There's a young Allentown cheerleader I sparred with several times on facebook. Yesterday, he found and posted a list which rated Allentown as one of the top five midsize cities in the northeast to visit. How silly is that? I drive all around Allentown, including Hamilton Street, several times a week. Can you imagine how disappointing it would be to actually take a vocation to Allentown based on that article? The list was created by some travel outfit called RewardExpert.
Now, I understand how such a list gets created. Some young person gets an assignment, and bases the article on other articles that he has read, without ever visiting the town himself. But how does the cheerleader, who actually lives here, take pride in such nonsense? Now, that's not to say that Allentown isn't improving, but to be a vocation destination?
Vacation? Oh brother.
ReplyDeleteThere are beautiful places all around Lehigh Valley, however. I could take an out of town friend around and show them some gorgeous views. I might take someone into downtown for dinner, but there are very nice places to eat in the countryside.
I suppose it all depends on what defines a "Vacation" to the visitor, and what their interests are. Allentown has scores of historical sites, if you know where to look, despite the best efforts of both the Mayor and City Center development to eradicate them. If you vacation to please your stomach, there are many excellent restaurants in the area as well.
ReplyDeleteThe reality is though, for many Americans on summer vacation, once you visit the Dorney Park complex with your children, it's really time to move on elsewhere, perhaps to valley Forge and Philadelphia, which has all of Allentown has times ten
When I was growing up, two of my cousins, twins would visit along with my aunt and uncle from Dayton. My cousins were a little older than I was, but when they were here, we'd go to Yoccos, go shopping downtown and we'd hang out up at Lehigh Valley Mall. My dad would take us to the parkway and we'd also go up to the Poconos. I remember we'd also go to Valley Forge and to some neat towns in Bucks Country along the river and go to places like Washington's Crossing.
ReplyDeleteBut even as I write this, there really wasn't all that much to show them here in Allentown. Just places I'd hang out at mostly. The best thing about Allentown was it was a nice place to grow up and there were things to do. But hardly a place to mark as a destination for a cross-country vacation,
All these 'lists' are phoney. I looked at that list - best small towns in the Midwest - and they have Fargo, North Dakota. I had a short contract there - what a dump - Applebee's is fine dining. Middle of nowhere. The state is losing population. Tells you something about the judgement of the author.
ReplyDeleteJamie's experience is mine, except I didn't come here until the early 1970. Even then when we asked friend from out of town to visit us in "Allentown" we were really talking about the Lehigh Valley in general. Tops on our list were Dorney Park (South Whitehall), The Game Preserve (Schnecksville), the Trout Hatchery (Salisbury), the malls in Whitehall, etc. I loved the Allentown I moved to but other than events at Muhlenberg College and shopping at Hess's I didn't really do much in the city.
ReplyDeleteThe list is completely ridiculous. So many lame cities listed that nobody in their right mind would ever visit on vacation. Affordability is a major component of the survey, which is probably how Allentown got on the list in the first place. So stupid. I'm sure cities had to pay to be on this list.
ReplyDeleteMaybe your friend is referring to the Allentown area overall, which doesn't suck, if you include the rest of the Lehigh Valley. I know your blog is on Allentown, and you and Billy Joel don't have much nice to say.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Allentown is really ready for new leadership. It could be a cool place with a little vision. Multi-ethnic, affordable and urban, it's what every millennial craves.
I thought Billy Joel was referring to Allentown, N.J. wasn't he from N.J.?
DeleteAh yes, that's what we need to do: satisfy the cravings of the snowflake generation. What they should be craving is a city with good jobs, schools and parks. Those are qualities that must be worked for... they are not entitlements.
ReplyDeleteI could vacation in Allentown. If you want a sleepy, do nothing vacation is perfect.
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