Bear Creek Resort is an outdoor recreation haven just outside of Macungie.
A new Lehigh Valley Hospital in Lower Macungie West makes the community safer.
The Trexlertown Farmers Market is a popular place to find locally grown produce.
1/4
Community events at Macungie Memorial Park
If something is happening in town, it’s probably at Macungie Memorial Park. From Easter Bunny meet-and-greets to pet shows, the park offers a full, nonstop calendar of events throughout the year.
The Macungie Farmers Market, which supports local growers and producers, occurs every Thursday evening from mid-May until the end of October. Shoppers can stock up on fresh produce, farm-fresh eggs, homemade pierogies, and specialty items like wines and local craft beer.
Craft fairs, collectible shows and fundraisers in the park occur almost every month.
Recreational facilities in or near Macungie
Macungie Memorial Park is more than an event space; here, baseball players have access to multiple fields, tennis players have two courts, kids can explore playgrounds, and the whole community can enjoy the outdoor pool. Next to the park, the F3 Lehigh Valley is a boot camp facility that provides peer-led workouts for men who want to enhance their health and leadership potential. Also nearby, the Macungie Institute is a community center where social, cultural and educational events are held. On Main Street, the Macungie Train Station is no longer in service, but the station’s flower park is a colorful spot most of the year to observe Norfolk Southern trains as they pass through town. The Macungie Garden Club maintains the flower park, which boasts over 10,000 blooms at its fullest.
Kalmbach Memorial Park attracts nature lovers with trails that wind through woodland filled with American chestnut trees and Swabia Creek. The 20-acre park was set aside by the late German-born industrialist Frederick Kalmbach as a place where parkgoers can learn about the natural world. Here, visitors can discover how bees benefit the park and the community, visit a restored 1850s barn where artwork from local artists is displayed, and stroll through flower gardens, sculptures and a memorial to Kalmbach himself.
Other popular activities include weekend getaways to Bear Creek Mountain Resort, a four-season destination retreat 6 miles southwest of Macungie. With temperatures ranging from 23 degrees in winter, with an average snowfall of 7.4 inches, to 86 degrees in the summer, the resort offers biking, hiking, skiing and snowboarding. Closer to home, Brookside Country Club features an 18-hole golf course, a full-service tennis program and an Olympic-sized swimming pool with food and beverage service.
Shoot some hoops on the courts at Macungie Memorial Park.
Cycling is very popular in Lower Macgungie.
Locals bring their dogs to play at Kalmbach Park.
Brookside Country Club features a popular 18 hole golf course in Macungie.
1/4
A mix of historic, vintage and new homes
Homes in Macungie are almost evenly divided between single-family properties and townhouses. Most homes are ranch-style, built in the 1960s or later with prominent bay windows, attached garages and spacious backyards. Priced from $300,000 to $500,000, these homes often feature solid brick facades, family rooms and huge finished basements.
A new subdivision is also under construction in the northern part of Macungie adjacent to the Brookside Country Club. Called “The Fields at Brookside,” the new development features homes with two to four bedrooms and easy golf course access. They list from $600,000 to $900,000. “The new development around the golf course is strategic,” Snyder Teichman says. “The town is big on open spaces and makes sure green spaces are nearby when developments are planned.”
In the historic part of town, front doors of duplexes and rowhouses built in the 1800s open onto sidewalks along Main and Church streets. Many have undergone full makeovers with new roofs, windows and kitchens. While front yards may be small (or nonexistent), backyards are often long and big enough to accommodate multiple vehicles, a back porch and some green recreational space. On the south side of town, newer townhouse subdivisions like Macungie Village built in the 1980s feature three-bedroom homes, some with attached garages, fireplaces and open floor plans. The Brookfield subdivision, constructed in the 1990s near the golf course, offers many of the same amenities and large decks for entertaining. Whether historic or new, townhouses in Macungie sell for between $200,000 and $360,000.
Townhomes offer maintenance-free living in Macungie.
Ranch style homes are the most prevalent style of single family homes in Macungie.
Historic row homes are found along Main Street in Macungie.
Communities of new construction homes are popping up around Macungie.
1/4
Main Street and Hamilton Boulevard shopping districts
While Macungie is a small town, it has its fair share of fine eateries, like Buckeye Tavern, one of the oldest and most popular. Since the area was settled in 1735, Buckeye Tavern has served hearty fare in a rustic setting. Mad Dogs Hot Dogs and Sugar Shack on Poplar Street offers burgers and sweet treats in addition to the ballpark favorite, which can be topped in many ways. A block away, Salvatore’s Pizzeria on East Main Street has been a go-to spot for New York-style pies and handmade cannoli since 1974.
Main Street, or Route 100, is the main commercial district that cuts through Macungie. A Weis Markets is off it, less than a miles from town. Trexler Mall, five miles northwest on Hamilton Boulevard, offers nationally known retail stores, such as Kohl’s, HomeGoods and Marshalls, and the grocery store Giant. Walmart, Home Depot, Target and Costco are also situated along Hamilton. Movie Tavern Trexlertown, next to Walmart, allows moviegoers to enjoy food and cocktails along with their blockbuster movies.
Farther east, the Shops at Cedar Point feature more restaurant and retail options, such as The Dining Dog and Friends pet supply store and the Pines Dinner Theater, which offers homemade seasonal dishes served during musical productions.
A new shopping center along Hamilton Boulevard, which will include a Topgolf, was approved for development in 2023. Known as Lehigh Valley Town Center, the commercial space will lie at the intersection of interstates 476 and 78 and include a grocery store, office space, hotel residential complex and a public plaza.
Grab burgers and sweet treats from Mad Dogs and Sugar Shack in Macungie.
The Shops at Trexlertown provide a plethora of convenient shopping opportunities to Macungie.
Ancient Oaks residents love the rustic environment at the Buckeye Tavern.
Hamilton Boulevard offers a variety of national retailers to Macungie residents.
1/4
Quality public schools with dozens of extracurricular options
Macungie schools belong to the East Penn School District, which receives an A-minus from Niche. Macungie Elementary also earns an A-minus and offers a popular instrumental and vocal music program. At Eyer Middle, which is also A-minus-rated, students can participate in over 30 after-school clubs and musical groups. Seventh and eighth graders can join PIAA sports teams also. At Emmaus High, another A-minus school and home of the Green Hornets, students can compete in the school’s top-notch athletics program. Emmaus has won more state championships than any other high school in Pennsylvania.
Located in the Allentown suburb of Macungie is Macungie Elementary School.
867 Macungie students attend Eyer Middle School.
High school students of Emmaus attend the highly rated Emmaus High School.
Football player at Emmaus High School play in EPSD Stadium.
1/4
Highways and public transportation for Macungie residents
Pennsylvania Route 100 crosses through the heart of Macungie and is also the town’s Main Street. Access to Interstate 476, which goes into Philadelphia, is 10 miles away, and Philadelphia is another 44 miles south. Interstate 78 is nearby, which connects Macungie to New York City, a 95-mile drive.
The Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA) bus service provides a flexible zone where riders can reserve travel or connect to routes outside the zone. Popular destinations like Trexler Mall, the Cedar Point Shopping Center, the Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Allentown and Weis Market on Chestnut Street in Emmaus are all accessible by LANTA buses.
The nearest Amtrak station is 52 miles south of town in Philadelphia, and the closest airport is 15 miles away, just north of Allentown: Lehigh Valley International Airport.
Licensed as a real estate salesperson in 1972. Licensed as a real estate broker license in 1979. Has obtained the GRI, CRB, CRS, and e-Pro designation.
Specialties: Residential, Commercial, and Investment Real Estate
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
