To rejuvenate Allentown, focus on new cultural base

[LookingToEscape]

Dunce wrote:

Don't worry. The city is beginning to buy up properties in the downtown area that are now rental and rehab them and sell them to individual families with a strict contract for no subdividing or rentals. I expect they will need to bulldoze most of the city and rebuild for the people that can afford to own a home and not huddle in a slum lord dump.

Allentown could tear down some of the more architectually unremarkable row homes in the core area, pave over the lots and leave those places for FREE parking.
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One of the ball and chains in Allentown is it's parking situation. People do not want to be bothered by digging out change, race in to conduct business and then race out to avoid a parking ticket.
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There's no reason the more attractive sound older housing should be replaced. They're a sunk cost and would be ideal for moderate income home owners.

[Agreed]

steve-2304 wrote:

<quoted text>
What a dinosaur. Hey genius, read a History book. This country was built by people from all kinds of cultures.
If being an American means thinking, speaking, and acting like you, I'll take my chances with the Latinos.

Seriously. I'd like the original poster to define "American." We have no culture to assimilate to (NASCAR doesn't count, sorry).

[Balack Obooger]

radical moderate wrote:

<quoted text>
The Pa Dutch spoke Grman and dressed like farmers openly in the early 20th Century. I suppose the Leni Lenapis said "this Germanization" makes me sick.

I don't think the PA Dutch were running around knocking off Wawa's or Pizza Huts with knives and guns or impregnating a dozen different women and breeding like roaches abusing the welfare system.

[bpc]

I was passing Vicky's Sweet Spot ("VSS") and saw they sell sandwiches. I was surprised what a awesome deal -- I got a huge turkey/ham/cheese on cheshire roll ... included was a pickle wedge and chips --- plus that huge oatmeal/raisin cookie. Less than $6 bucks!

http://www.vickyssweetspot.com/

Go Allentown

[bpc]

Furrier - How about a bicycle shop with spinning class, yoga, cafe ... like Austin TX.

[trivia plenum]

I moved here from Philadelphia, which I love. I miss the public transportation and the restaurrants, but I am enchanted by Allentown's unique beauty.

You know what has really put me off since my move. People like Disgusted and snowman Bath, whose xenophobia looms large.

I'm so glad that I'm not living in fear. Thanks for your insightful comment, steve-2304 - I agree with you wholeheartedly!

[A Wee Bit Insane]

steve-2304 wrote:

<quoted text>
What a dinosaur. Hey genius, read a History book. This country was built by people from all kinds of cultures.
If being an American means thinking, speaking, and acting like you, I'll take my chances with the Latinos.

THANKS,Steve. Guys like this and Balack Obooger like to use forums like this to advance their vile thoughts anonymously but, I truly pity and fear then at the same time. A minimal understanding of the American story would teach any of these dolts that we all come from somewhere else to make America what she is. God Bless You.

[trivia plenum]

Balack Obooger wrote:

<quoted text>
I don't think the PA Dutch were running around knocking off Wawa's or Pizza Huts with knives and guns or impregnating a dozen different women and breeding like roaches abusing the welfare system.

Balack (your post name is quite ignorant, by the way), the PA Dutch didn't have to do all that - the U.S. Army beat them to it; they ran across the country with guns and infected blankets, killing and stealing land from the native people, lying about it, impregnating the women with their illegitimate children that they then denied, forced them to "assimilate' and still treated them like dirt, all the while telling them more lies about working hard is the way to get somewhere.

But then, you don't read history books, do you?

[trivia plenum]

Agreed wrote:

<quoted text>
Seriously. I'd like the original poster to define "American." We have no culture to assimilate to (NASCAR doesn't count, sorry).

Amen! Yanno, I was thinking of asking them to provide a picture of their so-called "American" in "American" clothes. I'm just afraid that if they do, they're going to provide a picture of guys in white sheets or folks in SS uniforms... I'm just sayin'!

