Unsafe or Rising Star

A couple years ago the website for the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation described 645 Hamilton St. as "a monument to growth."* Today's edition of The Morning Call, reporting on violations from the City of Allentown, describes the building as unsafe.** It's the same building, with the same tenants, in the same condition. Unlike the city inspectors, or the well meaning reporter, I'm there every day for coffee at Jerry's Cafe. Jerry's was not one of the upstart businesses blessed with a grant. He had to pay for everything, and everything had to be inspected inside out. His plans had to be approved, his electric and plumbing had to be approved, his grill and hood system had to be approved. City inspectors in and out of the building during this process included no less than plumbing, electrical and health. Although the recent violation report issued to the building in general, lists extension cords, it fails to note those cords are attached to a movable lighting grid for the Latino Television production studio and are cords by design. Although the city citation reports cites unlicensed businesses, it omits the fact that the lower level was occupied by Sassi which performs drug testing for the Lehigh County, and the City's action recently caused Melendez Reality and Madison Mortgage to vacate. Unfortunately for this current hapless owner, the City was looking for violations. Last month Pawlowski promoted a building across the street which has not been occupied or improved in decades, although there is no running water there, breakfast was served to invited realtors. It's easy to beat the drums against the greedy absentee landlords, and surely the apologists will applaud Pawlowski for enforcing codes, but private money is running from this town. There is no work currently being done on any project on Hamilton Street without a grant. It's good politics, but bad business.

* http://www.lehighvalley.org/page.cfm?pag=58&new=132

** http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b3_5code-r.6496980jul10,0,1594649.story

Allentown Memories

click on photo to enlarge
From low income sections of center city, to expensive suburbs, Allentown and the Lehigh Valley is becoming home to more and more outsiders. I'm afraid the time will soon come when local memorabilia will have little appeal. Fortunately, for those interested, some impressive collections still exist. This past year Robert Bungerz published Allentown Remembered, documenting his outstanding collection of historical postcards and other objects. David Bausch, former County Executor and authority on Automobile Art, is also a expert on things Allentown. Then there are the many small collections, home of the hidden treasures. Above is an early aerial photograph of the Allentown Fair. Those interested in the recent commotion concerning the 19TH Street Theater District may find the upper right of the photograph interesting. There is no theater, there are no houses on Saint George Street and most of the buildings seem to to garages and automobile in nature (don't tell Auto-Zone). This gem is probably from the late teens or early 20's, and comes from the Thomas Reed Collection. Thomas is aka Z1pyro, long time expert shooter for Zambelli Firework Company. He retired several years ago, and we who appreciate fireworks, notice his departure.

A Historical Coincidence

There's something odd about this photograph, it's from the cover page of the Old Allentown Preservation Association website*. A few day's ago when I suggested association members should have been careful of what they wished for in regard to Cannon's Bar, my observation was received with righteous indignation. One center city blogger may well have deleted a link to this blog because of it. Another prominent member, insisting he has no political agenda, suggested I may be unwittingly driving them towards the mayor with my accusations. Old Allentown exists of over twenty five square blocks. Out of this large area, only one side of three blocks contain porch houses, those houses built with porches. I refer to the unit block of both 11th and 12th Streets, and the 300 block of 9th St. Most of the remaining townhouses had a porch added in the 1920's. Years ago I interacted with the Historical Board when I learned those porches must be removed to receive a facade grant. Built of concrete, usually with a curved overhang shingle roof with curved wooden brackets, I felt they added to the architecture. They also provided a buffer zone between the homeowner and the realities of sidewalk life. The historical purists felt differently, and according to their website over 80 such porches have been removed thus far. It is strange that the Association would choose for their cover photograph one of the few porch houses rows in Allentown, certainly not representative of the district. Stranger still, they picture two the few porch houses which had their porch's altered. The house in the foreground is completely bastardized. The porch was enclosed by brick probably in the 50's. For many years the property was a clock store. The next house also has the porch enclosed with glass panels. This treatment, meant for the winter months. is not uncommon with porch houses further west of the district, but again does not represent the Associations' historical standards. It must be a coincidence, that the house with the glass panels is where Mayor Pawlowski lives, because the Association certainly wouldn't be that political.

*http://www.oldallentown.org/index.html

Allentown Photographic

My experience with Allentown Photographic in the late 70's, at 12 N 8th Street, was not unlike my grandparent's with the Vendig Hotel. Neither were particularly successful, both only lasted a few years, but provided many memories. Now, Bela Lugosi never came into my shop, but my custom darkroom did attract numerous characters. I printed negatives supposedly smuggled out of Russia of the Romanov Family, while my strange anonymous customer watched by the door for KBG agents.(If they were real, I made no copies, nor did I keep the negatives) I once rented the darkroom to the local Porno King for his art directors to produce Puritan Magazine. His former building is now becoming the new Mayflower Condominiums. I snuck into a local high school to photograph an old circus juggler perform his act, one more time, on the stage. This photo gem, of a midget skating between legs, is from the jugglers' memento's.

