Allentown, Pennsylvania is the largest city in the Lehigh Valley, the third-largest city in Pennsylvania, and the county seat of Lehigh County. The city includes several neighborhoods, districts, and other places, though these neighborhoods and districts are only informally defined.
See main article: Center City Allentown.
7th Street is a retail and residential corridor just north of Center City Allentown. It is Allentown's fastest growing commercial corridor and serves as the primary gateway to Allentown with new streetlights, planters, and waste receptacles. Neighborhood service establishments and family-owned ethnic restaurants dominate business on 7th Street.[1]
Downtown Allentown is the city’s central business district. It is home to PPL Corporation and various city, county, and federal government centers. While downtown is no longer considered the premier regional shopping destination of the Lehigh Valley, dozens of small businesses and several prominent restaurants and nightclubs.[2]
Downtown Allentown has been a beneficiary of the Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ), a tax increment financing district that financed the construction of PPL Center at 7th and Hamilton streets and other Center City buildings.[3]
One of the anchors of downtown Allentown is its arts district between North 5th and North 6th Streets. The district is home to cultural arts and entertainment venues, including Allentown Art Museum, Allentown Symphony Hall, Baum School of Art, and others.[2]
This area, including Jordan Creek, is predominantly residential. It has historically had higher poverty rates than surrounding neighborhoods. Prices of properties here are especially affordable, and in recent years it has been a magnet for working artists.
The Old Allentown Historic District was established on September 6, 1978, by City Ordinance #12314 and was certified by the Pennsylvania State Historical and Museum Commission on September 26, 1978. The neighborhood was laid out in the original plan for Allentown by order of William Allen in 1762, and developed as Allentown grew northward and westward. It includes a mix of Federal, Italianate, Eastlake, and Victorian housing styles.
Old Allentown now is also the home of the United Way's Allentown Promise Neighborhood initiative, modeled on the work of Geoffrey Canada and the Harlem Children's Zone. The Allentown Promise Neighborhood takes a systems approach to improving the academic performance and the college and career readiness of the children in its nine block area.
The Old Fairgrounds Historic District was established on July 8, 1981, by City Ordinance #12314 and was certified by the Pennsylvania State Historical and Museum Commission on September 9, 1981. The district takes its name from the use of the area as the Lehigh County Agricultural Society's fairgrounds from 1852-1888. After the society moved the Allentown Fairgrounds to its current location at 17th and Chew Streets, the land was auctioned off to developers. The area was developed with a mixture of architectural styles, but Victorian architecture is most common.
Mainly residential area located between East Hamilton Street and the Lehigh River.
A mix of both residential and industrial across the lower east-side of Allentown.
Residential area with mostly detached and relatively larger houses than those in Center City or surrounding areas.
A HOPE VI mixed income residential area containing privately managed low-income based rental housing and owner-occupied single and multi-family dwellings.
Not originally incorporated with the city, Rittersville is mainly residential, but has a small and recently remodelled shopping center. The neighborhood is the former home to the Allentown State Hospital, a recently demolished psychiatric hospital.
Alton Park is a largely residential areas with some forest and park land.
Public housing area in the southeast area of Allentown, off of East Susquehanna Street.
Named for the mountain that PA Route 145 travels over, this neighborhood is at the foot of the South Mountain. It contains a mix of businesses, industry, and residential areas. Mack Trucks' former global headquarters is located nearby.
The 1st Ward was created under the name "Lehigh Ward" on August 30, 1852. It was the first section annexed to Allentown beyond the original boundaries of the city as established by city founder William Allen in 1762. The industrial sites near the Lehigh River were mostly abandoned by the turn of the 21st century and are now slowly undergoing redevelopment.
A residential area with a mix of cultures. Houses are spaced farther apart as one nears Allentown/Whitehall Township border.
The redevelopment will transform approximately 26 acres of abandoned industrial land along the west side of the Lehigh River into a unique and vibrant waterfront featuring offices, retail, restaurants, residential and other commercial uses. With its half mile of direct river frontage, it will be the only location of its kind in the Lehigh Valley to offer unparalleled views of and direct access to the Lehigh River.
Residential areas on the West End south of Cedar Creek Park.
Trexler Park is the area of Allentown west of Cedar Crest Boulevard, including the park itself.
Also known as the 19th Street Theatre District, this area is Allentown’s most promising mixed use neighborhood. Centered on the Civic Theatre of Allentown’s two venues on 19th Street, the West End Theatre District is home to nearly 140 businesses. Within close proximity are Muhlenberg College, Lehigh Valley Health Network’s 17th Street campus, and the Allentown Farmers Market. The opening of several boutique small businesses over the past several years has enhanced the neighborhood’s appeal as a specialty shopping destination.
Attractions such as historic Victorian and American Craftsman-style homes and a public park founded by Harry Clay Trexler in 1908 can be found here. West Park features a newly restored bandshell, where the Allentown Band and others can be heard throughout the summer.
The West End Pharmacy, Seward's Steak Shop, and the former Hersh's Market are located in this southwest Allentown neighborhood of West Walnut, known to its residents as Union Terrace and often colloquially referred to as UT. It is a small community of row homes, small apartment complexes, bungalow houses, and Victorian-style homes. Two public Allentown School District schools, Union Terrace Elementary School and Francis D. Raub Middle School, are located in the neighborhood.