When I was a kid growing up in Allentown, we would visit my cousins in Reading. Allentown and Reading seemed very similar, row houses and corner stores. My aunt owned a corner soda fountain. Those Sunday trips were special, because I could sit at the soda counter, eat ice cream and read comic books, to my content. Outside the store, you could look up and see the Pagoda, seemed sorta magical. This weekend I returned to visit the Pagoda and the neighborhood. While the Pagoda pretty much hasn't changed, downtown Reading is devastated. Block after block is run down, with no revitalization in sight.
While this blog misses the Allentown center city of years ago, Reading doesn't even resemble its former self. If you visit, I suggest viewing it only from the pagoda. From that height the city looks as it always did, up close it gets very rough.
molovinsky on allentown is produced every weekday, year-round.
above reprinted from December of 2019
ADDENDUM FEBRUARY 27, 2023: What brought on this reprint was weekend shootings, in both Reading and Easton. So far, there have been no shootings reported in A-town this weekend.
There are those apologists who credit Reilly(town) with making Allentown at least look better than Reading. I prefer the organic growth of Easton, or the historic charm of Bethlehem. Hopefully, Allentown will grow culturally into its new buildings. However, that sort of change is much slower and more complicated than the current pace of demolition and cookie cutter construction taking place.
The 21st century is almost a quarter completed. It is 2023, and the biggest change over the past quarter century is the evolution of the two Allentowns. One is inside the NIZ area, that area between Walnut and Linden from 5th to 10th, Allentown looks newer. It is no longer the Allentown of the 20th century with merchants and professional offices on the upper floors. Now, it is primarily and office park, with company rental apartments. Yes, there are some places to eat and bars, and a few retail establishments. But that is what it is. There are no gas stations to fuel cars, no real places to buy groceries for the apartment-dwellers. Now, there will be approved entertainment venues to add to Miller Symphony Hall and the PPL Arena.. but the primary form of recreation will remain eating out and consuming alcohol.
ReplyDeleteThe second Allentown is outside of that small enclave and consists of primarily poor people who live in homes built a century or more ago. In the Old Allentown area there have been cleanup efforts to make things better and nicer, and then raising housing prices dramatically to attract better tenants. Don't go out at night however to walk the sidewalks or sit on the porch. The city, at least from the Lehigh River to around 12th all seems very old and run-down, and not a lot has changed since World War II except things have gotten older. The residents have changed however, and the common language is now Spanish instead of English. This is the other Allentown, one that the billion or so dollars poured into the NIZ hasn't yet reached..
I honestly don’t think the occupancy rate of all those bland apartment buildings is any higher than 60%. Obviously, the ANIZDA people and Morning Call will claim full occupancy. Some, if not many, of those apartment units are likely leased, but not by private, individual renters. The foot traffic and lack of restaurant success anywhere down there does not portray anything near full occupancy. Then, too, all he dark exterior windows in the evening.
ReplyDeleteThose apartments are practically full. I have been waiting months for a 2 bedroom to become available. There is huge demand for housing downtown and if you haven't seen them yourself they are gorgeous on the inside.
DeleteBuy a house downtown. Pay some taxes and give back. Outside the NIZ bubble. See how much you enjoy it.
DeleteReilly (Town)!!! I love it!
ReplyDeleteThe quality of life that once made Allentown the "Queen City" is gone. The pride of ownership has now been replaced with slumlord run converted house apartments, and dumps. Don't misunderstand, not every home is awful, but without any pride it's getting worse. There is no courtesy, sense of neighborhood, pride, or decency. But what do you expect from people who can't even not throw garbage all around their own neighborhood. Allentown may revive a bit, and I wish it well, but desicrating the history of downtown architecture and replacing it with overpriced, tasteless buildings, then claiming people are beating down the doors to get in, is indeed a hard sell for me. If downtown is such a great place to live, and such in demand, why not leave the NIZ bubble of apartments, and buy a house in one of the lovely neighborhoods and see how much you enjoy downtown living....
ReplyDelete