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Allentown offers a variety of pubs, restaurants, and bars ideal for grabbing a quick drink after work or spending an evening out with friends for dinner and a few drinks. Here are some of our favorite local spots: Liberty Street Tavern 2245 W Liberty Street You can play pool and smoke inside the Liberty Street Tavern while you enjoy the diverse selection of beers. The tavern is well known for their pizza and wings. Copperhead Grille 1731 Airport Rd Copperhead Grille is a sports bar with a dedication to preparing high quality, handmade dishes and signature sauces. Make sure you try the award winning wings, baby back ribs with meat that just falls off the bone, and some of our 50 craft, imported, and domestic beers. You can catch the game on one of our state of the art TVs and quality sound system. Grain 536 Hamilton St Grain is located in an older building on Hamilton Street with two floors. The first floor is the bar and ideal for happy hour while the second floor dining room offering a large menu of American comfort food. Carmel Kitchen & Wine Bar 3750 Hamilton Blvd Mediterranean inspired dishes from the villages of Italy, France, Greece, Spain – and even some American comfort food. You can choose from over 60 different wines from around the world, or grab a handcrafted cocktail made with fresh ingredients.

Country songs and pickup trucks go together like peanut butter and jelly. While these songs don’t mention Toyota specifically in the lyrics, you know that Toyota’s pickup trucks fit right into the country lifestyle and could very well be the star of each of these songs. Which is your favorite? “We Rode in Trucks,” Luke Bryan Luke sings about his life on the farm, including the truck and it’s importance for the daily farm life. “Truck Yeah”, Tim McGraw This is a song about redneck life and of having fun. “Hillbilly Deluxe”, Brooks & Dunn In this song, one of the best things about living a country life is riding around in pickup trucks with a lady by your side. “I Drive Your Truck”, Lee Brice Lee sings about someone driving around in the truck of someone who had passed away. “I Love My Truck”, Glen Campbell “Mud on the Tires”, Brad Paisley Brad sings about buying a new truck and feeling excited by it and taking it out to get mud on the tires. “Somethin’ Bout a Truck”, Kip Moore The lyrics of this song feature a truck, an ice cold beer, and a lady. “Rough and Ready”, Trace Adkins Trace sings about the cowboy life (which of course includes pickup trucks) and the type of woman he wants in his life. “How Country Feels”, Randy Houser Randy sings about riding in a pickup truck while watching the sunset and rise as the description of what country feels like. “Big ‘Ol Truck”, Toby Keith Toby sings about wanting to meet a woman driving around in a big pickup truck. “Suds in the Bucket”, Sara Evans In this song, an 18 year old takes off with a man in a pickup truck.

Your addiction to coffee is perfectly supported in Lehigh Valley thanks to an abundance of coffee shops in close proximity. Coffee is a necessity all year round, but the fall and winter months are the favorite seasons for drinking the hot, tasty brews. De’ja Brew Head to Bethlehem for a cup of coffee or to enjoy lunch from their extensive deli menu featuring vegetarian dishes, burgers, and sandwiches. You’ll find Lehigh University students sitting around tables and locals stopping in for a quick meal or leisurely cup of coffee. It’s a fun environment, too. The walls feature a Calvin and Hobbes mural as well as indie movie posters. Cosmic Cup For something a little outside the norm, try Cosmic Cup in Easton. Their motto says it all – “Drink outside the box”. The entire coffee and bagel shop features an outer space theme for fun, while the coffee is organic and fair trade. You won’t get a boring cup of latte here – the staff create one-of-a-kind latte art on every cup. Hava Java See a movie at Allentown’s historic Civic Theater and then head across the street to Hava Java for a cup of espresso. Creative types love this coffee shop as the tables are painted by local artists, there is local artwork all over the walls and open mic nights.

A credit score is a three-digital number used by lenders to determine the likelihood that you’ll repay the money you borrow. The score is determined by a variety of factors including your past payment history, how much money you already owe to other lenders, and how much of your available credit you’re using. When you want to buy a car with a car loan, you want to have the highest credit score possible. The higher your credit score, the better your interest rate and repayment terms. Here are a few tips for improving your credit score: Reduce Your Debt One factor used in the calculation of your credit score is how much credit you have available to you versus the amount of credit you’re using. To improve your credit score and improve your chances of getting approved for a vehicle loan, pay down your credit card balances and any other revolving debt balance you have. You want to keep how much you owe at 30% or lower of your available balance. Don’t Close Accounts With Good Repayment Records When you pay off credit cards that you have had a strong repayment history on for years, don’t close the account or cancel the credit card. You want your good credit history to remain on your credit report as long as possible, and if you close the account it will disappear from your record in about seven years. Closing accounts can further reduce your credit score because it reduces the amount of available credit you have; making it seem like your debt in comparison to your available credit. Pay Bills on Time Always pay your bills on or before the due date to avoid late fees and to avoid a negative notation on your credit report. Repeated late payments will cause your credit score to decrease, while making your payments on time over time will increase your credit score.

