Passings

I started the day at Canal Park with my Uncle David. David is 66 years old and grew up in Allentown before joining the Air Force in the sixties and eventually ending up in Nashville Tennessee. David wanted to see what was left of the A+B, the old textile mills and the train stations along the American Parkway.

David told me he remembered the old bridge over the Lehigh before the flood took it out in the fifties.

Watching my uncle look around, I was genuinely jealous of what he was able to see when he looked at the same things I was viewing. He remembers Allentown as the manufacturing and textile hub that I have never experienced.

We headed over to what I remember being called the B+G Train Station, and what was last known as Bananas when in business. The old station has been closed for awhile now, following a series of criminal activities. I hope it doesn’t end up the way of the Neuweiler Brewery.

David headed towards the creek, trying to find a ruin left of the other train station that used to exist there. David and I found only homeless people who were rather unhappy to see us. I noticed David hesitated when he walked. I hadn’t seen him do that before.

Heading home, I listened to David tell me stories of Allentown in the fifties and sixties. The day was warming quickly and the early cold evaporated into what felt like the first genuine beginning of spring. I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Spring fever had hit facebook. The first status update I saw came from my friend Erica who wanted to go to a park and play Frisbee. The updates continued. I intended to get to the park, but my car broke down and plans changed.

In the evening, my uncle and the rest of my family headed to an annual St. Patrick’s Day extravaganza held by close family friends. The night started off well, with warm and wonderfully excessive servings of corned beef and cabbage. Beer flowed freely, and soon tongues followed. I sat and listened to my parents, my uncle, and the Ryan girls talk about their collective pasts.

One of the Ryan girls told us that she was retiring after 25 years working for the Allentown School District. She said that things had changed to the point where she no longer recognized the place that had been a second home for a quarter of a century. Her eyes filled, and she suddenly looked old, I asked her for her age. She told me she was 62.

I thought of the woman or man that she replaced 25 years ago. I wondered if that person, upon retiring, said what she was saying to me at the table. I wondered if she was as afraid for the future, as afraid of the change around her. I wondered if she thought everything was going to hell in a handbasket too.

The conversation turned quickly to the way things used to be. I heard details of neighborhoods in downtown Allentown full of houses with unlocked doors, of people coming and going all as friends, of dinners shared, marriages attended, funerals mourned in tandem. .

I heard about everyone who was missing. The people they said should be there, the ones buried in chemotherapy, the ground or unfortunate circumstances. With every name, their eyes grew wetter.

Going outside, at the back end of the parking lot a baseball field’s snowcover was melting with the sunset.

The season was beginning its passing.

What will we miss, in the weeks to come, the years that will pass; the faces lost to time or death, I don’t know. My uncle is forty years my elder. I can’t imagine what observations I may share with a nephew forty years from today and I wonder if what I have now will be viewed with rose tinted glasses, glorified. For now, it all seems half the existence that my parent’s generation had, and I feel genuinely sad for missing it.

Visiting the Great Allentown Fair

Visiting the fair is a tradition when you grow up in Allentown. As a child, the fair is exciting and awe inspiring. There are animals to see, rides, carnival games and the inevitable winning of a goldfish that manages to live just long enough to name it before the flush. When you reach high school and the high hormones of your teenage years, the fair is the place to hang out.

We used to gather around the Ritz and literally just stand there. Of course, before leaving, we would be carrying a plastic bag with a goldfish in it.

Now, as an adult living a block from the fair, it is mostly a pain in the ass with traffic, parking,and scores of cowboy hat wearing undesirables meandering around the neighborhood a little tipsy, yelling something about Tim McGraw and America.

The one constant about the fair is that it means that summer is ending. The fair is the last big hurrah of the season before school starts and leaves start to fall.

Despite recognizing the rides are moderately safe at best and that the games are all rigged (saving the dart game that allows you to win a tiny poster of scantily clad ladies, the candy wheel, and of course the goldfish) and that the crowd is more than a little sketchy; there are absolutely some great things at the Fair that are worth checking out.

I made my yearly pilgrimage to the white trash Mecca of eastern Pennsylvania last night. I entered the gates where I always do, off of Liberty St on the far end. Here, for every year I have attended this event, sit hot tub salesman. Have any of you ever seen anyone walking out of the fair with a hot tub in tow? I want to know conclusively if anyone has ever purchased a hot tub at the fair. I need to know this.

