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Allentown, Pennsylvania is the state's third-largest city, home to roughly 125,000 people in the heart of the Lehigh Valley, and it hosts Cedar Crest College on its leafy west side. Despite its size, Allentown stays surprisingly walkable, with a revitalized Center City and the North Fourth Street and Old Fairgrounds historic districts among its most pedestrian-friendly pockets. The city is famous for its parks, claiming the most park acreage of any American city its size, with Cedar Park, the Allentown Rose Garden, and miles of trails. Culture runs deep too, from the free Allentown Art Museum to the Liberty Bell Museum, the America on Wheels museum, Symphony Hall, and the downtown ArtsWalk. The West End where Cedar Crest sits has its own feel.
The leafy, residential side where Cedar Crest sits, favored by students who want a quieter neighborhood close to campus.
The walkable, revitalized downtown core that draws students wanting nightlife, the arts, and transit at their doorstep.
A highly walkable older neighborhood with character and an easy stroll to the city center.
Here's what you need to know about getting around Allentown.
LANTA, the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority, runs buses across Allentown seven days a week and is the third-largest transit agency in the state, with an Enhanced Bus Service rapid line added in 2023 and a central hub at the Allentown Transportation Center downtown. That network connects Allentown with neighboring Bethlehem and Easton, so students can reach the wider Lehigh Valley without a car. The seven-day service makes transit a real option year-round.
Center City carries a Walk Score in the high 80s, so downtown daily life happens largely on foot. The Cedar Crest area on the west side is more suburban and less walkable. Biking works better in the flatter, denser parts of town, and the park system gives walkers green routes.
The west end where Cedar Crest sits is suburban, so many students there find a car useful. A vehicle helps for reaching campus and destinations beyond the walkable downtown. In Center City, transit and walking can cover most needs.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
As a larger city, it offers range. Near Cedar Crest and across Allentown you'll commonly see apartments from about $900 to $1,500 a month depending on size, neighborhood, and how new the building is. Sharing a larger unit or house with roommates brings the per-person figure down noticeably.
Browse student housing near each Allentown-area university.