If you’re storing your vehicle and not driving it over the winter, you will want to take a few steps to prepare your car for storage. Here are a few tips to make sure your vehicle is ready to go again when you take it out of storage. Clean and Detail You don’t want to put a car into storage without cleaning it first. Clean the inside of the vehicle, removing all garbage and vacuuming the floor and upholstery. Wash the outside, and follow up with wax to protect the paint finish. Prevent Mice and Rodent Damage If mice or other rodents get into your vehicle while it’s stored they can cause serious damage. While there is no way to guarantee they won’t try to get warm inside the vehicle, you can take a few steps to help make your vehicle less appealing for them. Put mothballs inside old socks and then place the socks inside the vehicle, under the hood, and under the car. If you don’t want to use mothballs, you can also put drier sheets inside your vehicle. Inflate Your Tires Tires will lose air while in storage during the cold winter months and you don’t want your tires to deflate and leave your car sitting on its rims. Ideally you would take the tires off and store your vehicle on a lift to keep the pressure off the tires, but if that is not possible be sure to inflate your tires to the maximum tire air pressure before storing, and to check and fill tires as necessary before driving car out of storage. Remove Battery Remove and store your battery separate from your vehicle so it doesn’t drain the power over the winter. Alternatively, you can connect the battery to a trickle charger or battery tenders. The charger you use should have an automatic shutoff feature or float mode so it stops charging when it has full power to avoid overcharging the battery.

A 1700 square foot train display is just minutes away on Gap Road in Strasburg. There are more than 22 trains operating around 150 hand-build animations and figures. The display began 60 years ago and was small enough to fit under a Christmas tree at it’s start! The Choo Choo Barn is family owned and operated by the same family that started the tradition six decades ago. Train Display Features You’ll love the fire truck that squirts real water on a miniature burning house, the zoo, and the Amish barn raising a three ring circus. Watch the multiple trains travel through the miniature village and bring your camera to capture the experience. Hours of Operation The Choo Choo Barn is open from mid-March through December from 10:00am until 5:00pm. The train display is closed for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Admission Admission prices for The Choo Choo barn are as follows: Adults - $7.50 Kids - $4.50 (ages 3-11) Children under three are admitted free of charge. The discounted group rate starts with 15 people paying together and reservations are preferred: email Kristi Largoza at Kristi@choochoobarn.com for more information. There is room for bus parking on site, a gift shop, and a restaurant. The facility is ADA-compliant.

During the holiday season, Lehigh Valley is transformed into a winter wonderland filled with magic and celebration. There are many holiday activities for you and your family to enjoy around the region. The Koziars Christmas Village From November 7 th through January 2 nd, visit 782 Christmas Village Road in Bernville and enjoy the Koziar’s Christmas Village. The village has been a tradition for 68 years. From Thanksgiving until the second of January, stop in Monday through Friday between 6:00pm and 9:00pm, Saturdays from 5:00pm to 9:30pm, or Sunday between 5:00 and 9:00pm. Experience the History of Gift Giving The Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts on N. New Street in Bethlehem offers a look at the tradition of gift giving over the last 100 years.  Tours are available every day through January 10th– call for an appointment Monday through Wednesday, or visit Thursday through Sunday between 11:00am and 5:00pm. Learn how the gift giving traditions over the last 100 years reflect the social and economic conditions under which gifts are exchanged. Christmas City Stroll on Main Street in Bethlehem Walk through downtown Historic Bethlehem with a tour guide wearing period dress to experience the beginning of Bethlehem in 1741. Tours are held every day, Wednesday through Sunday between 11:00am and 4:00pm and by appointment on Monday and Tuesday through January 10 th. Highlights of the tour include two National Historic Landmarks: Bethlehem Waterworks and the 1741 Gemeinhaus, as well as colonial and Victorian architecture.

When you buy or lease a new Toyota you automatically get a no-cost maintenance plan that covers you for two years or 25,000 miles – whichever comes first. You also get 24-hour roadside assistance for your first two years of Toyota ownership or leasing, regardless of how many miles you drive during that time frame. Proper Vehicle Maintenance Increases Safety and Dependability Maintaining a vehicle is necessary to ensuring your safety and the dependability of your vehicle over time. Toyota offers the ToyotaCare program to help you maintain your vehicle. ToyotaCare 24-Hour Roadside Assistance For your first two years of ownership or when leasing a new Toyota you’re covered under ToyotaCare’s 24 hour roadside assistance. ToyotaCare roadside assistance covers: Towing Dead battery jump starts Lockout protection Winching Fuel delivery Flat tire assistance ToyotaCare Factory Maintenance Coverage When you bring your Toyota in for service we’ll keep a history of your maintenance visits and also send you reminders when you’re due for factory scheduled maintenance. ToyotaCare scheduled factory maintenance covers: Oil and filter changes Tire rotations Inspect and adjust all fluid levels Multi-point vehicle inspection

