My grandfather lived on the corner of Chew and Jordan Streets. He butchered in a barn behind the house. For the sake of the vegans I'll spare the details, but suffice to say it wasn't for sissies. The house is still there, 301 Jordan, the barn is gone. He would deliver the meat with a horse and wagon. On the weekends, when the family wanted to visit friends, the horse insisted on doing the meat market route first. Only after he stopped in front of the last market on the route, would he permit my grandfather to direct him.
I managed rental properties between 4th and 12th Streets. Collecting rents or throwing people out is not for sissies. I developed a route between the buildings, utilizing many alleys because of the one way streets. While on my route, I got to know many people living in Allentown, and the circumstances of the different neighborhoods. I would often take pictures of people and things I considered photographic. Although I no longer have the managing job, like my grandfather's horse, I continue on the route. But things have changed, I now often keep my car door locked. Not only don't I take photographs anymore, even making eye contact can be uncomfortable. The streets are meaner and the people are harder. Don't blame me, as an agent I always put the neighbor's comfort ahead of finding tenants. Don't blame me, as a citizen I ran for office and bluntly said what needed to be done.
reprinted from March 2012
UPDATE MAY 29, 2018: I considered sanitizing this post, especially about the behavior of some of the urban core poor. However, you can find political correctness anywhere, but it's just not this blog's brand.
I'm not looking political correctness. But I think it's sad that you chose to be scared. I never understood that. My father's office was below Linden on 5th. My father worked until the 2nd half of his 80's. He was never scared. He was a proponent of Allentown. It's 10 years since his death. Like my father...I am not scared of my city. You create your own reality. Mine is comfortable. People not only make eye contact with me, they nod their heads or say 'was up'. You create your only reality. Be an ambassador ...or be a scared little man. That's sad.
ReplyDeletevalerie@6:43, scared is a figure of speech. If i was literally scared, I could not have done my job, nor would i be downtown all day and writing a blog. HOWEVER, to pretend that things haven't changed in Allentown; litter, lack of civility, increase in crime and other things which have lowered the quality of life is just in denial. you can be an ambassador, i'll chronicle the change.
ReplyDeleteMy dad passed in Mid March and my mom lives with us now in Upper Perk. Their house, and the one I grew up in on Linden Street, just to the east of West Park is up for sale.
ReplyDeleteAllentown is NOT the same as it was when I was born in the 1970s, and grew up in the 1980s. Even the west end is getting invaded by the people who destroyed must of the City east of Twelfth. I'm glad we didn't move back in the years after college and grad school, but chose to live in the suburbs, where the residents that in years past would live in Hanover Acres now inhabit the area I grew up in, and where I would walk downtown or to Allen, or to Jackson or Raub.
Times have changed the city, and not for the better. My daughter will have a very different life than I had, largely to the actions of Mayor Dadonna who invited the scum of New York and Philadelphia to live in Allentown so he could get their votes.
the changing demographics of allentown and the consequences of it are a awkward discussion. we who dare to broach it leave ourselves open to accusations of racism. my post on the hip hop concert being an example, where val again made such a charge against me.
ReplyDeletefrom my point of view too many people have a victim mentality, and also don't accept responsibility for their actions. fights outside a concert are not normal or to be expected. news reports of such behavior are not insensitive.
meanwhile, at the hop hip forum, one panel member complained that too many people profiting from hip hop are white, especially jewish. not one person in attendance, including Val, had an issue with those statements.
Changing demographics is true. Change is hard to accept, however, I can't blame former Mayor Dadonna for taking advantage of the federal funding that some other city would have received. Most of the population in the Allentown Housing Projects were just poor. Many worked hard and eventually moved out. I'd say 97% were law abiding and you could find that bad 3% anywhere in the City. Joe Dadonna was a good Mayor and Ambassador for Allentown.
ReplyDeleteThe animals that today live in Allentown are Joe Dadonna's true legacy
ReplyDelete