Palmer Heights

In 1857, Seipsville Inn was busy with frontiersmen passing through the Lehigh Valley off Nazareth Road. Upstairs, Forks Township officials devised plans for a new township named after George Palmer, Pennsylvania's Surveyor General. Today, Palmer Heights sits by the Delaware River, steeped with century-long traditions. Residents enjoy convenient access through Route 33 and Route 22 and often commute to neighboring Bethlehem or Allentown for work. Though the town has an occasional sinkhole, Palmer ensures safety by following the Carbonate Bedrock Standard in all construction projects.

Palmer provides an array of housing styles, including ranch homes, Cape Cod designs with vibrant floral landscapes and split-level houses, all built from the 1950s to the 1970s. The town's streetscapes feature wide roads and mature trees on spacious one-acre plots. Despite the absence of sidewalks, Palmer Heights features parks, playgrounds and 8 miles of biking trails to enjoy the outdoors. “It has a ton of different housing options and amenities like the Delaware Bike trails,” says Brenda DeGerolamo, who is an area native and the assistant manager of Palmer Township. Interested homebuyers will find properties ranging from $265,000 to $310,000, depending on square footage and bedroom count.

Acknowledged as a Tree City USA community in 2022, Palmer has 13 parks, including Briarcliffe Park and Palmer Park, playgrounds and the Palmer Bikeway. Locals can utilize the Palmer Sports Complex for baseball or relax at the Palmer Township Community Pool, equipped with long water slides, and basketball and tennis courts. The Charles Chrin Community Center hosts pickleball, basketball, an indoor swimming pool and a fitness center. “Families often rent the pavilions at our parks for parties and get-togethers,” DeGerolamo says. “We also have an environmental group that hosts electronics recycling and litter clean-up events. Our environment is important to us here.”

The Easton Area School District comprises seven elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. Palmer Elementary School and Easton Area Middle School earn a C-plus rating from Niche. Easton Area High School, with a B Niche Score, upholds a unique tradition since 1962. Seniors construct a towering bonfire the Tuesday before the Thanksgiving Day football game against Phillipsburg High School. The bonfire follows a march from Cottingham Stadium to the school in Palmer Township, where thousands of families and former students gather in anticipation, often taking pictures and sharing stories of their own senior year bonfire years ago. “The high school holds their reunion the same weekend, so it really brings everyone together again,” DeGerolamo says. “They pack the stadium on Thanksgiving. It’s the longest-standing high school football tradition in America, I believe.”

Palmer Heights offers a variety of shopping and dining options concentrated along Twenty-Fifth Street. Palmer Town Center offers Giant, Aldi and Lidl, while nearby Nazareth Road offers Palmer Park Mall and eateries like Palmer Diner and Takumi Sushi. Farther down the road lies Lower Nazareth Commons, home to Target, Wegmans and Diner 248. Across from it is Northampton Crossing, housing Walmart, Kohl's, Petsmart, Sam’s Club and a movie theater. Pharmacies are conveniently located in Palmer's shopping centers, and Easton Hospital is easily accessible within a five-to-ten-minute drive from anywhere in the township. Other hospitals in nearby Bethlehem and Allentown, part of the Lehigh Valley, provide additional healthcare options.

The Palmer Township Community Weekend at Fairview Park is a four-night community fair marked on every local’s calendar, and families in the area like to celebrate birthdays at Bushkill Park off Tatamy Road, home to the country’s oldest funhouse. When there’s a lull in events, residents drive to Easton, 3 miles down Northampton Street. Easton, known for its summer bacon fest and October garlic fest, has an artsy downtown area with stores like 2nd Base Vintage off Northampton or Third Street’s Belleville Market and Easton Antique Emporium. On Saturday mornings, the farmers market offers organic and natural goods from local small businesses. Families can enjoy a colorful afternoon at The Crayola Experience while walking around Easton’s central square.

“We have everything you’d want in the Lehigh Valley. If you want a small atmosphere, we have it. If you want the big city, we’re 60 miles to New York City and Philadelphia.”

Written By

Corrine Fizer

Photography Contributed By

Jesse Roehrer

Video By

Maurice McNeil