4 ms·

White Flight hit Allentown, PA very late. It wasn't till a new Interstate was finished I-78 and it was the mid to late 1980s. I live in Center City Allentown an

White Flight hit Allentown, PA very late. It wasn't till a new Interstate was finished I-78 and it was the mid to late 1980s. I live in Center City Allentown and it has now gotten over $1,000,000,000 in investment but the racism from the suburbs talking about how the city isn't what it was is infuriating. Look at any comment on the local newspaper and it is nothing but racist anti-city comments, www.mcall.com. Even mayors from suburbs even wrote opt pieces on how their economy doesn't need a city, which is completely insane. People just hate cities and it does come from a emotional and non-rational mindset.

Buttes 9y ago
You weren't kidding about those comments. First story I clicked on: >Well buddy, They have been shooting each other here since they opened I78 and they started moving here. 20+ years now. They have ruined a once great all American city with this BS and it is true. When it gets cold they go back inside.
ForRealsies 9y ago
While it's fun to get emotional, I'm more interested in statistics. Has crime increased in Allentown since the 80s?
- baldfat 9y ago
  Actually the crime rate is fairly low for a city our size and the crime rate has had a consistent drop for the past 10 years. There are people who refuse to drive through Allentown due to fear of being a victim. http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breaking-news/index.ssf/2015/02/how_safe_are_pennsylvania_citi.html http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breaking-news/index.ssf/2015...
stevenwoo 9y ago
Comments on almost every website I have visited that are not moderated are a toxic stew of conservative trolls. It would be one thing if it was breitbart or infowars or r/the_donald, but when we are talking about newspapers for the bluest urban areas, there's something else going on where the actual residents can't or wont participate in the online discourse in this manner because we know the majority of voters in those areas don't think like the online trolls.
ryandrake 9y ago
I grew up in a suburb of Allentown and, yes, the racists have short memories. Allentown was also a shithole before I-78 came along.
- baldfat 9y ago
  Well I can see your one of them. Remember Hess? I don't I grew up in CT and Allentown is an awesome city. :)
panzagl 9y ago
I think Allentown was affected more by the closure of steel mills than the construction of I-78- why live in the city center if there aren't any more jobs there than elsewhere.
- baldfat 9y ago
  The funny thing is Billy Joel's song about the jobs actually wasn't Allentown but Bethlehem. There were plenty of jobs just not Bethlehem Steel jobs. Today it is a casino (I hate Casinos) and some art and public TV studios. Bethlehem has and is doing fine. Allentown's demographic shift was huge to where 75%+ of the students are of Latino heritage and 90% qualify for free Federal Lunch Program in Allentown School District. The hate is real against everything Allentown.
brookside 9y ago
Do you think there is any merit at all to the view held by longtime citizens that newcomers to the city brought crime along with them (if in fact this can be demonstrated statistically)? Allentown's decline has many factors, from my limited knowledge. The is the decline and departure of the steel industry. There are opiods. If a billion in investment hasn't significantly helped (or has it?), what do you think is the solution to "fixing" Allentown?

Buttes 9y ago

You weren't kidding about those comments. First story I clicked on: >Well buddy, They have been shooting each other here since they opened I78 and they started moving here. 20+ years now. They have ruined a once great all American city with this BS and it is true. When it gets cold they go back inside.

ForRealsies 9y ago

While it's fun to get emotional, I'm more interested in statistics. Has crime increased in Allentown since the 80s?

baldfat 9y ago
Actually the crime rate is fairly low for a city our size and the crime rate has had a consistent drop for the past 10 years. There are people who refuse to drive through Allentown due to fear of being a victim. http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breaking-news/index.ssf/2015/02/how_safe_are_pennsylvania_citi.html http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breaking-news/index.ssf/2015...

stevenwoo 9y ago

Comments on almost every website I have visited that are not moderated are a toxic stew of conservative trolls. It would be one thing if it was breitbart or infowars or r/the_donald, but when we are talking about newspapers for the bluest urban areas, there's something else going on where the actual residents can't or wont participate in the online discourse in this manner because we know the majority of voters in those areas don't think like the online trolls.

ryandrake 9y ago

I grew up in a suburb of Allentown and, yes, the racists have short memories. Allentown was also a shithole before I-78 came along.

baldfat 9y ago
Well I can see your one of them. Remember Hess? I don't I grew up in CT and Allentown is an awesome city. :)

panzagl 9y ago

I think Allentown was affected more by the closure of steel mills than the construction of I-78- why live in the city center if there aren't any more jobs there than elsewhere.

baldfat 9y ago
The funny thing is Billy Joel's song about the jobs actually wasn't Allentown but Bethlehem. There were plenty of jobs just not Bethlehem Steel jobs. Today it is a casino (I hate Casinos) and some art and public TV studios. Bethlehem has and is doing fine. Allentown's demographic shift was huge to where 75%+ of the students are of Latino heritage and 90% qualify for free Federal Lunch Program in Allentown School District. The hate is real against everything Allentown.

brookside 9y ago

Do you think there is any merit at all to the view held by longtime citizens that newcomers to the city brought crime along with them (if in fact this can be demonstrated statistically)? Allentown's decline has many factors, from my limited knowledge. The is the decline and departure of the steel industry. There are opiods. If a billion in investment hasn't significantly helped (or has it?), what do you think is the solution to "fixing" Allentown?