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* In the 1960 musical ''[[Bye Bye Birdie (musical)|Bye Bye Birdie]]'', character Rosie Alvarez is from Allentown. In the song "Spanish Rose," she sings: "I'm just a Spanish Tamale according to Mae/ Right off the boat from the tropics, far, far away/ Which is kinda funny, since where I come from is Allentown, PA."
* In the 1960 musical ''[[Bye Bye Birdie (musical)|Bye Bye Birdie]]'', character Rosie Alvarez is from Allentown. In the song "Spanish Rose," she sings: "I'm just a Spanish Tamale according to Mae/ Right off the boat from the tropics, far, far away/ Which is kinda funny, since where I come from is Allentown, PA."
* Allentown is mentioned in the 1957 book, ''[[On the Road]]'', by [[Jack Kerouac]].
* Allentown is mentioned in the 1957 book, ''[[On the Road]]'', by [[Jack Kerouac]].
* Allentown was the home town of the fictional Detective [[Arthur Dietrich]] ([[Steve Landesberg]]) in the television program [[Barney Miller]] (1975-1982).


==Landmarks and popular locations==
==Landmarks and popular locations==

Revision as of 14:42, 14 October 2014

For the song by Billy Joel, see Allentown (song). For the neighborhood in Pittsburgh, see Allentown (Pittsburgh).
Allentown
Home Rule Municipality
City of Allentown
Center City Allentown, Pennsylvania, 2010
Center City Allentown, Pennsylvania, 2010
Flag of Allentown
Flag
Official seal of Allentown
Seal
Nickname(s): 
"The Queen City",[1] "A-Town",[2] "Band City USA",[3] "Peanut City",[4] "Silk City".[5]
Motto: 
"Sic Semper Tyrannis"
Location in Lehigh County
Location in Lehigh County
CountryUnited States
CommonwealthPennsylvania
CountyLehigh
Settled1751
Founded1762
IncorporatedMarch 12, 1867
Founded byWilliam Allen
Named forWilliam Allen
Government
 • TypeMayor-Council
 • MayorEd Pawlowski (D)
 • City AttorneyJerry Snyder
 • City ControllerMary Ellen Koval
 • City Council
Council Members
 • SenatePat Browne (R)
Area
18.0 sq mi (46.5 km2)
 • Land17.8 sq mi (45.9 km2)
 • Water0.2 sq mi (0.6 km2)
 • Urban
289.50 sq mi (749.79 km2)
 • Metro
730.0 sq mi (1,174.82 km2)
Elevation
338 ft (103 m)
Highest elevation
440 ft (130 m)
Lowest elevation
255 ft (78 m)
Population
 (2013)[6]
118,577 (US: 224th)
 • Density6,631.0/sq mi (2,571.5/km2)
 • Urban
664,651 (US: 61st)
 • Urban density1,991.0/sq mi (768.7/km2)
 • Metro
827,048 (US: 68th)
 • Metro density1,117.8/sq mi (431.6/km2)
 • Demonym
Allentonian
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
18101, 18102, 18103, 18104, 18105, 18106, 18109, 18175, 18195
Area code(s)610, 484, 835
FIPS code42-02000
GNIS feature ID1202899[7]
Primary AirportLehigh Valley International Airport- ABE (Major/International)
Secondary AirportAllentown Queen City Municipal Airport- XLL (Minor)
Websitehttp://www.allentownpa.gov/

Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch: Allenschteddel) is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 224th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently the fastest growing city in Pennsylvania.[8] It is the largest city in the metropolitan area known as the Lehigh Valley, which had a population of 821,623 residents as of the 2010 U.S. Census and which constitutes a portion of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Allentown is the county seat of Lehigh County.[9] In 2012, the city celebrated the 250th anniversary of its founding in 1762.[10]

Located on the Lehigh River, Allentown is the largest of three adjacent cities that make up a region of eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey known as the Lehigh Valley. Allentown is 50 miles (80 km) north-northwest of Philadelphia, the fifth most populous[11] city in the United States, 90 miles (140 km) east-northeast of Harrisburg, the state capital, and 90 miles (140 km) west of New York City, the nation's largest city.

History

Founding

The area that is today the center of Allentown was laid out as Northampton Town in 1762 by William Allen, a wealthy shipping merchant, former mayor of the city of Philadelphia and then-Chief Justice of the Province of Pennsylvania. The property was part of a 5,000-acre (20 km2) plot Allen purchased on September 10, 1735 from his business partner Joseph Turner, who was assigned the warrant to the land by Thomas Penn, son of William Penn, on May 18, 1732.[12] The tract was originally surveyed on November 23, 1736.[12] A subsequent survey done in 1753 by David Schultz for a road from Easton to Reading, of which present-day Union and Jackson streets were links, shows the location of a log house owned by Allen, situated near the western bank of the Jordan Creek, which was believed to have been built around 1740. Used primarily as a hunting and fishing lodge, here Allen entertained prominent guests including his brother-in-law, James Hamilton, and colonial governor John Penn.[12]

The original plan for the town, now in the archives of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, comprised forty-two city blocks and consisted of 756 lots, mostly 60 feet (18 m) in width and 230 feet (70 m) in depth. The town was located between present-day Fourth and Tenth Streets, and Union and Liberty Streets. Many streets on the original plan were named for Allen's children: Margaret (present-day Fifth Street), William (now Sixth), James (now Eighth), Ann (now Ninth) and John (now Walnut). Allen Street (now Seventh) was named for Allen himself, and was the main thoroughfare. Hamilton Street was named for James Hamilton. Gordon Street was named for Sir Patrick Gordon, Deputy Governor of Colonial Pennsylvania from 1726–1736. Chew Street was named for Benjamin Chew, and Turner Street was named for Allen's business partner, Joseph Turner.[12]

Allen hoped that Northampton Town would displace Easton as the seat of Northampton County and also become a commercial center due to its location along the Lehigh River and its proximity to Philadelphia. Allen gave the property to his son James in 1767. Three years later, in 1770, James built a summer residence, Trout Hall, in the new town, near the site of his father's former hunting lodge.[13]

Trout Hall, built in 1770 by James Allen (son of Allentown founder William Allen), is the oldest house in Allentown. From 1867 to 1905, it served as the home of Muhlenberg College.