Rumors and Innuendoes

I have a problem, I want to continue reporting on Pawlowski's war against private property, but I don't want to bring the wrath of the City down on any hapless owners. So, I will begin "Rumors and Innuendoes", in which I present unsubstantiated, second hand stories. I heard the following from a friend of a friend, who is a tenant at Regency Tower. Apparently, code trolled by and noticed the maintenance crew doing routine work on the swimming pool. Demanding to see a permit, they tagged the pool. Fee's will be paid today, and the management expects to have the pool open for the holiday. Let this be a lesson to you backyarders, who think you can just clean and use your pool like you own it.
In other news, Cannon's taproom will re-open. Although the yuppies in the neighborhood opposed it's previous closing, there is some hesitation about endorsing the new incarnation, which will have more of a Latino and African favor. What they would really like, is the old white crew back there, even if the bartender has to take a few more stabs from a screwdriver to protect them.

Velcome To The Vendig

In 1933, with the end of Prohibition, my grandparents(maternal) started operating the Vendig Hotel. They were the working partners, another immigrant family, here longer, were the silent backers. The hotel was directly across from the current Main Street Depot Restaurant in Bethlehem, which was the old New Jersey Line Terminal. With my grandmother cooking, they became well known for crab cakes and other shelled seafood. What wasn't known, was that she was strictly kosher, and never even tasted anything she prepared. As some may recall, my grandparents came from Hungarian Transylvania (now Romania) in the early 20's. Family lore* says Bela Lugosi visited the hotel. Lugosi was born in the same area of then Hungary, and started his acting career playing Jesus in Passion Plays. In 1931, after immigrating to America years earlier, he got his big break playing Dracula. Typecast as a villain, Lugosi was reduced in later years to drug addiction and playing in low budget monster films. He died in the mid 50's and was buried in his Dracula cape.

* My surviving uncle, who as a boy lived above the hotel, has no recollection of Lugosi. The partner families would later merge through marriage and 40 years later come to own the old vaudeville theater in South Bethlehem known as The Globe. It too is gone.

Xertek Throws in Towel

Xertek, the well respected and equipped fitness center at 10th and Hamilton has closed, victim of the Parking Authority. Since the meter increase, he has lost hundreds of members. For most members, the cost of parking and fines exceeded the cost of membership. The meter and fine rate were doubled in 2005 to finance the Parking Deck at 6th and Linden, to support a slogan called the Arts District. The Lanta terminal was added to the deck to help finance the project. The consequences of this project has been devastating to Hamilton Street and the long term interest of the taxpayers. Ironically, next to the vacating gym, the city just gave a new cell phone store owner twenty thousand to open. As a activist and candidate I opposed the meter increase, Pawlowski endorsed it. Although our Mayor keeps referring to a vision of Allentown moving forward, the private money investors are packing up. On my previous posting, concerning Rite Aid, several apologists for the Mayor keep their faith. One claims the 7th St. Eckerd is 6.5 blocks away, not 10. Tell you what my friend, go to the Hamilton Street store, and then walk to the 7th St. store, it's a long way from 8th and Hamilton to 7th and Allen. Xertek will now be located at 15th and Green Streets, with plenty of free parking. The owner invested 9 years and $300,000 on to Hamilton Street, I thanked him for that.

Rite Aid to Close

Hamilton Street's Rite Aid will close it's door July 10th. Although it was against their corporate policy to join me and the merchants protesting the Pawlowski endorsed Lanta Bus changes*, it is also against their corporate policy to tolerate a 40% reduction in revenue. Hamilton Street is on it's knee's. This week three long term businesses announced their closing. Pawlowski was hoping his house of cards would stand until the next mayoral election, it doesn't look like it. All grant money is being funneled into keeping the Brew Pub open. No work has occurred at the former Sal's site for over three weeks. Pawlowski's lack of business experience is beginning to be very costly to Allentown. Many investors, some capable of investing much more, are being abused** by his bureaucracy, while a few select properties are being promoted. These tactics may well result in lawsuits, costing the city even more.

* At the time of the Lanta protest, I respected Rite Aid's corporate position, and didn't dwell on the fact that a national chain was being driven off of Hamilton Street. The Mayor and Lanta board were too self absorbed with their "vision", to understand they were depriving the merchants of the cash flow necessary to remain in business.

** Apartment owners are having their buildings declared unfit for habitation because of some external peeling paint. Commercial owners are likewise being threatened and bullied with inappropriate demands. I will refrain from citing addresses at this time to spare these hapless owners from more harassment.

UPDATE: Channel 69 news reports that Rite Aid is closing because of it's merger with Eckerd, which has a store"several blocks away on 7th St". The Eckerd is almost 10 blocks away. CVS has a store at 12th and Liberty and another at 16th and Liberty. The Hamilton Street store is closing because they lost the prescription and other business from transferring bus passengers. At some point in the future, we will pay a consultant who will make the recommendation to restore the transfer stops back to Hamilton Street.