What is happening in Allentown, PA? Why does it matter?
Well we’re living here in Allentown
And they’re closing all the factories down
Out in Bethlehem they’re killing time
Filling out forms
Standing in line
Well our fathers fought the Second World War
Spent their weekends on the Jersey Shore
Met our mothers in the USO
Asked them to dance
Danced with them slow
And we’re living here in Allentown
Allentown, Billy Joel 1982
They’re everywhere! Scattered across the Lehigh Valley are a plethora of old, defunct mill buildings begging you to restore them and provide them with any love you are able to.
Allentown, Pennsylvania’s third most populous city, rests on the state’s eastern border. With a population of roughly 118,000, this city maintains both the hustle and bustle of a fast-paced city and a quaint atmosphere. This is my home.
Politicians and pundits have long railed about the “death of steel valley” Pennsylvania, and nowhere was that more evident than in Allentown.
Throughout the 1850s and 1860s, Allentown experienced the rise of a strong local iron industry, but the prosperity the city experienced as a byproduct of the boom of the railroad industry collapsed in the Panic of 1873. Large and small iron furnaces shut down, forcing the industry into collapse.
By the beginning of the 20th century, the Allentown community had fully recovered from these economic disasters. Silk mills took the place of the collapsed iron trade, with other industries filling in the gaps as well. Allentown began to produce a diverse array of products, whether it be parlor furniture, cigars or beer.
Since World War II and the 1960s, Allentown has yet again seen more changes to its economy. Major changes in the cost of living in Allentown from the late 1960s to the 1990s forced families to leave the city and settle in surrounding townships. Its manufacturing economy plummeted, while the service economy grew. Since the 2000s, Allentown, now based in the service industry, has been dealing with major transitions. Stimulated by the implementation of the Development Authority’s Neighborhood Improvement Zone legislation, Allentown has witnessed over $1 billion of new, planned development.
“You will see an old blighted building restored to its former glory” -Developer Nat Hyman.
Allentown has in many ways rebounded from these troubled times about which Billy Joel once sang. Has it returned to its once hallowed heights? Perhaps not, but it has made great strides.
In some ways, the Allentown steel industry collapse may be foreshadowing of the coming job and industry collapse due to automation. If Allentown is a representative guide, we may see increasing numbers of malls, office parks, and commercial spaces shuttered. Unemployment will rise, and cities will need to find solutions for vacant buildings and populations unable to pay rent without government assistance.