On March 18, 1811, the town was formally incorporated as the Borough of Northamptown. On March 6, 1812, Lehigh County was formed from the western half of Northampton County, and Northampton Town was selected as the county seat. The town was officially renamed "Allentown" on April 16, 1838, after years of popular usage. Allentown was formally incorporated as a city on March 12, 1867.[14]

Liberty Bell and the American Revolutionary War

Main article: Liberty Bell
See also: Liberty Bell Museum

Allentown holds historical significance as the location where the Liberty Bell (then known as the Pennsylvania State House bell) was successfully hidden from the British during the American Revolutionary War. After George Washington's defeat at the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777, the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia was defenseless, and that city prepared for British attack. The Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ordered that eleven bells, including the State House bell and the bells from Philadelphia's Christ Church and St. Peter's Church, be taken down and removed from the city to prevent the British, who would melt the bells down to cast into cannons, from taking possession of them. The bells were transported north to Northampton-Towne, and hidden in the basement of the Old Zion Reformed Church, in what is now center city Allentown. Today, a shrine and museum in the church's basement, known as the Liberty Bell Museum, marks the spot where the bell was hidden.

President Theodore Roosevelt addressing a crowd of supporters from the balcony of the Hotel Allen, 7th and Hamilton Streets, in 1914.

After the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776, Hessian prisoners-of-war were kept in the vicinity of present-day Seventh and Gordon Streets. The Old Zion Reformed Church, and a house near James (now Eighth) and Hamilton Streets, served as hospitals for injured and sick Continental Army troops. In 1777, a factory manufacturing paper cartridges for muskets was relocated here from nearby Bethlehem. That same year, a shop of sixteen armorers was established along the Little Lehigh Creek, and employed in the repair of weapons and the manufacture of saddles and scabbards.[12]

19th century and Industrial Revolution

Photo of Center Square (Seventh and Hamilton Streets) prepared for the Victory/Peace parade after the Armistice with Germany, November 11, 1918. Decorated lavishly is the "Peace Pavilion" (foreground) and the "Soldiers & Sailors Monument", which was dedicated in 1899 in honor of the Pennsylvania Volunteers' 47th Regiment in support of the Union in the American Civil War.
Further information: Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution

Prior to the 1830s, Allentown was a small town with only local markets. The arrival of the Lehigh Canal, however, expanded the city's commercial and industrial capacity greatly. With this, the town underwent significant industrialization, ultimately becoming a major center for heavy industry and manufacturing. While Allentown was not as large as neighboring Bethlehem at the time, the local iron industry — which included the Allentown Iron Company (established 1846) and the Allentown Rolling Mills (established 1860) — employed the majority of Allentown's workforce.[12] Railroads, such as the Lehigh Valley Railroad, were vital to the movement of raw materials and finished goods, and employed a significant workforce during this time. This period of rapid economic growth in the region was halted by two events, the Panic of 1873 and the Long Depression.

In addition to the iron and railroad industries, Allentown also had a strong tradition in the brewing of beer and was home to several notable breweries, including the Horlacher Brewery (founded 1897, closed 1978),[15] the Neuweiler Brewery (founded 1875, closed 1968)[16] and Schaefer Beer, whose brewery was later owned by Pabst Brewing Company and Guinness[17] but is now owned by the Boston Beer Company, maker of Samuel Adams.[18]

20th century to present

The silk and textile industries brought about economic recovery in the early 20th century. The Adelaide Silk Mill, one of the largest in the world at the time, opened in Allentown in 1881. By 1928, there were more than 140 silk and textile mills in the Lehigh Valley, making it the second largest industry in the region. By the 1930s, the silk industry was in worldwide decline, as synthetics were taking the place of silk. Catoir Silk Mill, the last silk mill in Allentown, closed in 1989. In 1905, Mack Trucks moved to Allentown, beginning Allentown's focus on heavy industrial manufacturing. Today, Allentown's economy, like most of Pennsylvania's, is based in the service industries with some manufacturing. Deindustrialization has caused many of the factories and corporations headquartered in Allentown to close or move. For example, Mack Trucks is now located in Greensboro, North Carolina, LSI Corporation (formerly Western Electric, later Agere Systems, which merged with LSI Logic) moved its headquarters to California, and numerous factories have ceased operation. On the other hand, the Allentown Economic Development (AEDC) operates a business incubator, the Bridgeworks, which helps attract and support young commercial and manufacturing businesses.

Geography and Climate

Topography

Allentown is located at 40°36'6" North, 75°28'38" West (40.601697, −75.477328).[19] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.0 square miles (46.6 km2). 17.8 square miles (46.1 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km2) is water. Bodies of water include the Jordan Creek and its tributary, the Little Lehigh Creek, which join within the city limits and empty into the Lehigh River. Other bodies of water within the city limits include Lake Muhlenberg in Cedar Creek Parkway and a pond in Trexler Park.

The city sits within the Lehigh Valley, a geographic region bounded by Blue Mountain, a ridge of the Appalachian mountain range, which varies from 1,000 to 1,600 feet (490 m) in height about 17 miles (27 km) north of the city, and South Mountain, a ridge of 500 to 1,000 feet (300 m) in height that borders the southern edge of the city.

The city is the county seat of Lehigh County. The adjacent counties are Carbon County to the north; Northampton County to the northeast and east; Bucks County to the southeast; Montgomery County to the south; and Berks County and Schuylkill County to the west.

Cityscape

Neighborhoods

Main article: List of Allentown neighborhoods

Center City, which includes the downtown area and the 7th Street retail and residential corridor, is the city's central business district and the host to various city, county and federal government centers. To the east of Center City are "The Wards," the areas that developed as residential areas during the city's industrial boom of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Just east of the Lehigh River are the city's East Side residential neighborhoods, most of which border the various routes to nearby Bethlehem. South of Center City, and across the Little Lehigh Creek, are the city's South Side neighborhoods, which border Emmaus. Lastly, there is West End Allentown, which comprises most neighborhoods west of 15th Street.

Central Business District Redevelopment

Further information: Dime Savings and Trust Company and PPL Center
Center City, Allentown, Pennsylvania. At 322 feet (98 m) tall, the headquarters of PPL is the tallest building in Allentown.

Plans for a major redevelopment of the Central Business District of Allentown were announced in late 2009 as a result of Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ) legislation passed by the Pennsylvania legislature.[20] Focused on the 7th and Hamilton Streets area, a 5-acre (2.0-hectare) one square block was acquired in 2011 in which several new structures are planned to be erected:[21]

