Up to the mid 1960's, before Allentown started tinkering with urban redevelopment, lower Hamilton Street still teemed with businesses. The City had grown from the river west, and lower Hamilton Street was a vibrant area. Two train stations and several rail lines crossed the busy thoroughfare. Front, Ridge and Second were major streets in the first half of the twentieth century. My grandparents settled on the 600 block of 2nd Street in 1895, along with other Jewish immigrants from Russia and Lithuania. As a boy, I worked at my father's meat market on Union Street. I would have lunch at a diner, just out of view in the photo above. The diner was across from the A&P, set back from the people shown on the corner. A&P featured bags of ground to order 8 O'Clock coffee, the Starbucks of its day.
please click on photo
photocredit:Ed Miller, 1953
reprinted from 2011
I lived up the street and went to the A&P a lot. I remember Kitty and her son, Don running things. Ozzie steak shop and the cleaners were next to it. I remember the diner across the street, but not the name.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure but think it was barney's.
DeleteI believe Barney's Diner was on Lehigh Street near the Harrison Street intersection.
DeleteMy grandparents lived at 241 Walnut St. I shopped at that A&P, ate at the Diner, my grandparents used the Dry Cleaners, my grandfather visited all the Bars nearby, used the Barber up 2nd Street from the A&P, etc. I lived with my grandparents for 1/2 of my life and spent many weekends there. We had the Drugstore, and Puerto Rican Grocery Store around 3rd and Hamilton, with a Laundromat off the corner, and so much more. We didn't need to go far for anything!
ReplyDeleteDo you remember a TV repair shop Ernies TV We were right there before the bridge on first and Hamilton
ReplyDeleteBarney's was on the south side of Hamilton 100 block.
ReplyDelete