[comment]

Charles, your comments are just plain weird. Class is class,good taste is good taste.
Your attempt to sound so embracing of our hispanic culture almost sounds racist. So know latin americans like upscale boutiques?
give me a break.

[hadenough]

comment wrote:

Charles, your comments are just plain weird. Class is class,good taste is good taste.
Your attempt to sound so embracing of our hispanic culture almost sounds racist. So know latin americans like upscale boutiques?
give me a break.

Sure they do, it is a better place to target their victims who would probably have something worth stealing.

[cat kid]

Snowball wrote:

Everything cannot be done at once ... but Allentown waterfront has potential for development that could make the downtown a place just up the street as it were. From Front Street to the river from at least Tilghman St. to Hamilton ... then up Hamilton on both sides into downtown. Several vacant industrial buildings [Neuweilers for example], Bucky Boyle Park, a river walk, the Wheels display, etc. might bring in some tourist ... but would certain be a boost for the locals also. I agree also with Charles ... we are a changing cultural base ... but that is not to say that development must simply be African American/Latino ... rather development that should encourage all cultures to mix in a friendly atmosphere, free of fear and distrust.

i totally agree with you, people like to be near the water and allentown has an opportunity to exploit its natural beauty, the lehigh river. but on the other end of the spectrum, you have to cut down crime, people dont want to go out to have fun and then get robbed or shot afterwards, i feel the lehigh could present may opportunities if it was done right, and right now it is a wasted ladmark.

[A Wee Bit Insane]

comment wrote:

Charles, your comments are just plain weird. Class is class,good taste is good taste.
Your attempt to sound so embracing of our hispanic culture almost sounds racist. So know latin americans like upscale boutiques?
give me a break.

I love how you conflate hispanic culture with crime and decay,you have to have a very intelligent and open mind to do that. Congratulations on your ignorance and bigotry. Many other areas have utilized their waterfronts for urban development,Toledo,Cleveland,B oston NYC and Providence. They have vibrant and exciting downtowns that provide MULTICULTURAL avtivities all day and night. As a consequence these cities provide less opportunity for those deprived and depraved memebers of society to practice their covert activities. The solution to crime is multicultural development. If you werent so blinded by ignorance and bigotry you would see that. Thank God for those leaders who have the guts to stand up to you and your ilk and advace Allentown and the Lehigh into this vibrant MULTICULTURAL era that we are soooo late to join because of you and yours. Hasta la vista mi amigo ciego y prejudicado.

[comment]

I am the one and only original "comment". Please disregard "comment" from Allentown ISP location.

As a child, I played football at Bucky Boyle Park for DYC (Downtown Youth Association) and later Allentown A's. The area of the 1st and 6th ward has been ignored since Post WWII. It always was a ghetto because it had such disgusting amenities such as the smell of rotting pig and cow carcasses and the sell of S-H-I-T from the sewage treatment facilty that was an open process. For years it was the Irish and Jewish ghetto, then it progressed to a white, black and Syrian ghetto, and now is dominated by the hispanic.

What has changed is that A&B are gone, City of Allentown modernized their sewage treatment facility, and UGI torn down its eyesore of a 20 story expansion tank. The prospects and plans for the develoment along the Lehigh River have been ongoing for nearly 20 years. A park and dance hall. A park and transportation museum.

Here is what the City and county should do. One parcel bought and paid by the City another parcel bought and paid by the County. It then can become a joint border park, with a riverwalk promenade, a small boat marina, more college's putting up Boathouse's like Lehigh University, city of Allentown reinstalling a pool and maintaing the ballfields down there.

Nearly everything east of Front Street from Hamilton to Tilghman should be torn out, with no buildings along the east side of Front Street, except a redeveopment of Neuweiler Building as a mixed use facility. Save as much as you can and then build out around it, including a high rise medium income to high income apartment tower. Expand size of Front Street to 4 lanes with flow of traffic in both directions.

West side of Front Street, you can allow the traditional neighborhoods and where there are run down old wharehouses or industrial sites, clean them up and sell to the privte sector. Allow the private sector to have a special mixed use zone for housing, hotel, retail, apartment to develop a functioning village within a city concept.