I made my usual beeline to Agricultural Hall. As a kid, I never wanted to go to Ag Hall. I thought it was boring and I am sure I pitched a fit as soon as my mother said “granges.” Now, with the agricultural legacy of the fair fading, I think Ag Hall is the most important place at the fair and it is in fact the reason I go. (I stopped bothering with the goldfish after at least 10 deaths)

Here, in a corner of Ag Hall, away from the hucksters selling magic clocks that tell the time, mop the floor and sing God Bless America is a reminder of our history and our waning agricultural surroundings.

Between the Granges

and the animals



I find my reason for visiting the fair. Despite the fact that as I write this Allen St is still parked full near midnight… The roots of the fair are the reason I still go. I congratulate the farmers and gardeners that won blue ribbons or presented.

You folks are at once our past and our future. Thank you for doing what you do. We need it. These beautiful vegetables are our weapons against a chain culture of plastic restaurants and factory farming. Go Farmers!

Our July Weather

It is around this time of July that a 55 degree evening spent drinking cinnamon tea in a sweater becomes very appealing. It is high summer. Perhaps it is because of my personal distaste for heat and humidity or perhaps it is because that on average July 21 through the 23 is the hottest time of the year. Each day, according to current 30 year averages, should reach a high of about 85 and drop to a low of 63. On July 24th the average high drops to 84 which is by no means any cooler but slowly over the month of August our average high drops through the eighties and ends at 79 on August 31st. Realize that these are only averages and at any time we could get smacked with a week long dog day heat wave.

The hottest day ever recorded in July was on July 3rd 1966 when the mercury boiled to 105 degrees. The coolest night in July happened on July 20th 1938 when the temperature dipped to 38 degrees overnight. That was part of a record cold snap that charted lows in the upper thirties for three straight days. I would not be complaining had that happened this year.

July averages 4.27 inches of precipitation which is just shy of our wettest summer month, August when the average is 4.35. Our rainfall averages for these months are much higher than those in winter moths because of the more violent weather systems that affect us. These storms are moisture laden with deep southwesterly flows, oftentimes on the backsides of Bermuda Highs which pump our Valley full of that swampy air that defines Pennsylvania summers.

Our current extended forecast is a model for typical July weather. We are scheduled to have warm humid afternoons with highs in mid eighties and lows in the mid sixties. Each day has the possibility of showers and thunderstorms but not because of a cold front but because of atmospheric instability and humidity. It is going to be a gross week.

What’s your favorite season? We’re about 63 days away from the start of autumn. (Thank god, I’m worried about the health of my fan.)

A visit to Sportsfest

I made my first ever trip to Sportsfest this weekend. I saw basketball, hockey, martial arts, body building, skateboarding, archery and boxing on one walk through. There was something for everyone to check out.






(Not the kind of buffer we need)

The highlight of my trip down there was being able to use a paddle boat on Muhlenberg “lake”. I posted about that yesterday. (Muhlenberg Lake: I’m on a boat) Other folks were using kayaks and canoes as well.

I have mixed feeling about the festival thinking about it now. While I was glad to see the park being used, and it seemed like the event was a definite success, I am wondering if the carnival games were really necessary.

They felt out of place, as did the giant Lunchables section.

I realize that Lunchables was the sponsor of the event but it certainly seemed like a mixed message was being sent. I mean, processed ham and the like are great for athletes to keep in top form…

I was hoping that there would be some healthy foods offered but I found only greasy fair food. It was kind of odd watching the big orange bodybuilders and basketball players wolfing down cheeseburgers and fries.

All in all, I am glad I made the trip down and I think the event was great. It offered an opportunity to many different athletes to show their stuff and it provided the chance for a lot of people to experience one of our city parks. It showed how versatile Cedar Beach can be. Walking around down there, I was also certainly reminded of how out of shape I am. At least I may have been able to compete in one event and have a slight chance:

I could take those dogs.

After 13 parks

I wrote these first thirteen park logs as observations. They were to show the parks of our city as they are and to let people know that they are there and that they are wonderful assets to our city. Not one of these parks is without problems. It is these issues that this blog will begin to focus on in the future.

There are still park logs to be done and you will see them soon but I will begin to post more about the future and the past of our parks and try to serve as an educational resource as city plans for the parks are put into action.

I have alot of work to do for this blog and for you my readers. Thank you for reading what I have posted thus far. The reaction I have received has been beyond anything I could imagine that would happen to a guy writing about city parks.

