Using A Bad Lesson Well Taught In Philadelphia

Back on May 4th, before the death in police custody in Minneapolis, I wrote about Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.  She instructed the police force not to arrest for minor infractions, like theft and prostitution, during the virus crisis. Large groups of young people were running amok in center city Philadelphia convenience stores,  scooping up everything their backpacks could hold. Meanwhile at City Hall, woke mayor Jim Kenney stayed silent about this decline in civilization. Only after a couple weeks, after a merchant and citizen backlash, did Outlaw and Kenney finally reverse policy.

Philadelphia inner city kids were taught a bad lesson by their police commissioner and mayor. 

Perhaps with that lesson fresh in their mind, some of them may have graduated to the looting this past weekend.

My first reaction to the looting on Walnut and Chestnut Streets was that the police must have stood down. How could looters smash windows and enter a Wells Fargo Bank without being stopped? How could all that theft and destruction only result in 13 arrests Saturday night?

I realize that there are a limited number of police and that Philadelphia is a large city. While I can't pass judgement on the police response, I will on the looters shown above. I do not believe that their thinking centered on George Floyd and institutional racism, but rather about what they could steal.

Here in the Lehigh Valley, the mayors and police chiefs conveyed their commitment to social justice.  But more importantly,  the local protestors expressed their hopes and solidarity in a lawful manner.

photocredit:Steven Falk/Philadelphia Inquirer

above reprinted from January of 2020

ADDENDUM DECEMBER 8, 2021: Yesterday, liberal Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner tried to convince the press that citizens or tourists shouldn't worry about the record 521 homicides, because some other crime statistics are down. He said this nonsense despite more and more innocent victims caught in the crossfire.

Lehigh County recently had a smash-and-grab incident at Hamilton Crossings. Fortunately, I couldn't imagine local DA Martin echoing Krasner's sentiments.

The Lehigh Valley At War

If you lived in the Lehigh Valley during either World War, you knew that those victories required an enormous amount of equipment. Mack Truck was under control of the War Department during both conflicts, starting in 1915 and then again in 1942. The Queen City Airport on Lehigh Street is a vestige of the second war. Mack Truck and Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft joined forces to produce planes and plane parts. Mack's biggest contribution was its trucks during WW1, establishing their reputation for durability. The naval gun shop at Bethlehem Steel was one of the largest in the world when built. With barrels up to 16 inches, it was capable of providing up to 30 guns a day.

Mack Trucks for War Department 1918

above reprinted from January 2013

UPDATE May 2, 2018: Mack Defense, a division of Mack Truck in Macungie, was just awarded a Defense Department contract for $82 million to produce trucks through 2023.

A Messy Transition For Allentown

There is no going back to 50's and 60's for downtown Allentown. There's no going back to the strawberry pie in the Patio Resturant at Hess Brothers. There was somewhat of a classist element to the removal of the recent former businesses on Hamilton Street. While there was nothing there to appeal to a more well heeled west end crowd, there was nevertheless quite a bit of business.  So now we're out with old, but as of now, not much new shopping has replaced it. The transition was rather messy, and not reported upon by the Morning Call and other more main stream local media.

I became very much involved in the transition. I met and championed for the former merchants. I attended meetings with them at city hall. On this blog I documented their plight. I noted the irony that while they were considered a blight on Hamilton Street, they were then lauded as a success story for 7th Street. 

Several years ago while the Morning Call was pumping out one press release after another for the new NIZ, this blog remained with reporting the other side of the story. The newspaper itself is now reduced, with their building sold to the NIZ Czar, and their reporters working from home. 

I too remain working from home, with my old Kodak camera and Smith Corona typewriter. I hope to continue documenting that other side of the story. 

Shopping Around The Corner In Allentown

Needless to say that when I was a kid downtown Allentown was bustling. There was nothing that you couldn't find or buy on Hamilton Street. The mercantile district was so vigorous that it could support stores and businesses two blocks out in either direction. Across the street from the Earl Theater on 8th Street, the Look Steak Shop did a hardy business. Also in that block was Stangl's Jewelry, Goodin's Optical and a hearing aid business.

It is a little difficult to recognize those businesses in the photograph above. While the city and newspaper was lauding the progress of the upcoming arena, I was documenting the demolition of the city's history. The buildings were not the only victims. The last group of owner operators were also roughed up by the city...I also documented that.

