The historical summary on Allentown and its founder has several inaccuracies: - The land Allen purchased hardly qualifies as an "estate" since the area was almost entirely wilderness and Allen had no intention of settling here. It should be mentioned that the land was acquired from the Penns, because it shows the historical roots of the land, its ties to the most influential family of the period. - Trout Hall was not built on the site of Allen's hunting lodge (also named Trout Hall). The lodge's site is believed to have been several blocks to the north. - The house (not a building) is not the city's oldest structure; Hunter's Cabin, built in the early 1740's in what is now Lehigh Parkway, qualifies for that distinction. I believe that pointing out Trout Hall's current use (home of the Historical Society) reflects the property's significance as well as the fact that the structure is still standing. - It is highly doubtful the city's proximity to New York City had anything to do with Allen's motivation since 90 miles was a considerable distance in those days and New York was far removed as a sphere of influence in eastern Pennsylvania. - One more quibble: Allen is often described in local histories as a "merchant," but that term is now limited to retailing so its use here is archaic; at any rate, it hardly does justice to the fact that Allen owned one of the largest, most successful shipping businesses in Colonial America. Submitted by Allreet, 07 November 2006
- Please do. I would also like to see the average temperatures (highs/lows) for each month of the year. Precipitation would be nice as well.
> Is Dorney Park really "one of the world's most popular amusement parks?" That doesn't seem right, can it be verified?
I have removed this from the main page, but here is the template that was proposed for the information box and hopefully someone can work on it, in accordance with this format below. PAWiki 13:09, 1 June 2006 (UTC)
After a quick glance at a Google map of Allentown, it sure looks like the city is pretty well gridded to me! Sure, not every major road follows a grid once outside the central city, but very few cities of this size will be built entirely to any one rigid grid system.
Now if this was being written about downtown Boston... Hillsboro 21:24, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
I have to agree -- much of the content of the "Roads" section isn't particularly well-written, or even relevant.
Alphageekpa 16:23, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Technically, US 22 actually doesn't "run" through any part of the city. All of US 22 is located just north of the City of Allentown. In the Allentown area, it runs through the following townships (heading west to east): Upper Macungie, South Whitehall, Whitehall, and Hanover (all in Lehigh County). I-78 is the only real highway that actually is on city land, and it runs through only an extremely small part of south Allentown. Made necessary changes in the article.
In the interest of consolidation, I'm going to fold HIGHWAYS and ROADS into one entry. I'm also going to remove much of the content of the "Roads" section mentioned previously... Alphageekpa 10:21, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
I think Dorney Park should be removed from the introduction, as it is located in South Whitehall Township, and has a Dorneyville address, not Allentown. Maybe it should be noted somewhere in the article that Dorney Park is close to Allentown, but the introduction should be reserved for information pertinent to the city itself.
(There were similar issues with things being included in the Lancaster, Pennsylvania article that were actually in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; it was decided that they be moved to the County article) Passdoubt | Talk 16:11, 13 September 2006 (UTC)
If you look at http://www.dorneypark.com/, the company *does* list the address of Dorney Park as 3830 Dorney Park Road, Allentown PA 18104. Alphageekpa 20:06, 13 September 2006 (UTC)
There were a number of edits I made to clean up the writing style somewhat. However, I made a number of deletions based on information that is NOT a part of Allentown. Eagles camp is in Bethlehem...why is that listed under Allentown? It shouldn't be. Had this been an article about the Lehigh Valley, I would agree. I also deleted the other sports team that is played in Stabler Arena. Again, this is in Bethlehem, not in Allentown.
I also removed the multiple airports reference. Of course this entry should mention Lehigh Valley International Airport. But then mentioning Newark, Philly, JFK, and LaGuardia...why? If you want to name airports, why not also include the airport in Harrisburg? Or Reading? They're both certainly closer to Allentown than JFK and LaGuardia. Where do you stop?
I went to school in Allentown, and it will always have a place in my heart, but this article should be about Allentown, not the surrounding Lehigh Valley. Asc85 00:26, 16 September 2006 (UTC)
I also see the Allentown template appears broken. Maybe someone can fix that? PAWiki 10:06, 16 September 2006 (UTC)
We're getting a bit lengthy (30k+ in size), and the article is getting unwieldy. I'd like to propose that we start a PEOPLE & CULTURE subhead, and break-off NOTABLE RESIDENTS (which appears to already dupe a pre-existing page linked from the bottom of the Allentown article), POPULAR CULTURE, MEDIA, LANDMARKS and MUSEUMS into their own individual pages. I'd recommend taking a look at other cities (notably Philadelphia) for an example as to how I propose handling. Since this is a fairly major edit, I figure I'd throw it out for group discussion before undertaking. Alphageekpa 12:02, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
If anyone has some spare time and wants to develop, I believe the following categories warrant some additional effort and focus:
>ECONOMY: Allentown has a long history in manufacturing, that has gone through several notable phases since the early 1800s. This history is inextricably tied to the type of city Allentown has become. The current entry merely discusses current corporations based in Allentown (which I think should be broken-off into another page and expanded), not the history of industry in the city.
>HISTORY: Still a little weak. There's more to Allentown's history than Trout Hall, the hiding of the Liberty Bell and beer.
>FROM SCRATCH: How about CLIMATE? GOVERNMENT? SUBURBS?
>CITATIONS: Lastly, if we really want to make this entry more solid, we need citations. As of this date, there are none associated with this article.