The best is yet to come folks, keep reading! And in case you have missed anything:
Park Logs thus far:

One: West Park

Two: Trexler Park
Trexler Park Supplemental

Three: South Mountain

Four: Lehigh Parkway
Lehigh Parkway part 2
Lehigh Parkway part 3

Five: Keck Park

Six: The Fish Hatchery

Seven: East Side Reservoir

Eight: Cedar Beach Parkway
Cedar Beach Parkway Part 2
Cedar Beach Parkway Part 3

Nine: Trexler Park 2 and Beyond

Ten: Union Terrace

Eleven: Trout Creek Parkway
Trout Creek Parkway Part 2

Twelve: Canal Park

Thirteen: Jordan Park

Evening Notes, West Park, and The Dave Matthews Band

First up is the West Park House Tour. Check out the link here for more information and while you are at it, check out the West Park Civic Association.

Second, this Saturday night come to Taylor Roasted Coffee House in Northampton. I host an open mic there bi-weekly and a good friend of mine and excellent musician will be playing this week. It is always a good time. The shop is located next to the Roxy on Main Street.

Third, (and I am amazed by this) Mcall.com is reporting that the Dave Matthews Band has been contacted and may play Coca-Cola Park next summer.(I am so glad I got tickets to that Dylan show already) I should out myself here as being a major fan boy for DMB. They are one of the most unique and talented ensembles of musicians currently playing and their new album Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King is fantastic. I hope the folks at CCP can pull this one off; it would teach Musikfest a lesson about booking bands and set a huge example about what kinds of concerts are possible in the city. If you have never listened, here are some videos to check out. (and if you already have listened or have dismissed them as frat rock, have another listen, they will surprise you)




I had to drive to Hershey in a nearly broken down car that almost died on the way home for this show but it was so worth it:

Visiting the Ghosts: Neuweiler Beer - "Nix Besser"

After writing this post, I figured I would go and visit some of the places in Allentown that have fallen into disrepair but were at one time leaders of business in the city. Through a search online, I located a fellow named John who had been given permission by the current owner of the Neuweiler site to allow access to interested individuals. Sunday afternoon, my brother, my friend CJ and I took a journey through what is left of the old brewery and here are some pictures:





















It was unbelievable in there. It was sad. It is a real mess. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to see it while I could. I took the following pictures from the roof:



This ghost watches the city and if ever a building could feel sad I would imagine this one does. It was an odd feeling, looking at Allentown from the roof. Seeing Coca-Cola Park and the new buildings on Hamilton made the visit more special. Those are our new landmarks. Sunday afternoon, I stood on one of our older landmarks that is deteriorating further everyday and there is little chance to save it. There are no imminent plans for the site that I am aware of but when the time comes, and it will, I hope they save what they can and preserve it. What follows is a brief history of Neuweiler Beer.

"Louis Neuweiler came to Allentown in 1891. Beermaking then was more than 100 years old in the Valley, its roots going back to the Moravian brewers in Bethlehem. Neuweiler hooked up with longtime brewer Benedict Nuding, whose business was at Seventh and Union streets. In 1900, Neuweiler bought out Nuding. In 1906, he took his oldest son, Charles, into the business that became L.F. Neuweiler & Son.

The Seventh Street location was too small for expansion, so in 1911 the Neuweilers purchased 4.5 acres at Front and Gordon streets and hired Philadelphia architects Peukert and Wunder to build the brewery. It got its water from an underground lake 900 feet below. Neuweiler ordered his own generators for electric power and had separate wells drilled.

Neuweiler opened at this location on April 28, 1913. That day, son Louis P. entered the business and its name became Louis F. Neuweiler & Sons, a name it would retain until 1965. (Louis P. Neuweiler later left the family business and became a local banking executive at Merchants National Bank.)

Neuweiler's truly was a family operation. Charles Neuweiler sometimes drove the horse-drawn wagon to Bethlehem loaded with barrels. The women in the family kept the books.

Neuweiler's also was something of an absolute monarchy. Generous to his family, Louis F. Neuweiler had a temper and little patience with those he regarded as lesser mortals. He once ripped the telephone out of the wall in frustration and told the operator she could go to hell when she couldn't understand the phone number he was asking for.