There is no avoiding the cold weather. Unless you sit inside all day, bundled up with a cup of coffee in-hand, but we can’t. While images of snow days look great on social media, we know what it really means: red and runny nose, frozen pinky toes, frosty breaths, and the always frozen bum. We can warm you up this season. Visit Allentown Toyota to find a vehicle with heated seats and accessories. 2015 Toyota RAV4 Limited The 2015 Toyota RAV4 Limited is the ideal winter ride. It has an all-wheel-drive drivetrain, heated seats, memory settings, heated mirrors, rear defrost, daytime running lights, and performance tires. The spunky 2.5-liter inline-4 under the hood ensures you have enough gusto for the winter drive and a fuel economy rating that reduces the number of times you have to spend filling up in the cold. The fuel economy rating is 22/29 mpg. The RAV4 is also an IIHS Top Safety Pick Award winner, which should make you feel better when the snow flies. 2015 Toyota Highlander The 2015 Toyota Highlander is a 2015 IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus Award winner. You will feel safe driving the family around when the roads are covered in snow, thanks to the comprehensive safety collection, performance tires, a reliable suspension and handling system, and a capable all-wheel-drive drivetrain. Everyone will be warm and comfortable in the winter with ample seating, heated seats, an entertainment system, keyless entry, rear climate controls and heated mirrors. These are just a couple models we offer. Call us today to enjoy the winter-friendly amenities Toyota has to offer.

There isn’t much time left in 2015, but there are plenty of events to attend. Take some time out of your busy schedule to appreciate Allentown’s artistic side. We have many musical acts and events in the area for you to enjoy. Visit a year-end musical event in Allentown before 2015 disappears. Musica de Camera The concert will be held on November 22 nd at the Egner Memorial Chapel. The concert of chamber music is directed by Vincent Trovato. Allentown Area Swing Dance Society On November 24 th, check out the Allentown Area Swing Dance Society at 7 pm and on 10 pm. Every Tuesday it hosts a dancing night, and you don’t need to know how to swing. There are many people willing to show you. Beginner dance lessons begin at 7:00 pm, and the 8:00 pm lesson adds a few more complicated steps to improve your moves. Admission for dancers over 21 is $10 and $5 for anyone under 21. The price includes a dance and lesson. Visit any Tuesday through the end of the year. Celtic Women Celtic Women will be at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center on December 13 th at 8:00 pm. The price for tickets is between $79 to $350. As the event gets closer, expect the prices to rise. TKs Corral TKs Corral will host Angel Down on December 8 th at 8:00 pm, and Trick Stacy visits on December 12 th at 9:00 pm. TKs Corral is located at 801 N. 15 th St. in Allentown. There’s something for everyone in Allentown, you just have to get out and enjoy it.

You can own a hybrid without paying high prices. Toyota has one of the most comprehensive collection of new hybrid vehicles, and the pre-owned models are not too shabby either. We can confidently say we have a hybrid for every budget. If you are in the market for a hybrid vehicle, visit Allentown Toyota for the best variety. 2009 Toyota Prius Std The CARFAX 1-owner vehicle has fewer than 67,000 miles on the engine. The CARFAX 1-owner hybrid carries a sticker price of only $12,500 and it is a Certified Used Vehicle. Under the hood is a money-saving 1.5-liter liter hybrid inline-4 that produces 110 net horsepower with 295 lb.-ft of torque. The estimated fuel economy rating is 48/45 mpg. Installed features in the Prius include 12V power outlets, 6-speaker stereo system, 60/40-split rear seat, push button start/stop, air filtration system, and a complete safety system. 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid SE On the lot, we have a feisty little Ford hybrid. The 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid SE has fewer than 24,000 miles on the engine and it has an internet price set at $14,250. The mini MPV sports a 2.0-liter inline-4 with a CVT and a front-wheel-drive drivetrain. The horsepower rating is 188 hp and the fuel economy rating is 42/37 mpg. When Ford designed the C-Max SE, it equipped the hybrid with a 6-speaker stereo system, dual-zone A/C, leather-trimmed features, cruise control, body-color features, automatic windows, 17-inch alloy wheels, and a roof spoiler. The Ford C-Max also has a complex safety system that eases your mind every time you drive. In 2013, the C-Max earned good ratings in four of out five IIHS crashworthiness tests.

The holidays are an exciting time. We get to spend time with our families, eat amazing food, and take a couple days off of work. The holidays are the sigh of relief after a long year, but for some they are lonely and not as special. Do you want to help bring the holidays spirit to those who are less fortunate in our community? Before you make your Thanksgiving meal, serve one to someone in need in Allentown, PA. Allentown Rescue Mission The Mission’s goal is to ensure no one goes hungry on Thanksgiving. You can either donate online to feed Allentown’s homeless, or you can sign up to volunteer through the website. You can gather a group together and help feed homeless men on Thanksgiving. Meals on Wheels of Lehigh County, Inc. Visit the Meals on Wheels website to find out how you can sign up to volunteer to assist with feeding more than 400 elderly or disabled citizens in the community. You can donate your time whenever you are available, and it will make a difference to make people right next door. New Bethany Ministries Meal Center The Meal Center at the Mollard Hospitality Center in open Monday through Friday. The Center provides people in the community with two meals per day, laundry areas, clothing, address forwarding services, and referral services when needed. Always call before you arrive to volunteer. There are many more sites in the area where you can volunteer. Check with your local church and the food pantry for a Thanksgiving Day volunteer opportunity. You will be glad you did.