The PPL Building (seen here in the distance) is the tallest building in Allentown. In the foreground is Allentown's Albertus L. Meyers Bridge, more commonly known as the Eighth Street Bridge.
An integral part of the PPL Center is the 180-room Marriott Renaissance Hotel restaurant and banquet center, constructed at an estimated cost of $23.5 million. With a planned opening of January 2015,[22] entrance to the hotel will be through the rebuilt Dime Savings and Trust Company building, which will also house the administrative offices for the PPL Center. Hotel guests will check in at the Dime Bank's 26-foot (7.9 m)-high lobby, which includes a mezzanine that will be used as a lounge area. Access to the rooms will be though the Dime Bank's elevator. The second floor will provide a lounge/library area. The Dime Bank building will also connect to the hotel's restaurant, over the entrance to the arena itself and banquet facilities, some of which overlook the interior of the arena.[23]
The PPL Center also includes two parking decks to be owned by the city. One five-story parking deck with 640 spaces is to be built on Linden Street, behind the hotel. A second parking lot, with 120 spaces, is to be built under the office building on Hamilton Street at an estimated cost of US$19 million.[21]
  • One City Center is incorporated into the PPL Center. It is occupied by the Lehigh County Health Network as the Lehigh Valley Hospital's sports medicine center. Opened in July 2014, the building is located along the south side of Hamilton Street, between the Farr Building and the entrance to the PPL Arena on the southwest corner of Center Square. The first floor will be retail space with the upper floors consisting of a large fitness center, a sports performance center, a center for rehabilitation services, concussion management and also occupational medicine.[21][24]
  • Two City Center, opened in February 2014, is located on the southeast corner of Center Square on the site of the former First National Bank. An eleven-story building, it is principally the headquarters of Penn Bancshares, which occupies floors seven to eleven. The building also provides Class-A office space, with retail stores and other commercial businesses planned.[25][26]
  • Three City Center, currently under construction, is located at 513-17 West Hamilton Street, on the site of the former Colonial Theater. Scheduled to be open in early 2015, it is a large seven-story building providing Class-A office space, retail space, and an underground parking deck.[27]
  • Four City Center, also under construction, is located on the northeast corner of Seventh and Linden Streets, one block north of Center Square. It will be a five-story luxury apartment and retail development, with an opening date of 2015.[28]
  • Five City Center, is a planned office building located on the southwest corner of Center Square, is a complex planned to span an entire block of Walnut Street between Seventh and Eighth streets. The complex is planned to be six or seven stories tall and include a 1,078-space parking deck to serve up to 1,000 office workers in the building during the day and hockey arena patrons at night.[29]

The project has generated some concern centered on the huge cost of the endeavor from funding a plan with no cap.[32] The estimated cost of the project is currently $277 million. As of October 2012, $224.3 million in bonds have been sold.[21][33][34]

Existing structures were demolished in early 2012. However, several lawsuits were filed due to the nature of the funding of the project. The lawsuits were settled in mid-2012, and construction is now underway, with an estimated 2014 completion for the center city district.[citation needed]

Architecture

Main article: Buildings and architecture of Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown Symphony Hall was built in the late 19th century as a market.

The City of Allentown is characterized by a large stock of historic homes, commercial structures and century-old industrial buildings.[citation needed]

Allentown's Center City neighborhoods mainly consist of a variety of Victorian and Federal rowhomes. The stately homes around West Park are mostly Victorian and Craftsman. The houses on the city's tree-lined streets in the West End were mostly built in the 1920s and 1940s. Houses in the City's East Side and South Side are a mixture of architectural styles and are generally single and twin family homes built from the 1940s through the 1960s with century old Victorians in the mix. Allentown also has loft apartments in converted mills and historic brick manufacturing buildings and modern and historic high-rise apartment buildings.

The PPL Building is Allentown's tallest building at 322 feet (98 m). It is 23 stories high and is located at the northwest corner of 9th and Hamilton Street. A Lehigh Valley icon, this Art Deco tower can be seen from places throughout the Lehigh Valley; in clear weather, the tower can be seen as far north as the Blue Mountain Ski Area.[citation needed] One of the city's older still-standing structures, Allentown Symphony Hall, at 23 North Sixth Street in Center City, was constructed in 1896.

There are three historic districts in Allentown, Old Allentown, the Old Fairgrounds and the West Park neighborhoods. Old Allentown and Old Fairgrounds are Center City neighborhoods that hold a joint house tour organized by Old Allentown Preservation Association (OAPA) once a year in September. The West Park neighborhood also offers a tour of this district's larger Victorian and Craftsman-style homes.[35]

Climate

Main article: Climate of Allentown, Pennsylvania

Allentown lies in the transition between a humid continental and humid subtropical climate (Köppen Dfa/Cfa, respectively), although lying closer to the former. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year.

The average temperature in January is 27.8 °F (−2.3 °C), and the lowest officially recorded temperature was −15 °F (−26 °C) on January 21, 1994. July averages 73.4 °F (23.0 °C), and the highest temperature on record was 105 °F (41 °C) on July 3, 1966. Early fall and mid-winter are generally driest, with February being the driest month with only 2.75 inches (70 mm) of average precipitation.[36]

Snowfall is variable, with some winters bringing light snow and others bringing numerous significant snowstorms. Average snowfall is 34 inches (86 cm) seasonally,[37] with the months of January and February receiving the highest at just over 11 and 9 inches (230 mm) each. Rainfall is generally spread throughout the year, with eight to twelve wet days per month,[38] at an average annual rate of 43.52 inches (110.54 cm).[39]

Allentown falls under the USDA 6b Plant Hardiness zone.[40]