Louis F. died in 1929. It was during Prohibition and Neuweiler's was brewing only near beer with 3.2 percent alcohol and making mixers under the names Purity and Frontenac Pale. In the early 1930s, Charles Neuweiler turned down an offer to buy the brewery for $500,000 from gangster/bootlegger Arthur Flegenheimer, aka Dutch Schultz. According to son Theodore Neuweiler, his father said, ''We have always made honest beer,'' and ordered Schultz off the property.

At first, the post-Prohibition years were good for Neuweiler's. Its slogan ''nix besser,'' none better, was shared across the community. But by the early 1960s it found itself trapped between the growing market share of the beer giants of the Midwest and the growing preference for its lighter product.

On May 31, 1968, Neuweiler's closed its doors for the last time, $800,000 in debt.

Over the years, some of the equipment was sold. One of the stainless steel brewing tanks ended up at the Milford Park campmeeting grounds in Old Zionsville to be used for water storage."
-Urban Exploration Resource

The Lehigh Canal

Yesterday, I visited Canal Park. Before I get to the park log, I feel like it is very appropriate to provide a little history here. No other park in Allentown is so entrenched in the history of our city. There are wonderful online resources that provide detailed historical facts and pictures. I recommend Everette Carr’s website; he journeyed the entire length of the old canal and documented its current state with pictures. His site is available here.

There are some wonderful period pictures posted on this website.

This is a concise history of the canal, published on the National Canal Museum website:

"The Lehigh Navigation (referred to as the Lehigh Canal) was constructed to carry anthracite coal from the upper Lehigh Valley to Easton. Its creation was the direct result of Phillip Ginder's discovery of large deposits of anthracite (hard coal) near Summit Hill, Pa. in 1791. Ginder's discovery led to the formation of the Lehigh Coal Mine Company which successfully transported anthracite down the turbulent Lehigh and Delaware Rivers to Philadelphia. By 1820 a downstream navigation system was completed which would allow arks loaded with coal to navigate from the present site of Jim Thorpe, (Mauch Chunk) Pa. to Easton. This navigation system was made possible by Josiah White's invention of a system of "bear trap" or hydrostatic locks. These "bear trap" locks increased the depth of the Lehigh by creating small artificial floods which carried the loaded arks downstream.
To obtain additional investment capital the Lehigh Navigation and the Lehigh Coal Company were merged to form the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company in 1821. By 1825 this new company was shipping over 30,000 tons of anthracite to Philadelphia annually. Increased competition from the newly completed Schuylkill Navigation System and a desire to establish both ascending and descending navigation on the Lehigh led the company to rebuild its waterway into a conventional canal with lift locks. Designed by Canvass White, formerly engineer of New York's Erie Canal, the Lehigh Navigation combined slackwater pools and canal sections. It was constructed between 1827 and 1829. The enlarged Lehigh Navigation was over 46 miles in length between its terminal points of Mauch Chunk (present Jim Thorpe) and Easton. It had a total of 52 locks, 8 guard locks, 8 dams and 6 aqueducts. These engineering features enabled the waterway to overcome a difference in elevation of almost 355 feet. The Lehigh Navigation also had the largest carrying capacity of any of the anthracite canals at the time of its completion since the locks were large enough to allow the passage of vessels which could carry over 200 tons of coal. However, the smaller sizes of the connecting Morris and Delaware canals limited the Lehigh Canal boats to 95 ton loads.

