Yesterday I went to the beauty parlor. About five years ago my downtown barber retired, and I was forced to go to a unisex shop. She assured me she also cuts men's hair, but I have yet to see another one there, but I don't go that often. I'm not sure what she calls her shop or herself, but I use the terms I remember from my childhood; My mother would go to the hairdresser at the beauty parlor. My mother would also take me to the Halloween Parade on Hamilton Street. Parades started at the fairgrounds and ran down Hamilton Street. The Street would be lined with people all the way downtown watching the parade, and hawkers would sell balloons and treats. One of last ones I remember featured Hopalong Cassidy, movie cowboy star of the 1930's. They featured his movies on a weekly TV show in the 50's, so I was very surprised about how old he looked in person. Years later, I heard that they had to tie him to the saddle, so he wouldn't fall off his horse during the parade. In recent years they had Sally Star in a parade down Hamilton Street, also long past her prime, but the people who remember her were afraid to go downtown. Last year organizers of the St. Patrick's day parade started a new tradition in Allentown, taking the parade west, away from downtown. My hairdresser noted that parade would go by her old shop on the way to downtown, and now by her new shop, to get away from downtown. Last month I got into trouble with some Union people over my photo from the movie "On The Waterfront", I said some relative was in the photograph. I don't want to say the same about a Klan photo. I know there is nothing racist about the organizers or the parade, but there might be something classist about the new parade route.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI cut my own hair, I have so little left it isn't worth the wait to have a professional do it.
Parades in the city depress me for a variety of reasons. I only attend to support the Raub or Allen Band.
Scott Armstrong
I never didn't have a good time at an Allentown parade. But, I've only been in town about 20 years, so I don't have the emotional baggage of remembering what it was.
ReplyDeleteWhat is Allentown really like? I am moving there from the home of my birth and residence for my 51 years here in North Carolina?
ReplyDeleteanon 7:36, allentown is for the most part a very nice place to live. some of us are disappointed that a few limited area's have acquired problems which we used to identify with much larger cities. this particular blog is certainly no travel or promotion brochure.
ReplyDeleteWell I guess the parade is now a success since alcohol is such an underlying theme i.e pub crawl etc.
ReplyDeleteThat is until someone gets drunk and ends up killing an innocent individual on a fine sunny Spring afternoon.
Blarney.
I was actually IN the parade today and I did notice how it stayed only on the West Side. It's as if, we, in Center City could not or would not appreciate a good parade. We now have virtually no parades or events in the Downtown area. I am hoping that others do as I am and take up the task of creating "new" events and parades that will show that DIVERSITY is nothing to be ashamed or afraid of. Just because we may not live in $95 - $150,000.00 homes does not mean our neighborhoods are any less deserving of public celebrations.
ReplyDeleteAlfonso Todd
MM:
ReplyDeleteBy showing the image you imply that it was a race motivated move.
Adjustments to the downtown route did not bear fruit. The fact of the matter is it was good for business and good for the parade. This years success has proven that.
Downtown still has the Halloween Parade (shared with a slice of the WE) and the Puerto Rican Day Parade. While I would agree downtown could use some more quality events, I don't see anything unfair about the current situation as it is.
sam, i think i was clear that i was implying classism, not racism, even if i did resort to sensationalism with my photo. the truth of the matter is that it help hamilton mall to bring that set of middle class parade watchers downtown once a year, and the taxpayers do spend millions indirectly promoting the mall. sorry the post made you uncomfortable. thanks for the comment
ReplyDeleteI was at the last St. Pat's Parade that still went downtown (if 12th St. and Hamilton counts as downtown enough). There is defintiely better turnout in the west end than center city so I can see why they moved it there, but even in the west end on a gorgeous day there weren't huge wild crowds. What does it take to interest people in community anymore?
ReplyDeleteI think it is fair to say the crowds were "huge" on 19th St. People were standing wall to wall.
ReplyDeleteI think some of the areas far out, such as 25th st, are not populated enough to have the feel of large crowds. Overall, the route is a winner for sure.
I understand the pick pockets and muggers really like it, they have a much better class of victim!
ReplyDeleteMike, the show you were referring to that had Hopalong Cassidy may have been "Frontier Playhouse" or "Wiffle Ranch". There were only 3 channels then, 3, 6 and 10.
ReplyDelete