Climate data for Allentown, Pennsylvania at Lehigh Valley International Airport, 1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1922–present[b]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 72
(22) 		81
(27) 		87
(31) 		93
(34) 		97
(36) 		100
(38) 		105
(41) 		100
(38) 		99
(37) 		93
(34) 		81
(27) 		72
(22) 		105
(41)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 60.2
(15.7) 		60.6
(15.9) 		70.6
(21.4) 		83.2
(28.4) 		89.3
(31.8) 		92.6
(33.7) 		94.8
(34.9) 		92.8
(33.8) 		89.2
(31.8) 		80.4
(26.9) 		70.9
(21.6) 		61.7
(16.5) 		95.9
(35.5)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 38.4
(3.6) 		41.6
(5.3) 		50.8
(10.4) 		63.4
(17.4) 		73.5
(23.1) 		81.9
(27.7) 		86.4
(30.2) 		84.3
(29.1) 		77.4
(25.2) 		65.5
(18.6) 		53.8
(12.1) 		43.1
(6.2) 		63.3
(17.4)
Daily mean °F (°C) 30.1
(−1.1) 		32.4
(0.2) 		40.7
(4.8) 		51.8
(11.0) 		62.0
(16.7) 		70.9
(21.6) 		75.6
(24.2) 		73.6
(23.1) 		66.3
(19.1) 		54.6
(12.6) 		43.9
(6.6) 		35.0
(1.7) 		53.1
(11.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 21.8
(−5.7) 		23.2
(−4.9) 		30.5
(−0.8) 		40.3
(4.6) 		50.6
(10.3) 		59.9
(15.5) 		64.7
(18.2) 		62.8
(17.1) 		55.2
(12.9) 		43.8
(6.6) 		34.1
(1.2) 		26.8
(−2.9) 		42.8
(6.0)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 4.2
(−15.4) 		5.9
(−14.5) 		14.1
(−9.9) 		25.9
(−3.4) 		35.3
(1.8) 		46.5
(8.1) 		53.7
(12.1) 		51.1
(10.6) 		39.9
(4.4) 		28.7
(−1.8) 		19.1
(−7.2) 		11.7
(−11.3) 		1.8
(−16.8)
Record low °F (°C) −15
(−26) 		−12
(−24) 		−5
(−21) 		12
(−11) 		28
(−2) 		39
(4) 		46
(8) 		41
(5) 		30
(−1) 		21
(−6) 		3
(−16) 		−8
(−22) 		−15
(−26)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.30
(84) 		2.77
(70) 		3.63
(92) 		3.67
(93) 		3.65
(93) 		4.40
(112) 		5.30
(135) 		4.56
(116) 		4.84
(123) 		4.14
(105) 		3.24
(82) 		3.86
(98) 		47.36
(1,203)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 9.8
(25) 		10.8
(27) 		6.3
(16) 		0.5
(1.3) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.2
(0.51) 		0.9
(2.3) 		4.6
(12) 		33.1
(84)
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) 6.4
(16) 		7.9
(20) 		4.9
(12) 		0.3
(0.76) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.2
(0.51) 		0.6
(1.5) 		2.9
(7.4) 		12.4
(31)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 11.4 10.1 10.9 11.8 12.4 11.4 11.0 10.2 9.6 9.9 8.9 11.5 129.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 5.1 4.3 2.6 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 2.9 15.7
Average relative humidity (%) 70 66 62 61 66 68 70 72 74 72 70 71 69
Percent possible sunshine 43 48 53 47 54 63 57 56 54 53 45 42 51
Source: NOAA (relative humidity 1981–2010)[41][42][43]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Allentown, Pennsylvania
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1790486—
180057317.9%
181071023.9%
18201,13259.4%
18301,75755.2%
18402,49341.9%
18503,70348.5%
18608,025116.7%
187013,88473.0%
188018,06330.1%
189025,28840.0%
190035,41640.1%
191051,91346.6%
192073,50241.6%
193092,56325.9%
194096,9044.7%
1950106,75610.2%
1960108,3471.5%
1970109,8711.4%
1980103,758−5.6%
1990105,3011.5%
2000106,6321.3%
2010118,03210.7%
2013 (est.)118,5770.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[44]
2013 Estimate[45]

As of the 2010 census, the city was 58.5% White (43.2% non-Hispanic white), 12.5% Black or African American (10.2% non-Hispanic black), 0.8% Native American (non-Hispanic), 2.2% Asian (non-Hispanic), and 5.0% were two or more races. 42.8% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry, mostly made up of Puerto Ricans. 14.6% of the population were foreign-born.[46]

As of the census of 2000, there were 106,632 people and 25,135 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,011.5 inhabitants per square mile (2,320.8/km²). There were 45,960 housing units at an average density of 2,591.1 per square mile (1,000.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.55% White, 7.85% African American, 0.33% Native American, 2.27% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 13.37% from other races, and 3.55% from two or more races.[citation needed] 24.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.[citation needed]

Allentown Compared
2010 Census Allentown PA U.S.
Total population 118,032 12,702,379 308,745,538
Population, percent change, 2000–2010 +10.7% +3.4% +9.7%
Population density 6,557.3/sq. mi. 275.8/sq. mi. 81.4/sq. mi.
White (non-Hispanic) 43.2% 79.5% 63.7%
Black (non-Hispanic) 11.6% 10.8% 12.2%
Hispanic (any race) 42.8% 5.7% 16.3%
Asian 2.2% 2.7% 4.8%

There were 42,032 households in the city, of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18, 39.4% had married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% had non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The city's average household size is 2.42 and the average family size was 3.09.

The city's population broken down by age ranges was 24.8% under 18, 11.2% from 18–24, 29.8% from 25–44, 19.1% from 45–64, and 15.1% 65 years or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there are 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,016, and the median income for a family was $37,356. Males had a median income of $30,426 versus $23,882 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,282. 18.5% of the population and 14.6% of families were below the poverty line. 29.4% of those under the age of 18 and 10.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. The unemployment rate for the entire Lehigh Valley area is 9.8% as of February 2010, with Allentown's unemployment rate estimated at over 10%.[47]

Economy

Main article: Economy of Allentown, Pennsylvania

Allentown's economy has historically been manufacturing-based. The city serves as the location of corporate headquarters for several large, global companies, including Air Products & Chemicals,[48] PPL, and others.[49] The largest employer in Allentown is Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, with more than 7,800 employees.[50]

In 2008, after more than 100 years in the city, Mack Trucks announced that their Allentown-based corporate headquarters would be relocated to Greensboro, North Carolina in 2009, though Mack continues to operate its primary manufacturing facility in neighboring Lower Macungie Township.[51] It was expected that the move would result in the loss of approximately 600 jobs.[52]

Shopping

See also: List of shopping malls in the Lehigh Valley

Businesses generally operate from 9am to 5pm Monday-Saturday, staying open until 9pm on Thursdays and starting in the mid-1960s, also on Monday nights.[citation needed]

The Center City area along Hamilton Street between 5th and 10th Streets was the primary shopping district in Allentown until the mid-1970s. In the 1960s and 1970s several shopping malls were built in and around Allentown (South Mall[53] and Lehigh Valley Mall, and Whitehall Mall[54]). In 2006, The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley, opened just south of the city, in Upper Saucon Township.

Instead of a shopping Mecca, the use of downtown Allentown has turned into office buildings and increasingly has become a center-city campus for city and county government workers, along with those of PPL.[citation needed]

Infrastructure

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in the Lehigh Valley

Roads and Buses

See also: Allentown Parking Authority
Hamilton Boulevard in downtown Allentown.

Four expressways run through the Allentown area, with associated exits to the city: Interstate 78, which runs from Harrisburg in the west to New York City's Holland Tunnel in the east; the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, (which is part of I-476), runs from Plymouth Meeting outside Philadelphia in the south to Interstate 81 at Clarks Summit in the north; Pennsylvania Route 309, which runs from Philadelphia in the south to The Poconos in the north; and U.S. Route 22, which runs from Cincinnati, Ohio in the west to Newark, New Jersey in the east. Public parking within Allentown is managed by the Allentown Parking Authority.

There are nine major inbound roads to Allentown: Airport Road, Cedar Crest Boulevard, Fullerton Avenue, Hamilton Boulevard, Lehigh Street, Mauch Chunk Road, Pennsylvania Route 145 (MacArthur Road), Tilghman Street, and Union Boulevard.