Within five years of its completion the enlarged Lehigh Navigation had been linked to both Philadelphia and New York by means of the Delaware Division Canal and Morris Canal respectively. As a result the lower Lehigh Valley was the only region in America to have efficient transportation connections with New York and Philadelphia, America's two largest metropolitan areas during this period. This factor combined with water power available from the Lehigh Navigation helped to make this region a birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution.
Seeking to tap the rapidly developing Beaver Meadow coal fields near the site of present Hazelton, and also to connect with the Susquehanna River and the great Wyoming coal fields at Wilkes-Barre, the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company constructed a northward extension of its navigation system between 1835 and 1838. Designed by the brilliant engineer E.A. Douglas, this 26 mile northern extension to White Haven, which was called the Upper Grand Section of the Lehigh Navigation, was one the greatest engineering feats of the Nineteenth Century. Utilizing 20 dams and 29 Locks, this waterway overcame a difference in elevation of over 600 feet between White Haven and Mauch Chunk. The locks of the Upper Grand Section were particularly impressive. Lock 27, which was also named the Pennsylvania, was located near Lehigh Tannery, and was able to raise or lower boats over 30 feet to the next level. Northward out of White Haven the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company constructed the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad with its innovative Ashley Planes (inclined planes) to reach the Susquehanna at Wilkes-Barre.
The Lehigh Navigation System reached its peak in 1855. In that year it carried more than one million tons of cargo. However, 1855 also marked the completion of the Lehigh Valley Railroad between Mauch Chunk and Easton. Competition from this new anthracite carrier began to reduce the navigation system's cargo. Of even greater importance was the devastation inflicted on this waterway by the great flood of June 4, 1862. Both the main canal and the Upper Grand Section were almost totally destroyed. Although the portion of the Lehigh Navigation between Mauch Chunk and Easton was rebuilt, the Upper Grand Section was replaced by an extension of the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad. Between 1865 and 1867 this line was further extended to Easton were it connected with the Central Railroad of New Jersey. In 1871 the Lehigh and Susquehanna was leased to the Central Railroad of New Jersey.
During the 1870's and 1880's the decline in tonnage carried by the Lehigh Navigation continued. By 1880 the tonnage carried had fallen by over 50% and by 1900 it had fallen to less than 1/4 of its 1855 peak total. The Lehigh Navigation continued to function as a transportation artery until 1932, making it the last fully functioning towpath canal in North America. Portions of the Lehigh Navigation were utilized to carry reclaimed coal silt until 1942 when a flood ended towpath navigation. In 1962 most of it was sold to private and public organizations for recreational use."

I will post the park log tomorrow.

The Regional Water Council

I had the chance to take in the press conference at Illick's Mill Park this afternoon in Bethlehem. The gist of the press conference was that a Regional Water Council should be created in order to deal with the ever expanding cost of water and waste water management. Numerous city, county and township officials were present to express their support. Ed Rendell, our governor, made an appearance as well.

The need for this new Regional Water Council was expressed in a recent study conducted regarding the water and waste water management in the Lehigh Valley. Speaker Cindy Feinberg reminded the gathered crowd that cooperation was necessary and highlighted a recent deal between the city of Allentown and Lehigh County.

Northampton County Executive John Stoffa warned that in addition to current water management that something had to be done to protect and clean our local water resources. He said that we need to “be careful of what is happening in some of our streams.”

Governor Rendell said that costs of water and waste water management were going to skyrocket by 2020. He advised that not only would a Regional Water Council help save millions of dollars but that the presence of this council would help supply water in case of a natural disaster or terrorist attack.

Charles Marcon offered a summary near the end of the press conference. He said that the R.W.C would “work regionally, consolidate and make wise decisions.” He said that the R.W.C would use “regional approaches that are viable, sustainable and lead to smarter growth.”

There was a brief Q+A session at the end where Marcon, Steven Bliss and Micheal Drabenstott fielded a few questions from the audience.

All in all, the event got me curious to see what will come from a Regional Water Council. More than one speaker warned of the dangers of a water monopoly and the price gauging that could affect taxpayers as a result of such a thing.

All the specific facts are available for viewing at www.renewlv.org/water

What do you think?

(For the record, the park was beautiful. After visiting, I think I may have to do some Bethlehem Park Logs when I am finished with Allentown.)

With a little help from my friend... 10 great Allentown Restaurants

I asked my friend Capri who writes a wonderful blog called: Nothing like the pants , to help me create a list of the top ten best places to eat in Allentown. I consider myself to be an amateur foodie but she is by all means much more of one than I. She is also a vegetarian and I am not, so she has a different and unique perspective on local eateries. Here is her list:

"Aladdin
This is hands down my favorite Allentown restaurant. The decor is just a toe over the line of "obnoxiously kitschy," but the food is fresh and delicious, and the menu is huge. The belly dancing on weekends also make this the best place for date night or a birthday party.

Syb's Deli
For a long time, this was the only place to get a real bagel in this city. Its still a great place to stop for a breakfast or brunch.

Charlie K's
Of all the pizzerias in Allentown, this is seriously not even close to the best. I don't even know if it is fair to call what they make Pizza, but the slices are cheap and tasty in a way that concerns me (I'm never sure if the cheese is real or if its some kind of approximation), and to eat it, you have to visit the Allentown Farmer's Market, one of my favorite places to shop and people watch. Definitely get a slice along with a PA Dutch (that's the brand) Birch Beer, which they have on tap.

Robata of Tokyo
I think hibachi is a little bit weird, but every once in a while I'm in the mood for Japanese food, and this is the best spot. The food is consistently good, and the service is great. If you are vegetarian, they have many dishes that are easily made vegetarian, don't hesitate to ask - they are very accommodating.

