Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Friday, August 27, 2010
Allentown #9 on America's Ten Dead Cities List
That's according to 24/7 Wall Street. A desolate urban landscape. I wonder if King Edwin will list this with his other campaign propoganda.
22 comments:
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This is shocking information. Who would guess? Why hasn’t our local media been unto this? Perhaps they are “too close” to the story.
ReplyDeleteScott Armstrong
i'm sure the new mancave will remove them from the list
ReplyDeleteHave you ever seen the insane rocking back and forth in their urine and feces stained clothing, seeming oblivious to the filth and mess in which they reside?
ReplyDeleteAllentown, this shimmering pearl of the Northeast, recently re-elected its mayor with 70% of the vote.
I see you rocking Allentown.
hellloooo? McFly??? As for PA cities - Allentown is deader than Erie or Johnstown? No way.
ReplyDeleteAllentown just simply sucks. I work there every day. Despite the spin that everything is rosy, it just plain sucks.
ReplyDeleteI always think of Leslie Nielsen in "the Naked Gun," The part where he stands in front of a n exploding fireworks factory and says "nothing to see here, move along."
The spin so doesn't match the reality.Crime is down I'm sure because of some obscure technicality, and the mayor takes credit, but letters to the edito prove that it's still not any safer.
Wonder how long it will take their newest restaurant to close? It would be more appropriate as another pawn shop or urban wear store.
The local press didn't pick up on it because it is clearly not well researched or even close to accurate.
ReplyDeleteBy most criteria Allentown is one of the most successful cities in PA. ... Granted most PA cities are totally dead.
Allentown needs to forget about being quaint and historical, Bethlehem won that war. Allentown should concentrate on being a commercial center located between Boston and Washington,DC and Pittsburgh to the west.
ReplyDelete.
Allentown has location working for it. Make it a great low cost alternative to New York City and New Jersey.
Oh no, How did you hear this? Where is a responding Pawlowski press release?
ReplyDeleteYeah,
ReplyDeleteGhetto thugs or more - obnoxious, look at me, screwed up my state now we're here to screw up yours, who cares if you raise my taxes they are still lower than jersey - influx.
Bullet in the head from a gangster or one from your own gun after having Snookie and friends overrun your town.
Some choice.
Damn. We don't even make #1 for that!
ReplyDeleteThe article is hardly credible. Allentown was never a steel town. Just like the Billy Joel song but at least that was artistic license. Allentown certainly has much more going for it than Erie, Johnstown, or Scranton, all dying areas.
ReplyDeleteBernie
ReplyDeleteDid you hear the EPA wants to ban lead bullets, even lead fishing lures.
Looking To Escape said...
ReplyDelete"Allentown needs to forget about being quaint and historical, Bethlehem won that war. Allentown should concentrate on being a commercial center located between Boston and Washington,DC and Pittsburgh to the west."
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Why should it have to be one or the other?
Businesses (retail and office) would be happy to locate in an area that is quaint and historical, particularly high-end businesses.
The problem is that they want safe, clean streets - something Allentown no longer has.
As long as the mayor refuses to clean the streets and demand clean neighborhoods, visitors will only see
ReplyDeleteneglect.
Why should it have to be one or the other?
ReplyDelete.
I think Behtlehem has done a better job of it.
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Keep in mind you have to have locals that support those nice high end shops. You need good paying jobs for the locals to spend money in those high end shops. That means you need to attract business.
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Problem is, Allentown allowed itself to become a passive income plantation for real estate investors, many which have no interest in the city other than they get a steady rental income.
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Allentown can help reverse it's slide by having the rental property owners inspect their properties once a month filling out a check list of things that should be inspected. The landlord also has to have a signed statement that he/she explained to the renter about fire safety laws (like no grilling on front porches), recycling times and any property upkeep the renter is expected to do. The renter should be required to counter sign. These papers should be signed by a principal, NOT an agent and kept on file for easy access in case the city has a problem with either the renter or the property owner.
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It seems as a locality goes heavily rental you start having problems. You can not have safe clean streets until you get the rentals under control.
It will be interesting to see the reaction of Sangria's al fresco diners, when the droolers come looking to bum a butt, or a baby mama starts slapping the shit out of one of her older ankle biters, or gunfire erupts from a tricked out Lexus or...
ReplyDeleteAnon 2:32
ReplyDeleteThat's called "ambience"!
I think ALlentown lost the race to be a historical town a long time ago. Unlike Easton and Bethlehem, Allentown has been very successful in basically destroying or disfiguring any buildings that would have been of any asthetic or historical significance to a tourist.
ReplyDeleteIf they somehow do not rate Reading Pa as worse then Allentown, I have to question the whole article.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if they are gaging cities by how far they have fallen, not how low they are. Allentown has still much potential compared to like.... Camden NJ.
ReplyDeleteHey what the Hell! Little Ecuador aka Allentown is a cool city. Que Pasa???
ReplyDeleteI was going to post:
ReplyDelete...after rethinking I thought - most of you are whiners and cheerleader
for what this article talks about.
Your lack of justice discuss me.