Public buses within Allentown are provided by LANTA, a public bus system serving Lehigh and Northampton Counties. Several private bus lines serve Allentown. These include Bieber Tourways which offers direct service to Philadelphia, Reading and intermediate points,[55] Trans-Bridge Lines which offers direct service to New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal and intermediate points,[56] and Susquehanna Trailways which offers direct service to Hazelton, Philadelphia and intermediate points.[57]

Rail

The Lehigh Valley Railroad station and the Central Railroad of New Jersey station (background) in 1891. Until the 1950s the Lehigh Valley Railroad offered 2 hour and 15 minute direct train service to Pennsylvania Station in New York.

Allentown was once a passenger train hub, served by Central Railroad of New Jersey, Lehigh and New England Railroad, Lehigh Valley Railroad the Reading Company, the Lehigh Valley Transit Company and later, Conrail, a conglomerate formed from many financially troubled northeastern railroads. Routes served Wilkes-Barre and Scranton to the north, Buffalo and Williamsport to the northwest, Reading and Harrisburg to the west, Jersey City and New York City to the east, and Philadelphia to the south.[58] While Allentown currently has no passenger rail service (the last public rail service, which was part of the Bethlehem-Philadelphia service provided by Conrail under contract with SEPTA, ceased operating in 1979), several of the Allentown-area stations once used for passenger service have been preserved through their current commercial use.

In November 2008, the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), along with both Lehigh and Northampton Counties, commissioned a study to explore the merits of extending the New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley Line to the Lehigh Valley, which would potentially include stops in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton.[59] This would restore part of the service of the Lehigh Valley Railroad's through train, the Black Diamond, from Buffalo to New York City, which ran to 1961.[60][61]

Allentown is a regional center for commercial freight rail traffic. Currently, Norfolk Southern's primary hump classification yards are located in Allentown,[62] and the city is also served by the R.J. Corman Railroad Group.[63]

Airports

Lehigh Valley International Airport is three miles (5 km) northeast of Allentown.

The city's primary airport, Lehigh Valley International Airport (IATA: ABE, ICAO: KABE), is located three miles (5 km) northeast of Allentown in Hanover Township. The airport has direct connections to Atlanta, Detroit, Chicago–O'Hare, Charlotte, Philadelphia, and cities in Florida. Philadelphia International Airport and Newark International Airport, are around an hour to an hour-and-a-half, respectively, driving distance from Allentown, and offer many additional flight services. The region is also served by Allentown Queen City Municipal Airport (ICAO: KXLL, FAA LID: XLL), a two-runway general aviation facility located in South Allentown used predominantly by private aviation.

Template:Lehigh Valley Travel

Telecommunications

Allentown and the Lehigh Valley area were once served only by the 215 area code from 1947 (when the North American Numbering Plan of the Bell System went into effect) until 1994. With the city and region's growing population, however, Allentown and its surrounding areas were afforded area code 610 in 1994. Today, the city of Allentown is covered by 610. An overlay area code, 484, was added to the 610 service area in 1999.[64] A plan to introduce area code 835 as an additional overlay was rescinded in 2001.[65]

Health systems

Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, 2008

Allentown is home to several hospitals and health networks, including St. Luke's Health Network, Sacred Heart Hospital, the Lehigh Valley Health Network, and the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network. Formerly, the city was home to the Allentown State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital which closed in 2010.

Utilities

Electricity in Allentown is provided by PPL, also known as PP&L. UGI provides natural gas for homes. Two cable systems, RCN Corporation (originally Twin County Cable) and Service Electric Cable TV, Inc., have served the city since the 1960s.[66] The area's only landfill, IESI Bethlehem, is located in nearby Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Water, sewer, waste, recycling, and yard waste are controlled by the city.

Government

Politics and elections

See also: List of mayors of Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown
Crime rates* (2013)
Violent crimes
Homicide7
Rape26
Robbery197
Aggravated assault138
Total violent crime369
Property crimes
Burglary717
Larceny-theft1,493
Motor vehicle theft191
Arson2
Total property crime2,401
Notes

*Number of reported crimes per 100,000 population.

2012 population: 119,334

Source: 2013 FBI UCR Data

Allentown operates as a Pennsylvania third-class city with the "strong-mayor" version of the mayor-council form of government since 1970 wherein the mayor serves as chief executive and administrative officer for the municipality and City Council serves as the legislative and oversight body providing checks and balances on the system.[67]

Elected "at-large", the mayor serves a four-year term under the city's home rule charter.[68] The current city mayor is Democrat Ed Pawlowski, who replaced Roy C. Afflerbach after his single-term in office from 2002 to 2006. The legislative branch, the Allentown City Council, consists of seven council members elected at large for four-year staggered terms.[68] City Council holds regular public meetings in order to enact legislation in the form of ordinances and resolutions. The current president of the City Council is Julio Guridy.[69] The City Controller, who is responsible for the oversight of the city's finances, is also elected and serves a four-year term.[70]

Federally, Allentown is part of Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district, represented by Republican Charlie Dent, elected in 2004. The state's senior member of the United States Senate is Democrat Bob Casey, Jr.. The state's junior member of the United States Senate is Republican Pat Toomey, elected in 2010. The Governor of Pennsylvania is Republican Tom Corbett.

Allentown was named the 12th most conservative in America by the non-partisan Bay Area Center.[71]

Crime

For 2010, crime is down in the City of Allentown for the fourth consecutive year.[72]

The decline was led by a 31 percent drop in the number of homicides from 13 to 9. Motor vehicle theft fell 11.4 percent. Burglary was down 6.1 percent. Reported robberies, rapes and property crimes also fell. There were slight increases in the number of aggravated assaults and arsons. The number of violent crimes in the city has fallen more than 30 percent since 2006.[72]

Fire Department

Main article: Allentown Fire Department
Allentown Fire Department (AFD)
Agency overview
Established1870
Annual calls6,000[73][74][75]
Employees140
StaffingCareer
Facilities and equipment
Battalions4
Stations6
Engines10
Trucks2
HAZMAT1
Fireboats1

The Allentown Fire Department (AFD) was established in 1870 and today operates out of 6 fire stations, located throughout the city. The Allentown Fire Department also operates a fire apparatus fleet of 7 Engines(including 1 Quint), 2 Trucks, 1 Haz-Mat. Unit, 1 Technical Rescue Unit, 1 Fireboat, 1 Dive Trailer, 1 Bomb Squad Unit, 1 Fire Investigation Unit, and numerous other special (including 4 specialized search and rescue teams: Haz-Mat. Team, Water Rescue, Technical Rescue, and Bomb Squad), support, and 3 Reserve Engines.[73][74][75]

Education

Public schools

Main article: Allentown School District

The City of Allentown is served by the Allentown School District, which is the fourth largest school district in Pennsylvania, with 18,118 students (based on 2005–2006 enrollment data).[76] In 2013, the district's enrollment had declined to 16,966 pupils.[77] In July 2012, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) released a report identifying seventeen Allentown School District schools as among the lowest achieving schools for reading and mathematics in 2011 and 2012. Eleven of the District's elementary schools, all four middle schools and both high schools are all among the 15% lowest achieving schools in the Commonwealth.[78]

File:PA-LEHIGH-ALLENHIGHSCHOOL.jpg
William Allen High School, one of two public high schools in Allentown

The city maintains two public high schools for grades 9–12, William Allen High School, which serves students from the southern and western parts of the city, and Louis E. Dieruff High School, which serves students from the eastern and northern parts. Each of these Allentown area high schools competes athletically in the Lehigh Valley Conference. Both schools play their home football games at J. Birney Crum Stadium. Students may also attend Newcomer Academy at Midway Manor or the Allentown School District Virtual Academy (grades 8-12).