The Bay Leaf
The most underrated Allentown restaurant, possibly the most underrated in the LV. This is a restaurant often overlooked by people looking for an upscale night out, probably because it is so low-profile on Hamilton Street. The vegetarian options are limited, but everything I've ever ordered has been extremely delicious and perfectly prepared. Actually, this is the first place I ever tried tofu and liked it. Get reservations because even though it is overlooked, Allentonians with good taste still come here on a regular basis.

Kow Thai Takeout
The only Thai food that is worth the prices on the menu in the whole Lehigh Valley. Forget all of those ridiculously overpriced Thai restaurants with white linen on the table. Take your food to go and have a picnic in West Park. The papaya salad is the best I've had anywhere, and the pumpkin stir fry is pretty bangin' too.

Morgan's
Great "countryside" spot for breakfast only, as far as I'm concerned their lunch/dinner is pretty unremarkable. The breakfast menu however, includes such deliciousness as German Apple Pancakes and homemade Quiches that are quite tasty.

Asia
Overlooked pan-asian restaurant on the east side. The food is ridiculously fresh and trends towards gourmet rather than pedestrian, but the prices are reasonable. The menu is creative but not frightening, and the dining room is quiet and welcoming. A great spot for a date or dinner with a small group of friends.

Grille 3501
I wavered about putting this one on my list, partly because I think its a bit overrated and also a bit overpriced, but that said - the food is good. The vegetarian options are plentiful, especially in the appetizers and salads. There is only a "vegetarian plate" for the entree, but in my experience they never have brought me a plate of steamed vegetables and called it a meal. The food is pretty great and the dining room at Grille 3501 is surprisingly relaxed.

La Mexicana Grille
This isn't Allentown's best mexican restaurant, but its the best one for vegetarians. I highly reccommend the flautas and the veggie fajitas. Also the avocado & red onion salad with the lime dressing is outstanding. At lunch they serve a sandwich called "molletes" which I could eat every day and never tire of."


To her list, I can offer:

Wert’s Café: Hands down best onion rings in the world and best burgers in the Valley.

Yocco’s: Well, like it wasn’t going to show up.

The Brass Rail: See above. (Steak sandwich and mini potato pancakes for the win.)

O’Brien’s Really Good Food Inc: Capri included Syb’s on her list (and it is great) but I think the best Reuben in town is actually offered here.

It is great to know that despite the ever present invasive presence of chain restaurants, that there is still some great restaurants to check out in Allentown. Another thank you to Capri for providing a great insight here today; check out her blog!

Did we miss anything readers?

I didn’t want to hit on best Chinese food or best Pizza yet. That will be another rainy day post. It is always one heck of a debate among my friends.

A meeting with Greg Weitzel

Yesterday, I had the chance to sit down with Greg Weitzel. Greg is the Director of Parks and Recreation for the city of Allentown. Being a busy man, I was very grateful he took the time to sit down with me and explain in great detail the plans for the park system in Allentown. I was very skeptical of the Cedar Beach Parkway renovation plans before yesterday but after speaking with Greg, I can say that I am behind the project. He explained what they were going to do, why they were doing it and how they are doing it in great detail. As the project moves forward I will keep this blog updated on its progress. I will also be posting a review of the Cedar Beach master plan in an upcoming park log.

The recent upgrades in our parks like the bathroom in Roosevelt Park and the renovations at West Park have been done very well. I was very concerned about the Parks Department ignoring the history in our parks in favor of blazing forward with renovation planning. After speaking with Greg, I know now that that is not the case. Greg made very clear to me that not only have they conducted projects to clean up and preserve the WPA stairs and the Lime Kilns in the Parkway already but there could be more of that on the table in the near future. He also told me that my desire to see signs designating the historical relics in the parks is an issue the city is working on.

The city has a lot of plans for our parks and Greg is a very busy man. I want to thank him again for letting me meet with him. It was an informative meeting and I encourage anyone with worries or questions about the parks to send him an email.

One big thing I learned about in our meeting was that on Wednesday June 24th there will be a public meeting at the Allentown Public Library about Allentown’s Comprehensive trail network study. If you haven’t heard about this yet, check out this link. I think that this is a very important and exciting project for the city. Having a legitimate interconnected system of bicycle and pedestrian trails throughout the city would be an invaluable resource for Allentown’s citizens and would help revitalization efforts.

