Letter from laini

Welcome to the debut edition of laini’s little pocket guide to Bethlehem. This book has been over a year in the making and I’m extremely excited that you are holding it.

After publishing my first edition of laini’s little pocket guide to Easton, I knew I wanted to make one for Bethlehem. I was introduced to Bethlehem in the early 2000s, when I lived on Wall St. and discovered the town with my dog, feZ. We would walk through the town, down Wall St. to Main St., then down to Sand Island to the river. We saw the remnants of the old Bethlehem Steel, sitting idly on the banks of the Lehigh, but staggeringly beautiful nonetheless.

As I embarked on this pocket guide, I was reintroduced to the town… and fell in love. This is an incredibly exciting and pivotal time for Bethlehem, as the City enters what I would call phase four of its history. Following the Settlement, Industrial, and Steel times, I would call this the Creative time. It’s about creating anew and it’s being done brilliantly on both sides of the river. It is my hope that this little book helps to connect you to all of the things that are wonderful, special and
happening today in Bethlehem. I welcome your feedback. Enjoy!