Allentown School District's four middle schools, for grades 6–8, include: Francis D. Raub Middle School, Harrison-Morton Middle School, South Mountain Middle School and Trexler Middle School. The city is served by 16 elementary schools, for kindergarten through fifth grade, including: Central, Cleveland, Hiram W. Dodd, Jefferson, Lehigh Parkway, Lincoln, Luis A. Ramos, McKinley, Midway Manor, Mosser, Muhlenberg, Ritter, Roosevelt, Sheridan, Union Terrace and Washington.

The Allentown School District is currently undertaking a 10 year, $120 million facilities improvement plan. The plan includes renovation of all 23 schools in the district. Most of the schools to be renovated will be expanded. Two additional elementary schools and a fifth middle school are expected to be built.[79]

Allentown has two public charter schools: the Roberto Clemente Charter School, located at 4th and Walnut Streets in Allentown, is a Title I charter school which provides educational services to mainly Hispanic students in grades 6 through 12 and the Lincoln Leadership Academy Charter School provides a K-12th program and is located at 1414 E. Cedar Street.

Private schools

Allentown has two parochial high schools, Allentown Central Catholic High School and Lehigh Valley Christian High School, though both schools draw students from both Allentown and the city's suburbs. Other Allentown-based parochial schools (serving grades K-8) include: Saint John Vianney Regional School, Holy Spirit School, Lehigh Christian Academy, Mercy Special Learning Center, Our Lady Help of Christians School, Sacred Heart School, and Saint Thomas More School. The Roman Catholic-affiliated parochial schools in Allentown are operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown. The Grace Montessori School is a pre-school and early elementary Montessori school run as an outreach of Grace Episcopal Church. The Swain School, a non-sectarian private school founded in 1929, is also located in Allentown. The city also has a private Jewish school, the Jewish Day School.

Colleges and universities

File:PA-LEHIGH-BAUMFRONT.jpg
The Baum School of Art in Center City Allentown

Two four-year colleges are located in Allentown: Cedar Crest College and Muhlenberg College. A satellite campus of Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC), a comprehensive community college which offers two- and four-year degree programs, continuing education and industry training, is located in Center City Allentown.[80] Pennsylvania State University's Lehigh Valley campus is located in Center Valley, approximately nine miles away from the city.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Allentown, Pennsylvania

Arts and entertainment

File:PA-LEHIGH-ALLENTOWNARTMUSEUM.jpg
The Allentown Art Museum, located on North Fifth Street in Center City Allentown

The Allentown Symphony Orchestra performs at Allentown Symphony Hall, renamed Miller Symphony Hall, located on North Sixth Street in center city. The city also has a musical heritage of civilian concert bands, and is home to the Allentown Band, the oldest civilian concert band in the United States.[81] The Allentown Band, Marine Band of Allentown, Municipal Band of Allentown and the Pioneer Band of Allentown all regularly perform at the bandshell in the city's West Park. Youth Education in the Arts, the sponsoring organization of The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps, is headquartered in Allentown. The city's J. Birney Crum Stadium annually plays host to the Drum Corps International Eastern Classic, which brings together the top junior drum and bugle corps in the world for a two-day event.

Nineteenth Street Theater in Allentown

The city houses a collection of public sculptures, including the DaVinci Horse, located on 5th Street. This sculpture is one of three in the world.

The Allentown Art Museum, located on North Fifth Street in Center City, is home to a collection of more than 13,000 pieces of art, along with an associated library. The Baum School of Art, located in downtown Allentown at 5th and Linden Streets, offers credit and non-credit classes in painting, drawing, ceramics, fashion design, jewelry making and more.

Nineteenth Street Theater has an 80-plus year history of producing theater in the Lehigh Valley. Started by two Morning Call reporters in 1927 as "Civic Little Theater", the current day Nineteenth Street Theater relies on a paid professional staff, volunteer board of directors from the community, and volunteers from the region. Civic Theater stands on three pillars: theater, film and education. Civic is a professionally directed, managed and run theater that utilizes community actors in its live theater productions. Civic also operates the Lehigh Valley’s only full-time cinema exclusively showing art, independent and foreign films and a theater school that has been served the Valley’s youth for more than 50 years.

Cuisine

A cafe on 19th Street, in Allentown's West End, 2007
Main article: Cuisine of Allentown, Pennsylvania
See also: Diners of Allentown, Pennsylvania

Vestiges of Allentown's Pennsylvania German heritage remain present in its cuisine, and foodstuffs such as scrapple, chow-chow, Lebanon bologna, cole slaw and apple butter are often found offered in local diners and the Allentown Farmer's Market. Shoofly pie, birch beer, and funnel cakes are regularly found at local fairs. Several local churches make and sell fastnachts as a fundraiser for Fastnacht Day, the day before the start of Lent.

As the population of the city has increased, many national restaurant and fast food chains have established a presence in the city. More recently, growth of the city's ethnic populations has led to the opening of many family run restaurants specializing in ethnic cuisine. Ethnic food types represented include Chinese, Colombian, Dominican, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Lebanese, Portuguese, Puerto Rican, Thai and West Indian.

Due in part to Allentown's proximity to Philadelphia, cheesesteaks are also popular. Yocco's Hot Dogs, a regionally well-known hot dog and cheesesteak establishment with six area locations, was founded in 1922 by Theodore Iacocca, uncle of Lee Iacocca. In addition, A-Treat, a regionally-popular brand of carbonated soft drinks, has been based in Allentown since 1918.

Sports

Main articles: Sports in Allentown, Pennsylvania and History of baseball in Allentown, Pennsylvania
Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, home of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs

Professional baseball history in Allentown dates back to 1884. Today the city hosts the Philadelphia Phillies' AAA-level Minor League baseball team, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. In 2008, Allentown unveiled Coca-Cola Park, a $50.25 million, 8,100-seat stadium on the east-side of Allentown.[82]

Allentown hosted the Allentown Jets, an Eastern Professional Basketball League team, from 1958 to 1981. The Jets were one of the most dominant franchises in the league's history, winning eight playoff championships and twelve division titles. The team’s home games were played in Rockne Hall at Allentown Central Catholic High School.

