>>1355720They replaced part of the former Steel site with a Casino, and the rest of the grounds were converted to an outdoor green space/walkable right in front of the steel, with an Arthouse theater, the indoor ice-rink that hosts games, a general rentable indoor venue, and and outdoor green space that hosts concert series, the Christmas Market and a part of Musikfest, Our festivals are thriving and the stack conversion not only made use of former uninhabitable space, it created an entire location for the Arts. How many small towns in American plan out activities grounds that can host events like Musikfest, Kriskindlemart, Oktocberfest, year long concerts instead of just MORE luxury townhomes? Drive 30 minutes in either direction and see what I'm talking about. Main Street has not only the Sun Inn and it's recently renovated outdoor patio, it's host to several longtime local owned businesses in lieu of chains and starbucks. I'm happy the Ice Cream store near the Church is still a privately owned store and not a fucking Sweet Frog or Ritas. I will give you that the shanty townhomes they built around the area need a face-lift, but I lived in Bethlehem for 20 years and this gross exaggeration of "how bad its gotten" shows your blinders, especially if you've never lived in any of the surrounding states or major cities.
The Rustbelt is real, and the East Coast is an old, dirty beast. Over-priced homes? I just looked at Redfin. Compare any of those homes to a 3bd 1 bath an hour away from Baltimore, a city with real violence, drugs, and gangs and then come back and talk about over-priced.
>>1355734This is the East Coast, the only difference is now you presumably make enough money to be bothered by things that have been happening since when you were little, you just didn't care. Next time I walk downtown, I'll try not to get raped and robbed by all the "gangs of Bethlehem".