I will definitely be in attendance on the 24th.

Allentown from The Ground Up: Ironpigs this Saturday

This Saturday, Allentown From Ground Up will be hosting an inaugural meet-up at Coca Cola Park. AFGU is a group started by me and two other local bloggers, Katie and Bryan. I am very excited that we are about to hit the ground running with meet-ups and other events to really get a good movement growing here in Allentown.

I invite all my readers to come out on Saturday night. We will be meeting at the gates around 6:30. I am instructing everyone to buy tickets individually for general admission, which will allow us all to sit together in the lawn section behind center field. Bring a blanket to sit on. This should be a really wonderful time and I hope a lot of folks come out to join in the fun.

Leave any questions as comments.

Emmaus VS The West End Theater District (Main Street VS 19th Street)

It is unfair to draw comparisons between the recent surge of developments in Emmaus with the lack there of in Allentown. As of the most recent census, it would be much more logical to compare a smaller area or district of Allentown to the entirety of Emmaus. A little over 11,000 people live in Emmaus whereas a little over 106,000 people live in the city of Allentown. Emmaus is about 3 square miles; Allentown 18.

I do however think that a direct comparison between Main Street in Emmaus and the West End Theater District of Allentown is in order. Both areas have main street revitalization programs in place but Emmaus has the edge here in time, having started their program in 1995 which was a few years before the 19th street revitalization program began.

So, where to start a comparison?

Let’s start with coffee shops. A good coffee shop can be a catalyst for artistic, cultural, and community growth for an area. A coffee shop is a place where over time day to day interactions become magnified as the edifices for a familial community of local residents. People learn each others names; get to know each others families and eventually the coffee shop crowd becomes a family unto itself.

In Emmaus, there are currently 5 coffee shops listed on their Main Street Program website; 3 of which are directly on Main Street itself, 2 of which (Mas Café and King Koffee) offer open mic nights. The other coffee shop is inside of a cycling store.

In Allentown, there is one currently operating coffee shop on 19th street, The Hava Java. There is a picture of it on the West End Theater District website but no mention of it. It does not currently offer an open mic night or a performance night of any kind and up until recently it had a notification on its front door from the city that said that the store wasn’t up to code.

Edge: Emmaus (by miles)

How about theaters? A theater is a great place for a community to be exposed to culture and serve as a destination spot for a night out. A theater can also serve as a showplace for local talent in film making and even for musical performances.

In Emmaus, there is no theater on Main Street. The theater is a few blocks down and shows big studio Hollywood movies at a cheaper price once the have finished showing in the major theater chains.

On 19th Street, Civic Theater stands as an example of theaters for the entire Lehigh Valley. In addition to showing independent films, Civic has a long standing reputation for Community Theater and theater classes for children. Civic has even, in recent years, expanded to include a second screening room across the street so that there is always something being performed or shown.

Edge: 19th Street(by a mile)

What about shopping?

Without listing the many varied shops in Emmaus, I’m just going to go ahead and give this one to them. There isn’t really a comparison. 19th street does boast two successful jewelry shops and an excellent and standard setting optical boutique as well as a designer handbag store but Emmaus has so much more retail development; it is an unfair comparison.

Tattoo?

19th street has one of the best local tattoo parlors in The Quillian as does Emmaus in Mind’s eye. I have had work done by Heather at Mind’s Eye and can speak personally for how well they do work. Steve at The Quillian has set a standard for Tattoo artistry in the Lehigh Valley and many friends arms, legs and backs can speak for it.

Edge: 19th Street

It would appear to be a tie but in truth it is no tie at all. Emmaus is leaps and bounds past 19th street in development. I did not draw comparisons between restaurants and bars because on 19th street there is only one restaurant currently. Salvatore Ruffino’s pizza is a fantastic Italian restaurant but Main Street in Emmaus offers not only an Italian restaurant but an assortment of other dining destinations and bars.

Main Street in Emmaus doesn’t become a ghost town at 5 every night either. Unless there is a major Civic production, 19th street is perpetually a ghost town after 5. I have seen more recently a fuller crowd at Hava Java past nightfall but 15 people a ghost town still makes. No one walks the street and before I hear about the coming streetlights, please see an earlier post on this blog about them.

I can hope that the West End Theater District decides to take a field trip to Emmaus to see how it is done so that they can legitimately challenge Emmaus as a destination spot in a few years. It is going to take a lot more than some yellow banners to get that done. I have lived here on 19th street since 1993 and from 2002-2007 worked at the lonely coffee shop.

