Little Lehigh Manor was built for the returning GIs after the War. It was a self contained development of several hundred brick twin houses, nestled between Lehigh Parkway and Lehigh Street. It had its own elementary school, and nearby grocery stores. Although this development may have been more idyllic than some older areas in Allentown, it shared its best feature with the rest of the city... It was a neighborhood. I hear these same memories from people in my generation who grew up on the East Side, across the river in the Ward, or center city at 9th and Chew. Great mentoring occurred at the Boys and Girls Clubs, and another dozen organizations devoted to the community's youth. Although there were economic differences and poverty, they seemed to have less of an effect on quality of life and opportunity than now. Perhaps it was the massive number of children from the
Baby Boom that created a communal sense of caring among the parents and organizations, but something special seems missing today.
reprinted from January of 2013
picture dates from around 1949. An enterprising photographer brought a pony around the neighborhood as an alluring prop.
Allentown ranks 97th of Best Cities in PA.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.simplethriftyliving.com/the-best-cities-for-middle-class-families-in-every-state/
doug@8:29, what a drastic, sad decline. In 2005 I stated as a candidate that Allentown was becoming a poverty magnet, which would have dire consequences. Although I was ostracized by the Morning Call for my warning, unfortunately, I was rather prophetic.
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