Bethlehem's northern neighborhoods are generally much more expensive, creating a sharp economic line that only the most affluent residents can cross, Cunningham said. You can't touch a house there for less than a quarter million, in some areas. Indeed, Easton is less segregated than most cities in the state. African-Americans make up 13 percent of the city's population, with Hispanics at 10 percent. The northern part of the city, around Lafayette College, is mostly white.
Minorities are more concentrated in the south side and downtown area.
Having this much diversity makes the center a unique place to work. One key to that diversity is Easton's black population, which grew tremendously in the 1950s, as African-Americans such as Thomas and Mirian Bright left New York and other cities seeking a more comfortable lifestyle. He and I went to look for a job at the Lehigh Foundry. Got hired the same day. So I commuted back and forth until we got the house we are in now.