I know my street. I have hopes that the West Side Diner starts some growth but as of now the unifying revitalization committee has yet to produce enough forward thinking ideas that would offer significant change. Bi-annual festivals increase visibility for a day. You can give a man a fish but….

And, seriously, with Muhlenberg a few blocks away there is a constant refreshing bank of new consumers for 19th street that has yet to be seriously tapped.

Thank god the Auto Zone was stopped. Commerce/TD Bank is bad enough.

I have many ideas regarding what should be done on 19th street. What do you think needs changing so that we can rival Emmaus? Share your ideas as comments.

Bringing the Music Back to Allentown? Really?

What really happened to the music in Allentown? Occasionally it appears as if there may be music in Allentown but just as quickly it disappears. I know there are some good local bands playing at MayFair. But, after MayFair, where are the shows?

I know what Bethlehem has going on. I know that Emmaus, Northampton and Reading are starting to make waves across the sonic landscape of the Lehigh Valley with an increasing number of venues and booked concerts. Allentown however seems to be growing ever more stagnant with limited venues and exclusivity at the venues that do exist.

We are the third largest city in Pennsylvania behind Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has a pretty good music scene and Philadelphia has one of the best scenes in the country. Philadelphia obviously has major arenas and concert halls that attract national acts but the scene in Philly was truly revitalized and set on fire by a do-it-yourself movement that has set the example for developing a vibrant and exciting music scene.

There have been attempts over the last few years by people in the Valley to bring this D-I-Y scene here and for brief instances a localized but vital scene has in fact existed in the shadows of Allentown. More often than not, the fire hall shows, the house shows, the limited venue shows are ended by increasing rent costs or the inability for a few individuals or one individual to do everything themselves.

The city establishment has not helped cultivate these movements; and for the most part has been ignorant to them entirely. Every once in a while, a city official, with what I imagine are dreams of Castle Gardens and King Arthur’s Court dancing in their head, decides that they can bring a real scene back to Allentown. It hasn’t happened yet.

This isn’t a difficult thing to do on. You get a venue. You charge a cover under ten dollars but enough to pay the artist and whatever costs are incurred. You promote the shows both the old fashioned way with flyers but you use modern social networking tools like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter to reach literally hundreds or thousands of people and expose them to what is going on.

That is truly all it takes, trust me, I have done it myself for 50-100 person events at different coffee shops here in the Valley. I could easily get near to a hundred people to come out to an event to see artists they had never heard of, just because something was going on the city. Here is what it looks it if you have never seen it:


There are venues asleep and never utilized across the city that could sit shows for as little as 50 people and as many as thousands. Trying to run shows in these particular venues, like the three available in the Fairgrounds or Union Terrace or J Birney Crum or etc, is like trying to draw blood from a stone. There is opposition at all levels of ownership and eventually at city levels.

I was down at the historical library last week reading about Deep Purple playing the Parkway in the early seventies. Deep Purple when they were a new band with a lot of interest; this isn’t like booking Deep Purple at MayFair or Musikfest now and taking up the spot of a good local band trying to go regional or a bigger new act in favor of a band past their prime because the people who book these things must not know any better.

I write all this today because I have been made aware of a campaign trying to “bring the music back to Allentown”.

First, there is music here. There are great local bands with very talented musicians struggling to find venues in their home city. They are playing in Bethlehem, Reading, and Philly weekly but have not played yet in Allentown.

Second, the will and drive exists to make a real scene like the one in South Philadelphia happen.

Third, the things that stand in the way of that don’t seem like they will ever change and like so many ideas and spirits in this city the talent will leave. It will be lost.

I, for one, know how to get it done. I know others who do too. I will be in those other towns and cities seeing the bands that practice in Allentown and add culture somewhere else. A few months ago an Allentown band named Sports for Kin played a live score to a classic movie at a theater in Jim Thorpe. Jim Thorpe! They had to go all the way to Jim Thorpe to share that amazing performance and experience with an audience.

I look at this bizarre minor league training camp of musical talent in Allentown and I almost laugh. We provide everyone else with great musicians and experiences while our city grows ever more stagnant and silent.

We are on the edge of a true possibility. Allentown is rife with talent and potential. If the city really wants to bring the music back I suggest they check out http://www.r5productions.com/ to see how it is done or send me an email.