BETHLEHEM — Christmas and industrial history aren’t all this Lehigh Valley city has to offer.
For J. William Reynolds, a lifelong resident of the city of 75,000 and its mayor since 2022, Bethlehem stands out — and thrives — because of its togetherness.
Yes, the holidays are a big thing here — it’s had the self-adopted name of Christmas City for some time, and been the setting for a Hallmark movie titled (of course) Miracle in Bethlehem, PA. And the world-famous Bethlehem Steel Corporation called the city home for nearly a century and a half, as it fortified the United States’ skyscrapers, bridges, and warships.
But Bethlehem has layers, its mayor insists. As part of our “Meet a Mayor” Q&A series, Reynolds, a former teacher and City Council member, spoke with PA Local about the commonwealth’s seventh-largest city, which has experienced lots of growth and change since its christening on Christmas Eve, 1741.
This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.
PA Local: Can you describe Bethlehem in three words?
Reynolds: Community, family, and opportunity.
What was it about Bethlehem that made you want to lead it?
I think growing up here, one of the things you realize about our community is that it truly is a community. When you look at our institutions, when you look at our schools, our churches, our business groups … we’re a city that’s been built for 300 years on this idea that we’re stronger together. You just find a lot of people in Bethlehem that are very optimistic, very positive, and want to make a difference in the world. I don’t think you find that everywhere. And I thought there were a lot of opportunities for our city moving forward, and that’s why I wanted to be mayor.
Bethlehem is known as the Christmas City. Could you explain why that is, and how Bethlehem keeps up that reputation to this day?
We were founded by the Moravians, which is a sect of Protestantism, almost 300 years ago in 1741. And obviously with our name, we have kind of inherited this tradition of Christmas. But we have very much tried to expand that in 2025 to this idea of, the holiday season is about community. It’s about the idea that like the best of us is when we’re spending time together, when we’re celebrating together.
So absolutely, there is an economic benefit to be branded as the Christmas City. But more than that, it’s really a reminder during these months in November and December about what our community is about all 12 months of the year. And that’s the idea of working together to create joy and understanding that community is really at the center of what makes a place the place you want to live.
How are November and December in Bethlehem different from any other months?
We have a lot of holiday traditions … but there’s just a certain charm that we have that makes people want to come to Bethlehem, makes people want to shop in Bethlehem — but also just take in what those what those concepts are that we think of in the holiday season, which is that we want to spend time with family, with friends, and just think about how grateful we are.
What do you wish people who aren’t from Bethlehem, or maybe haven’t been here before, knew about it?
We are much more than just this kind of post-industrial city. Last couple years — I think probably four or five years in a row now — we’re in the top 100 places to live. We have this very blossoming economy. We have this incredible demand to want to locate here, to want to start a business here. And I think when people think about Bethlehem, they have this idea about what Bethlehem was in Bethlehem Steel. And that’s a rich part of our heritage, but in 2025, we're much more diverse than that, we’re more inclusive than that idea of just being an old steel town.
If you had to pick just one, what would you say is your favorite local holiday tradition?
It would probably be coming to the tree lighting — especially now that my wife and I have a two-year-old. So we’ve been able to add that to our tradition list.
What is a fun fact most people don’t know about Bethlehem?
I would say probably people often associate us with the Moravians, which is the church, but the majority of people in the city are not Moravians. So there are a few Moravian churches, but the majority of the city is not of the Moravian faith.
What’s your favorite Bethlehem hidden gem?
I don’t know how hidden this is, but it’s definitely to go for a run in the City of Bethlehem. It’s one of the things that I like to do the most, is run through the neighborhoods — run in the South Side, run in the North Side, and just take in all of our different neighborhoods.
Let’s say, hypothetically, I’m a first time visitor, and I’ve only got two hours to spend in Bethlehem. Where would you recommend that I go? What’s my itinerary?
You might want to start here and get this great view of South Bethlehem and just kind of see what’s at the center of the city. [Editor’s note: This interview was conducted at Payrow Plaza, where City Hall and the public library are located.] But if you got two hours, I’d probably go one of two places. I’d either go to South Bethlehem and walk along the Greenway, which is an old rail trail that we’ve turned into just this amazing connector on the South Side, or I would go and I would walk through our downtown here on the North Side. We’re a [UNESCO] World Heritage Site now — we were the 26th World Heritage Site in the United States — so, I probably would just take a walk down Main Street to get an idea of some of our history.
Is there a particular Pennsylvania city, borough, or township you think we should feature in future “Meet a Mayor” installments? Let us know.