I apologize to those of you who are happy season ticket holders at the new arena. While you can read about the progress at numerous other sites, including the city web page, City Center Realty, and The Morning Call, this blog commemorates the past.

reprinted from previous years

Treasures Lost On Hamilton Street

                                                   click photograph to enlarge

The merchants who built Hamilton Street counted on architecture to attract shoppers into their emporiums. Large neon signs wouldn't appear for another fifty years. The soffit and fascia shown above, halfway between 7th and 8th on Hamilton, is one of the most elaborate facades in Allentown. One thing you can say about Allentown City Hall, they never let culture, art, or history get into the way of their plans. As successful cities come to value and profit from their history more and more, Allentown keeps using the standard catalog of proven failures. I know from other projects on Hamilton Street that Pawlowski isn't big on history. The Cityline Building in the 800 Block was permitted to stucco over beautiful brickwork. Sad that the puppies, who are directors at the Art Museum and Historical Society, remain silent on the planned destruction. It's hard to describe the magnificence of the skylight shown below, also in the targeted block. It's very large in three sections, in pristine condition. Should be quite a snack for Pawlowski's bulldozer.
The bulldozer prevailed, and the former architectural treasures of our mercantile history were not preserved, save for this blog's archives. Above is reprinted from May 2011

ADDENDUM:   This past weekend, a member of Old Allentown Preservation Association, and an active local Democrat, bragged on facebook about how he had recycled an old second floor office door from the demolished buildings in the arena zone. In truth, Old Allentown also turned a self serving, callous eye to the destruction noted in the above post. Although I'm glad the door was recycled, allow this post to note the irony and hypocrisy of the Association.

reprinted from January of 2015


UPDATE NOVEMBER 16, 2017: Although there's always some group bestowing some award on any new development, the Allentown NIZ is certainly no architectural destination.  Although I've taken hundreds of photographs in Allentown, including the ones shown here,  I have yet to buy film for any new building in the NIZ.

above post reprinted from previous years.

ADDENDUM DECEMBER 2, 2021: In the decade since I wrote the original portion of this post, most of the historical buildings in the former mercantile district have been replaced. While architecturally significant buildings, owned by different people have been lost, they have been replaced by unremarkable boxes, mostly owned by one man. Young people moving into these new apartments will not remain,  there is no urban environment to enjoy... Today's new apartments along Walnut and Linden Streets will be tomorrow's tenements. 

Double Down (Towns)

People often speculate as to why Bethlehem now is a destination, while, too often, Allentown is considered a place to avoid. The long answer will not fit within this short post, but here may be a few reasons. Bethlehem had two downtowns, on both sides of the river. While downtown Allentown certainly was the premier shopping area for the Lehigh Valley prior to the malls, it may have become a victim to over-planning. In the late 60's, early 70's, Allentown attempted to compete with the suburban malls by building a canopy on Hamilton Street. The viability of Hamilton Street was extended for a few years, but the magnetism of Hess's could well have been the reason. Bethlehem also built a pedestrian mall on Broad Street, but the historical quaintness of Main Street remained. Although the commerce in its southside business district languished, the architecture remained. By the time Allentown removed the canopies in the late 90's, the architecture of its buildings had long been bisected and altered. As historical became chic, Bethlehem profited from having done less in the past.

Its southside business district is a time capsule, architecturally unchanged since the turn of the last century. It now is becoming a mix of boutiques and bistros in a fashionable historic setting. Last, but not least, Bethlehem benefited from consistency of developmental leadership. While Allentown has had a succession of Economic Directors, Tony Hanna, with benefit of his institutional memory, has led Bethlehem for many years.

Shown at the top is pop up photo matches from the 1930's, promoting Julian Goldman's Fine Clothes For The Family on the South Side, East Third Street. Also shown is Tony Hanna, along side of the former Goodman Furniture Store.

above reprinted from July of 2012

ADDENDUM DECEMBER 28, 2018: Allentown lost most its historical mercantile district with the arena, and new NIZ office towers. They are without architectural merit.

ADDENDUM DECEMBER 1, 2021:When I wrote this post in 2012, I  had no idea Allentown would lose almost all its vintage buildings on Hamilton Street. Someone recently commented on social media that they're glad some older buildings were retained on the southside of the 700 block. Actually, those buildings were financial holdouts from Reilly's City Center Real Estate offers, not historical planning.  When Reilly's real estate portfolio is completed, Hamilton Street will be unrecognizable from 2012.