Q + A WITH JORDAN CAPRIOLI
Jordan Caprioli shares why she moved to the Lehigh Valley and how Downtown Allentown gives you that big city feel without all the hassle. On Wednesday, July 11, Jordan gave us an inside peek at a typical day in her life of working in Downtown Allentown as she took over the @CityCenterAllentown Instagram for the day! Watch the recap of her takeover.
Name: Jordan Caprioli
Company: North Star Construction
Position: Administrative Assistant
How long have you been with the North Star?
I’ve been working for North Star as an Administrative Assistant since December of 2017.
How long have you lived in the Lehigh Valley?
I moved to the Lehigh Valley in fall of 2017. I previously lived in Philly, but wanted to be closer to my family, they live in the Poconos. It’s nice because it takes me 45 minutes to drive and see my family as opposed to the 2 and half hours it used to take me.
How is parking in downtown?
As a tenant of Two City Center, we are able to park in the parking garage across from the building. Parking is easy, and it takes 5 minutes to park and walk upstairs, I love the convenience.
Can you give us a quick description of North Star Construction?
North Star is a design/build construction company for commercial buildings mostly in the Lehigh Valley, but we do have projects in NY, NJ, and DE. We built many of the buildings and businesses that are starting to boom in Center City Allentown. We have about 20 people in the office and about 15 superintendents that work in the field. If you’ve ever been to our office you would see that we have a rowdy group of people who like to have fun, but we work hard and are very efficient with our work. We are very casual so you’ll find many of the North Star employees in jeans most days.
What sets Downtown Allentown apart from other places you’ve worked?
I use to work in the Philadelphia Navy Yard which was beautiful. The views were spectacular and the building was old and refurbished, but the 45-minute commute sitting in Philadelphia morning traffic was not ideal, and there were no close businesses or many restaurants in the Navy Yard. What I like about Center City Allentown now is that my commute is much shorter, and I have places to go if I want to get out of the office for a lunch break.
What makes your office building unique?
Our building is unique because North Star built it. I think that’s the coolest part of being a tenant in the building. Our office space is very unique and designed exactly the way we wanted it. Also, we have the Starbucks in our building, so walking down the steps to get coffee is convenient.
What does a typical day look like working downtown?
For a North Star employee, the day varies. The administrative team will stay in the office most days, but the project managers are always running around for meetings either in our building or somewhere in the city. You’ll even find some of our project managers upstairs in the City Center office planning the newest store or building coming to Allentown!
Where is your favorite place to grab lunch? What should we order?
I don’t order out that much because I love packing a lunch, and either eating outside by the fountain behind our building, or I’ll meet up with my cousin who works across the street from me. I moved to the area so I could be closer to my family, and having family who works right next door is an added bonus! When I do go out though, I usually go to Nosh @ Nana’s. I absolutely love the Deli sandwich, it’s delicious and I can use my Gold Card for a discount, which is great because who doesn’t love saving money?! If the weather is warm I take my sandwich to the park and eat under the shade.
What is your favorite spot to go after work?
My favorite place to go after work is the LVHN gym (at One City Center). The gym has two open floors and includes several classes. The machines are new, the area is very clean, and the atmosphere makes you want to get fit. I even get a discounted rate for being a Gold Card holder. I may be biased, but I’d say it’s the nicest gym in the Lehigh Valley.
Has it been beneficial to be working in the center of the Business District of Allentown?
I like working in Center City because it gives me a little bit of that Philadelphia city feel without having to deal with a huge city. I like the proximity of my work to places like the bank or the post office if I need to run errands, and I enjoy seeing people use the amenities outside that Allentown now has to offer. Also, by North Star being such a prominent builder in the area, we have many subcontractors come into our office all the time. I like that I can meet many people from different businesses all because we do a lot of work locally and support other local businesses.
What would you say to a friend whose company is moving to Downtown Allentown?
I would say welcome to the area and take them to Queen City BBQ for a frozen drink.