Easton To Get More Apartments After Two Projects Turn To Office Space, Mayor Says

As Downtown Easton began its resurgence in recent years, first came nighttime foot traffic from people going to restaurants.

After the Pomeroy’s Lofts opened in the 300 block of Northampton Street, that added to the evening surge on the city’s sidewalks and into the city’s bars.

The Crayola Experience on Centre Square has for years provided a daytime tourist presence, and new retail locations and the farmers market have put some feet on the streets during daylight.

When Pomeroy’s developer Mark Mulligan bought the Wolf Building on North Second Street for conversion to apartments after Northampton County moved its human services operation to Bethlehem Township, the daytime/nighttime equation seemed to slide further out of balance.

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http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2015/05/easton_to_get_more_apartments.html

Easton Bacon Fest Hopes 30,000 Pounds Of Bacon Lasts Through Two-Day Festival

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Northampton County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The first year Easton hosted Bacon Fest, it sold out of bacon by 11:30 a.m.

The second year, all the bacon was gobbled up by 1 p.m. And that was with a crowd estimated at 17,000 people.

This year, the free festival will mark its third year by covering two days, Nov. 8-9.

And after Fest 300 named Bacon Fest as one of the top 300 festivals in the world in May, organizers are preparing for a crowd of 50,000. At a news conference Wednesday, Easton Farmers’ Market Manager Megan McBride says they expect guests to go through 30,000 pounds of bacon.

Read more: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/food/index.ssf/2014/10/easton_bacon_fest_hopes_30000.html

Northampton County Grant Will Buy Trolley For Downtown Easton

English: Skyline of Easton, PA from Lafayette College (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Easton officials hope to ease the city’s rising parking problems by introducing a trolley to the Downtown area purchased through a Northampton County grant.

Mayor Sal Panto Jr. said today that the city plans to buy a used trolley sometime this month and have it up and running through the Downtown area this summer. With the city’s new parking garage not due for completion until autumn, the city will rely on the trolley to connect distant parking lots to popular tourist spots, Panto said.

“We can’t invent parking, so I think it’s the next best idea,” Panto said.

County Executive John Brown said the $42,000 grant from the Northampton County Gaming and Economic Redevelopment Authority is part of the county’s outreach to regional partners. The county will also allow the city to use the Northampton County Courthouse’s parking lots for the Easton Farmers’ Market and other large events, he said.

Read more: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2014/05/northampton_county_grant_will.html

Easton Opens New Visitors Center

 

Skyline of Easton, PA from Lafayette College (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tourists heading to downtown Easton have a new place to get information and plan their Lehigh Valley experience.

The city’s new visitors center opened Friday in the lobby of the Sigal Museum on Northampton Street. The museum added brochures and pamphlets about Easton and Lehigh Valley attractions and staffers have been trained to assist visitors.

“People still want information face to face,” said Michael Sterschi, president of Discover Lehigh Valley at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Easton considers tourism, along with arts and entertainment, a critical component of revitalizing downtown, said Gretchen Longenbach, the city’s director of community and economic development.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/easton/mc-easton-visitors-center-sigal-museum-20120511,0,1914215.story