Then on east side of Lehigh River, clean and pave path from Allentown border with Hanover Township (Lehigh) to Bethlehem.

There is so much opportunity for kayaking, canoeing, and boating along the Lehigh River. There is so much opportunity being wasted with 20 years of plans, but very little action.

Buy it, clear it, seed it with grass, and then maintain it. Once the river is opened up, people will come, then the investors will come.

On the west

[LookingToEscape]

A Wee Bit Insane wrote:

<quoted text>Thank God for those leaders who have the guts to stand up to you and your ilk and advace Allentown and the Lehigh into this vibrant MULTICULTURAL era that we are soooo late to join because of you and yours. Hasta la vista mi amigo ciego y prejudicado.

Multicultural is this year's buzzword.
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I think if there is a demand for multiculturalness, it will develop. You can't plop multicultural down and expect it to work if there is no demand for it. I do not see a big demand for it.

[Rocky Raccon]

I agree somewhat with many posters. I grew up in A-town on South Idaho St and Fernor Street which are both sec8 heaven.

The police don't care, city council doesn't care and the residents of the sec8 only care about their "Free" Social Benefits thanks to the American Taxpayer...Illegal Aliens don't pay taxes...really!

To wee bit inane: Why are most if nOT all Hispanic Countries Third-World Nations?

The key to all this crap is NO special treatment. No voter booths, driver center papers in 29 different languages. English only. My Great-Grandparents learned English and only spoke Polish/Spanish at home or church.

[Disgusted]

trivia plenum wrote:

<quoted text>
Amen! Yanno, I was thinking of asking them to provide a picture of their so-called "American" in "American" clothes. I'm just afraid that if they do, they're going to provide a picture of guys in white sheets or folks in SS uniforms... I'm just sayin'!

What do you mean we have no culture to assimilate to?? What kind of moronity is this?? Up until the 19760's we had, as the old TV show used to say, "truth, justice and the American way." Now we have a mish-mashed mess with multiculuralist idiots saying there is and never was an "American culture." These fools are selling our nation's sould just as badly as the industrialists are selling our economic future by shipping our industrial jobs to China.

[wow]

Anonymous wrote:

Allentown is the cesspool of the Lehigh Valley.
You’ve gotten what you asked for.
Enjoy your Haven, Allentown.

ha, NJ is sooo much better, lol

[A Wee Bit Insane]

Rocky Raccon wrote:

I agree somewhat with many posters. I grew up in A-town on South Idaho St and Fernor Street which are both sec8 heaven.
The police don't care, city council doesn't care and the residents of the sec8 only care about their "Free" Social Benefits thanks to the American Taxpayer...Illegal Aliens don't pay taxes...really!
To wee bit inane: Why are most if nOT all Hispanic Countries Third-World Nations?
The key to all this crap is NO special treatment. No voter booths, driver center papers in 29 different languages. English only. My Great-Grandparents learned English and only spoke Polish/Spanish at home or church.

Hey that is really clever how you misspell my screen name,you are good. The U.S. is the largest debtor nation and has the largest growing % of people living in poverty. If you look at the stats the U.S. is the largest third world country. Many hispanic countries have emerging economies and growing middle classes. Success is not predicated by ethnicity nor is it predicated on speaking english,why do you pseudo-intelectual,political dolts use english language as a lightning rod. Minorities in the next generation will speak more and better english than you ever have or will,does that ensure their success? When are you going to support any of your petty theories with data? In a competitive environment you will surely not survive, you dont own Allentown and you dont own America. A new day is dawning and blacks and browns are rising,pray brother we have softer hearts and short memories for the crap you have laid on us. Dont talk down to me because you and your children will be answering to me and my children soon. Please have the courtesy to address me properly your intentional ignorance is indestinguishable from your intrinsic incapacities. You just aint all that,homey!

[NotALemming]

Maybe we should consider NOT catering to illegal aliens!? Encouragining criminal conduct will only serve to increase it.