As one heads west crossing the border from New Jersey into Pennsylvania’s Northampton country, one will come across the small but quaint city of Easton, Pennsylvania.
If Easton sounds familiar, it is one of only three cities that reads aloud the Declaration of Independence for the July 4 anniversary.
If that doesn’t shed light on why you have that déjà vu feeling, it is also the hometown of the liberal arts institution known as Lafayette College.
If your memory is still not jogged, the city also bears the nickname “The Little Apple;” being one of the few dry cities during the prohibition and a one-hour train ride from New York City.
If Easton sounds familiar, it is one of only three cities that reads aloud the Declaration of Independence for the July 4 anniversary.
If that doesn’t shed light on why you have that déjà vu feeling, it is also the hometown of the liberal arts institution known as Lafayette College.
If your memory is still not jogged, the city also bears the nickname “The Little Apple;” being one of the few dry cities during the prohibition and a one-hour train ride from New York City.
But one of its most memorable attributes is not just its history, or its educational institutions, but the fact that the name Easton is printed on a package that every child across America at one time or another has come to know: Crayola Crayons.
Easton is hometown to the headquarters of the crayon manufacturer. All of these characteristics make Easton a sought-after residence for New York or New Jersey residents looking for real estate outside of the “big city.”
“It’s attractive to other people because the taxes are not as high as New Jersey, and yet we’re right there on the edge of the river,” said Ellen Shaughnessy, Eaton resident and real estate broker for Prudential Paul Ford Realtors. “So it’s not adding a huge amount to your commute if you are already in central or western New Jersey, but you can save quite a bit on taxes.”
Shaughnessy said clients from Manhattan have been known to take a compass, draw a circle, and end up in Easton after it fell into their circle.
“A lot of people found it that way,” she said. “They just wanted something which was drivable for a second home to get out of the city or even just to move and be in reach of the overnight or night out [in the town].”
The commute, with the right timing, can be reasonable, she said. “I have actually made it from downtown Easton to the Port Authority in one hour,” added Shaughnessy.”
While the commute is certainly attractive, the historical feel of the city is what make Easton a huge draw. The assurance of historic preservation does come with its challenges, said Easton Mayor Sal Panto.
“I like to think of the city as an evolving city,” he said. “Yes we have beautiful buildings from the 19th century and the 20th century, but the buildings we put up today should be equally as nice and sustainable.”
In his efforts to preserve historical buildings, Panto says he must provide balance between new developments and the growth of real estate in the historic city.
“Since our preservation is more soft, I am a real strong believer in strong urban cores with good streetscapes, aesthetics, facades. I am very transparent.”
Yet the true beauty of Easton comes alive every year with its Fourth of July festivities and the reading of the Declaration of Independence.
Easton and the memory of small-town America with its historic roots comes into full bloom.
“I taught local history and social studies…so for me this is living our history,” he said.