The city is home to the Parkettes National Gymnastics Training Center, which has been the training ground for numerous Olympians and U.S. national gymnastics champions. In 2003, CNN aired a documentary on Parkettes, Achieving the Perfect 10, which depicted it as a hugely demanding and competitive gymnastics training center.

In March 2011, plans were announced for the creation of PPL Center, an 8,500-seat Ice hockey arena to be built in Allentown, which is planned to be the future home for the Adirondack Phantoms, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. The arena will be located in downtown Allentown, taking up the entire block between 7th and 8th Streets and Hamilton and Linden Streets. In a controversial decision, the city has invoked eminent domain to help obtain the necessary properties and a contractor was chosen in 2012. In January 2012, buildings on the current site began to be demolished to make room for the new arena.[83] The arena is expected to be completed in 2014[84][85] and will be the home for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Allentown has been home to two professional soccer teams. The Pennsylvania Stoners (1979–1983)[86][86] (2007-2009) and the Northampton Laurels FC, of the Women's Premier Soccer League (defunct). The only professional soccer team remaining in the Lehigh Valley is the FC Sonic Lehigh Valley, based in nearby Bethlehem.

Media

File:PA-LEHIGH-MORNINGCALL.jpg
Headquartered in Center City Allentown, The Morning Call is among the 100 largest circulation newspapers in the United States.[87]
Main article: Media in the Lehigh Valley
See also: List of newspapers in Pennsylvania, List of radio stations in Pennsylvania, and List of television stations in Pennsylvania

Print

Allentown-based print media include The Morning Call, the city's daily newspaper, and Lehigh Valley and Pocono Sports Extra, a monthly newspaper covering Allentown and Lehigh Valley-area sports. [88]

Television

Allentown is part of the Philadelphia DMA (designated market area).[89] The four major Philadelphia-based network stations serving Allentown include: KYW (CBS-Philadelphia), WCAU (NBC-Philadelphia), WPVI (ABC-Philadelphia) and WTXF (Fox-Philadelphia). Other available Philadelphia stations include: WPHL-TV (MyNetworkTV-Philadelphia), WPSG (The CW-Philadelphia), and others. Several New York City stations are also available in the area through cable, including WNBC (NBC-New York City), WNYW (Fox-New York City), WPIX-TV (The CW-New York City) and WWOR-TV (MyNetworkTV-New York City).

Additionally, the city is served by three Lehigh Valley television stations: WFMZ Channel 69 (independent) and WBPH-TV (Christian), both in Allentown, and WLVT Channel 39 (PBS) in Bethlehem.[90][91][92]

Over the Air reception in Allentown spans from the channels serving the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre television market and the Philadelphia television market, along with the three Lehigh Valley television stations. A couple of the market stations also have translator systems in Allentown including WNEP-TV (ABC) from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and WTXF-TV (Fox) from Philadelphia.

Radio

Allentown's radio market is ranked 68th largest in the United States by Arbitron.[93] Stations licensed to Allentown include WAEB-AM (talk, news and sports), WAEB-FM (Top 40 music), WDIY (NPR and public radio), WHOL (tropical music), WLEV (adult contemporary music), WMUH (Muhlenberg College campus radio), WSAN (Fox Sports Radio and Philadelphia Phillies broadcasts), WZZO (hard rock music) and others. In addition, many New York City and Philadelphia stations can be received in Allentown.

Parks, Museums and recreation

Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom's Steel Force and Thunderhawk roller coasters, just outside Allentown. Steel Force opened in 1997 as the tallest and fastest roller coaster on the East Coast of the United States, with a first drop of 205 feet (62 m) and a top speed of 75 miles per hour (121 km/h).[94]

City parks

Main article: List of city parks of Allentown, Pennsylvania

The City of Allentown has one of the best park systems in the country. Much of the city's park system can be attributed to the efforts of industrialist Harry Clay Trexler. Inspired by the City Beautiful movement in the early 20th century, Trexler helped create West Park, a 6.59-acre (26,700 m2) park in what was then a community trash pit and sandlot baseball field[95] in an upscale area of the city. The park, which opened in 1909, features a bandshell, designed by noted Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer, which has long been home to the Allentown Band and other community bands.[95] Trexler also facilitated the development of Trexler Park, Cedar Parkway, Allentown Municipal Golf Course and the Trout Nursery in Lehigh Parkway. Trexler was also responsible for the development of the Trexler Trust, which to this day continues to provide private funding for the maintenance and development of Allentown's park system.[96]

City parks in Allentown include Bicentennial Park (4,600 seat mini-stadium built for sporting events), Cedar Creek Parkway (127 acres, including Lake Muhlenberg, Cedar Beach and the Malcolm W. Gross Memorial Rose Garden), East Side Reservoir (15 acres), Irving Street Park, Kimmets Lock Park (5 acres), Lehigh Canal Park (55 acres), Lehigh Parkway (999 acres), Old Allentown Cemetery (4 acres), Jordan Park, South Mountain Reservoir (157 acres), Trexler Memorial Park (134 acres), Trout Creek Parkway (100 acres), Joe Daddona Park (19 acres) and West Park (6.59 acres).[96]

Museums and cultural organizations

Festivals

Mayfair Festival of the Arts, an arts and crafts festival established in 1986, is held each May at Cedar Beach Park.[100] The Great Allentown Fair runs annually, in early September, on the grounds of the Allentown Fairgrounds, where it has been held since 1889. The first Allentown Fair was held in 1852, and between 1852 and 1899 it was held at the "Old Allentown Fairgrounds," which was located north of Liberty Street between 5th and 6th streets. The J. Birney Crum Stadium plays host to the Collegiate Marching Band Festival, held annually since 1995, as well as other marching band festivals and competitions.

Stadiums

The city has two large capacity outdoor stadiums. Coca-Cola Park, with an overall capacity of 10,000,[101] was constructed in 2007 and is the home field for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the AAA-level minor league team affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. J. Birney Crum Stadium, used for Lehigh Valley Conference football and other purposes, has a seating capacity in excess of 15,000. An indoor arena, PPL Center, opened in September 2014.

