There were hundreds of us, we were the baby boomers. The neighborhood was built for returning GI's, and the streets were named after the planes of WW2; Liberator, Catalina, and Coronado. The twin homes were wedged between Jefferson Street and the southern ridge above Lehigh Parkway. Now called Little Lehigh Manor, we knew it simply as Lehigh Parkway, and we had our own school.
Historical Fact:
The original part of the school building contained four classrooms, a teacher's room, and a health room. It replaced the Catalina Avenue School which existed in a home near the present site. Lehigh Parkway received national publicity because it was being build as a result of the new neighborhood. Thus, the "Neighborhood School Concept" was born.
Because of the school and the park, the neighborhood was really self contained. The Lehigh SuperMarket on Lehigh Street was within walking distance. Soon, FoodFair would build their first large Supermarket, also on Lehigh Street, which was even closer. Today it has developed into The Parkway Shopping Center. We kids enjoyed our own Halloween Parade and Easter Egg hunt.
Because there were so many of us, Parkway Elementary only went through 2nd. grade. We would take the bus to Jefferson Elementary for grades 3 through 6.
Historical Fact:
Jefferson Elementary used to be a high school, and for years, it had separate girls' and boys' entrances. These entrances were turned into windows at some point, but the exterior of the building still has the two entrances marked.
These were some of my friends from 3th grade. They all lived in the Parkway. Not only were they all boys, only yesterday, 56 years later, I learned the name of the girl I'm holding hands with in the May Day picture above.
Historical Facts from Allentown School District Website
ADDENDUM: other Parkway Neighborhood Posts,
Time Capsule
Allentown On My Mind
reprinted from January 2010
I grew up in the Parkway also, on Jefferson Street, right across from the shopping center. It was a great place to grow up.
ReplyDeletebout the same age
Thank you so much for this. I grew up on Catalina Street. A baby boomer for sure, born in 1946.
ReplyDeleteLived on the 1500 block of South Jefferson Street. Yes I am a “Lehigh Parkway kid” and proud of it !!!!??
ReplyDeleteWe were so lucky to grow up there! Such a special place.
ReplyDeleteI loved growing up on S Jefferson! The shopping Center was a great place to hang out… my first job was Grants!!! The school was wonderful.. so many great memories! The parkway was wonderful in the winter and summer! We sledded every day after school in the winter. Played all day long in the park during the summer. Now it’s quite different. Change has come to our beloved Parkway. But my memories will always be the same.
ReplyDeleteI grew up on Liberator Ave in the 70's and early 80's before moving to west side of Allentown. Best memories.
ReplyDeleteRob Kingston