Easton - About Our Area
The town of Easton, Pennsylvania and its surrounding area is situated at the fork of the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers. The geographical location of the area makes living in Easton an attractive, alternative life style to the hustle and bustle of big city living.
Although people from big cities, such as New York or Philadelphia, often look at this area as being rural, it is by many standards very suburban in the types of social services, living accommodations, and economic opportunities offered to its population. Its ideal location allows the area population to choose the life style (city, suburban, or rural) which best suits their needs and desires.
Easton is the southwestern gateway to the beautiful scenic Delaware River National Recreational Area. Easton is also just 1.25 hours west of New York City and 1.5 hours north of Philadelphia. Numerous hiking, biking, skiing, boating, water sports, nature walks, and pure relaxation walks/runs are just some of the activities that make the Easton area an attractive, quality place to live and/or work.
Two major canals, the Delaware and Lehigh, have tow paths which make for great scenic tours that can be used as sporting or leisurely paths of recreation. Cultural activities also abound in the area as there are major colleges within a half hour’s drive from the center of Easton. Lafayette College is located just two blocks from the Easton Downtown Square.
Easton is also home of The State Theater where major Arts and Entertainment Programs are hosted throughout the year. In recent years, Easton has attracted many artists and has gained a reputation as an artsy community with various arts festivals held throughout the year. The history of Easton is also interesting with many historical sites being well preserved, such as the Bachmann House.
The town was named in 1752 and is derived from the estate of Thomas Penn which still exists today in Northamptonshire, England. Easton is one of only three cities where the Declaration of Independence was first read publicly. This occurred on July 8, 1776 at the Court House in Center Square.
Jewish roots also have a rich history in Easton going back before the Revolutionary War. Temple Covenant of Peace, which derived from another Jewish Synagogue, traces its own beginnings back to 1839. This makes Temple Covenant of Peace one of the oldest continuing Temples in the United States. The weather in the immediate Easton Area closely resembles the weather across the New Jersey Route 78 corridor which flows into the metropolitan New York Area. It is slightly cooler and less rainy then Philadelphia. However, a half hour to one hour drive to the north or west brings a cooling, refreshing alternative to the more hot and hazy days of August, and a colder, more snowy alternative in the winter. Numerous highways, mass transportation, and three major airports makes it easy to get to anyplace in the world. For more information, there are many internet sites that contain all sorts of information about Easton and its surrounding areas. Some photographs of areas in and around Easton are shown on this website.