Other recreational sites

Other recreational sites in Allentown include Allentown Municipal Golf Course, Cedar Beach Pool, Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Fountain Pool, Irving Pool, Jordan Pool and Mack Pool.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from the Lehigh Valley

Allentown is the birthplace of, or home to, several notable Americans, including:

Main article: Culture of Allentown, Pennsylvania

Allentown's reputation as a rugged blue collar city has led to many references to the city in popular culture:

Main entrance to Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, 1950.
Postcard (dated 1916) depicting Allentown's Eighth Street Bridge
Main articles: Historical and Notable Sites in Allentown, Pennsylvania; List of city parks and recreation facilities of Allentown, Pennsylvania; Buildings and architecture of Allentown, Pennsylvania; and National Register of Historic Places listings in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
  • 19th Street Theatre (opened 1928), 527 N. 19th St. Home of Civic Theatre of Allentown, which stages plays and hosts fine arts film series.[104]
  • Albertus L. Meyers Bridge (built 1913), 8th & Union Sts. Also known as the Eighth Street Bridge, once the longest and highest concrete bridge in the world.[105]
  • Allentown Art Museum (built 1934), 31 N. 5th St. Collection of over 13,000 works of art, along with an associated library.
  • Allentown Cemetery Park (established 1765), 10th & Linden Sts. Burial site of the city's earliest residents, including American Revolutionary War and War of 1812 veterans.[105]
  • Allentown Fairgrounds (established 1889), 400 N. 17th St. Home of the Allentown Fair (started 1852), Allentown Farmers Market, Agri-Plex exhibit hall and The Ritz restaurant.[106]
  • Allentown Post Office (built 1933–34), 5th & Hamilton Sts. Classical Moderne-style building with Art Deco ornamentation. Interior murals of local historical scenes by New York artist Gifford Reynolds Beal.[107]
  • Allentown Symphony Hall (built 1896), 23 N. 6th St. Owned by the Allentown Symphony Association, a 1200-seat performing arts facility that is home to the Allentown Symphony Orchestra, as well as Pennsylvania Sinfonia, Community Concerts of Allentown, Allentown Band and Community Music School of the Lehigh Valley.[108]
  • Bogert's Covered Bridge (built 1841), S. 24th St. & Fish Hatchery Rd. One of the region's oldest covered bridges, a 145-foot (44 m) span over the Little Lehigh Creek in Allentown's Lehigh Parkway.[109]
    Bogert's Bridge East Side over Allentown's Little Lehigh Creek
  • Frank Buchman House, 117 N. 11th St. Home of Frank N. D. Buchman (1878–1961), founder of the Oxford Group and Moral Re-Armament religious movements.
  • Butz-Groff House (built 1872), 111 N. 4th St. Dark stone Victorian home in what was once the center of Allentown's most fashionable residential district. Built by attorney Samuel A. Butz and later owned by his grandson, Joseph C. Groff.[105]
  • Cedar Crest College (founded 1867), 100 College Dr. Liberal arts college with an 84-acre (340,000 m2) campus on the city's western edge.[110]
  • Centre Square and Soldiers & Sailors Monument (built 1899), 7th & Hamilton Sts.[111] Monument honoring American Civil War veterans from the 47th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers.
  • William F. Curtis Arboretum (started 1915), 100 College Dr. Located at Cedar Crest College, a collection of 140 species of trees registered with the American Public Gardens Association.[112]
  • Earl F. Hunsicker Bicentennial Park (built 1939, renovated 1976), Lehigh & S. Howard Sts. Originally Fairview Field, home to the city's Minor League Baseball teams, 1939–47. As Bicentennial Park, hosted the Allentown Ambassadors, 1997–2003.[113]
  • Hess's Department Store (closed 1996 and demolished in 2000).
  • Homeopathic Healing Art Plaque, 31 S. Penn St. Marks the location of the world's first medical college exclusively devoted to the practice of homeopathic medicine. Established in 1835, the college went bankrupt in 1845 and relocated to Philadelphia, where it developed into what is today Hahnemann University Hospital.
  • J. Birney Crum Stadium (built 1948), 22nd & Turner Sts. Home football field of Allentown's three high schools, a 15,000-capacity stadium once the largest in Pennsylvania.
  • Muhlenberg College (founded 1848), 2400 Chew St. Liberal arts college located on an 81-acre (330,000 m2) campus in Allentown's West End.[114]
  • Old Allentown Cemetery (established 1846), N. Fountain & Linden Sts. City's second oldest cemetery, located next to Allentown Cemetery Park. Burial site of Tilghman Good (1830–87), two-term mayor and commander of the 47th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers during the American Civil War.[105]
  • Old Zion Reformed Church and Liberty Bell Shrine Museum, 622 Hamilton St. Located on Hamilton Street in center city Allentown, the temporary hiding place of the Liberty Bell in 1777–78 during the Revolutionary War.[115]
  • Portland Place (built 1902), 718 Hamilton St. Former headquarters of Lehigh Portland Cement Company, remodeled in the art deco style in 1939–40. Over the front door was a glass relief by artist Oronzio Maldarelli, the largest glass mural panel in the world at the time. When the company (now Lehigh Cement Company) relocated, the sculpture was installed in the building's new lobby.[105]
  • PPL Building (built 1928), 9th & Hamilton Sts. Allentown's tallest building (23 stories), headquarters to PPL Corporation.[116] In 2008, PPL created a Peregrin Falcon nesting platform outside its 23rd floor.
  • Revolutionary War Plaque (erected 1926), 8th & Hamilton Sts. On the side of the Farr Building, marks the site of a hospital for Revolutionary War soldiers in 1777–78.[105]
  • Sterling Hotel (1890), 343–45 Hamilton St. Three-story, Romanesque Revival brick hotel.[117] Now a popular bar and music venue. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1984.[118]
  • Trout Hall (built 1770), 414 Walnut St. Oldest house in Allentown, built by James Allen, son of William Allen, the city's founder.[13]
  • Yocco's Hot Dogs (opened 1922). Regionally-popular restaurant chain with six Lehigh Valley locations, including three in Allentown.

Historic locations

see: Historical and Notable Sites in Allentown, Pennsylvania for additional information

Allentown has several buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

Sister cities and twin cities

Main article: List of sister cities in Pennsylvania

Allentown has three official sister cities as designated by Sister Cities International[citation needed]:

Allentown also has two designated "twin cities":

Notes

  1. ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1981 to 2010.
  2. ^ Official records for Allentown were kept at Allentown Gas Company from March 1922 to December 1943, and at Lehigh Valley Int'l since January 1944. For more information, see ThreadEx.

References

  1. ^ Whelan, Frank (May 7, 1991). "'Cement City' Moniker Is A Mystery American Heritage Says Label Was Allentown's". The Morning Call. pp. B.03.. "Queen City's origins as an Allentown nickname are obscure. It is believed to come from a turn-of-the-century competition hosted by the Allentown Chamber of Commerce. The winning entry was said to be Queen City."
  2. ^ Wholberg, Julie. "The New Main Street? A-Town's 19th Street Experience". The Morning Call.
  3. ^ Salter, Rosa (April 20, 2003). "Two in tune with the times ** At 175, Allentown Band, America's oldest, preserves best of tradition". The Morning Call. pp. E.01.. "1967: Allentown named Band City-U.S.A"
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