— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
(Corrected to say it is across from Walgreens, not CVS.)
The Linden Lofts apartments in Bethlehem have opened, and appear to have new residents.
That includes a young woman driving a car with New Jersey plates who almost hit me as she turned left into the parking lot yesterday without looking. Pedestrians must be in season.
The Lofts are at 2966 Linden St. in the City of Bethlehem, behind the site of the former Stefano’s restaurant, also behind a gas station, tobacco shop and across the street from Walgreens.
The Lofts website shows three floor plans: one bedroom, starting at $1,815 per month; one bedroom with den, starting at $1,915, and two bedrooms, starting at $2,215. The square footage ranges from 844 to 1,095, and the two-bedroom unit looks pretty ample.
Stefano’s was one of our favorite local restaurants because it had good food and pizza at reasonable prices, and we could walk to it.
When the plans for the Lofts went through, they included a small, maybe 2,400-square-foot restaurant at the front. Stefano’s was larger, with a bar, seating in the bar area, a backroom with perhaps 15 tables and a front seating area, also a gelato bar.
The spot left for a restaurant, as shown in the photograph above, is small, and any parking would be behind it, shared with the Lofts. Such an eatery would probably be a take-out place, as 2,400 square feet would be just about 50 feet by 48 feet.
So far, there’s nothing at the site to indicate a restaurant is in the works. Perhaps it’s on the way, or perhaps the plan has changed.
Linden Street is a hot spot for development, so one way or other, that little spot of land won’t stay vacant for long.
As for Stefano’s and its fine staff, it will always be a good memory.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 
We must be neighbors. I used to enjoy walking to Stefano’s every couple weeks for a Friday night dinner after a long work week. The food was nothing spectacular but solid for the money. I could always count on running into someone I recognized even if I didn’t know them personally – a lot of “who’s who” in the Bethlehem small business community and local political scene.
I have no doubt these apartments will fill up quickly even at these rates. However, I suspect most of the new residents will either be NJ commuters or remote workers. Maybe a few random nurses or PA’s from the local hospitals thrown in.
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Yes, a solid neighborhood place and a reasonably priced venue for small events.
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