>PHOTOGRAPHS: Can someone local get some good pictures for the article? Perhaps one of the PPL Building lit up at night, the Allentown Band playing at the bandshell in West Park, or something that is indicative of Allentown's image and personality?
That's it for now. Appreciate everyone's input and assistance in making this a great article! Alphageekpa 12:12, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
I'd to include some concept photo of Lehigh County Ballpark. That's a pretty big deal for the city. I used the one from the Lehigh County Ballpark page, but I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong with the caption. Maybe someone can assist me in fixing that? Thanks. PAWiki 15:28, 1 October 2006 (UTC)
It is undeniably warranted, and I don't think anyone but you has expressed reservation about it. At $34 million, architecturally alone it warrants inclusion. And its construction and the arrival of a AAA-level team makes it the largest sporting event in Allentown. Why is this so under your skin, by the way? I've edited wikipedia for years and never seen something so small consume someone. Just curious as to your angle and why you spend even a second thinking about it. PAWiki 22:40, 2 October 2006 (UTC)
Trying to be civil here, but suffice to say, I very much disagree with PAWiki continuing to list the Eagles and LVO in this entry. Very briefly, my position is that it is appropriate to list this under "Bethlehem" but not Allentown.
Accordingly, I was wondering if we could have a "vote" on this issue? Today is October 2...why don't we give it a week until October 9? See if anyone else besides PAWiki and myself have an opinion on this one? I'm certainly willing to abide by whatever the majority thinks if PAWiki will. As a sign of "good faith," I have not removed the reference on this article. Asc85 15:18, 2 October 2006 (UTC)
Below is the content copied over from the merger of Tilghman St into the Allentown article. I think road coverage in existing article is more than adequate, so I'm moving this here for archiving purposes. Alphageekpa 10:58, 27 October 2006 (UTC)
Route information | |
---|---|
Length | 10 mi (16 km) |
Existed | 1960s–present |
Major junctions | |
West end | PA 100 in Fogelsville |
near
Kuhnsville
west of
Allentown | |
East end | Front Street in Allentown |
Location | |
Country | United States |
State | Pennsylvania |
Counties | Lehigh |
Highway system | |
Tilghman Street is a major street in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The street is sometimes referred to as Old Route 22 because it used to be U.S. Route 22 back in the 1920s.
The name of the street lasts for about 10 miles from Pennsylvania Route 100 where it is continuous as Main Street/Old Route 22 to Front Street in Allentown.
Tilghman Street was once U.S. Route 22. In the 1960s, when the Interstate 78 freeway was constructed, it replaced the current freeway that today is U.S. Route 22 and once was known as Interstate 78. U.S. Route 22 used to run through northern Allentown as Tilghman Street and then became Union Boulevard, from which it goes into Bethlehem and Easton.
Just a little confusion here. In the 60's the road then known as the "Lehigh Valley Thruway" was built. It was designated US22, and Tilghman St lost that designation. There was no I78 in the LV at that time. In the 1990s, (late 80s?) I78 was extended into the LV. Part of its course follows the LV Thruway, and is both I78 and US22, part is new construction, and part follow PA309.
Tilghman Street starts at Pennsylvania Route 100, where it continues as Main Street then Old Route 22. The speed limit on the street is 45 MPH. Tilghman Street divides into a mini freeway when meeting U.S. Route 22. West-bound Tilghmam Street is used only for U.S. Route 22 West. The east bound of Tilghamn Street uses U.S. Route 22 EAST. The same thing for ramps coming off Route 22. Then, Tilghman Steet turns local and there's an enterance to the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Interstate 476.
From there, it crosses above the Pennsylvania Turnpike and then intersects with Pennsylvania Route 309. One mile east of that interesection, there's an intersection with Cedar Crest Boulevard. Then, Tilghman Street enters Allentown, where it crosses more than 30 streets in the city.
Tilghman Street is a fast route in Allentown, where the traffic lights give cars on Tilghman Street substantially more time to cross. Where Tilghman Street reaches the more populated part of the city, it interchanges with Pennsylvania Route 145, forming Alllentown's 6th and 7th Streets. Then it crosses the first of two bridges where Jordan Creek and American Parkway run below. From there, it reaches Front Street where it crosses the second brige and becomes Union Boulevard. You can still find Tilghman Street in East Allentown but not connected to this fast route.
Place | Intersection | Notes |
---|---|---|
Fogelsville | Pennsylvania Route 100 | This is where Tilghman Street ends and Continues as Main Street. |
Kuhnsville | U.S. Route 22 | Westbound:US 22 WEST only Eastbound:US 22 EAST only |
South Whitehall Twp. | File:Interstate 476.svg Interstate 476 | The North East Extension of The Pennsylvania Turnpike |
South Whitehall Twp. | Pennsylvania Route 309 | This is an interchange with Pennsylvania Route 309 |
Allentown | Cedar Crest Blvd. | |
Allentown | Pennsylvania Route 145 SOUTH: 7th Street | To Center City Allentown |
Allentown | Pennsylvania Route 145 NORTH: 6th Street | To Lehigh Valley Shopping Malls |
I was the one who did the merge. In case anyone's confused, it's because of this AfD. -- `/aksha 11:05, 27 October 2006 (UTC)
I just want to point out that List of famous people from Allentown, Pennsylvania exists out there. At this point, I think the list on the main Allentown page suffices, since it is not too long, and the prospects of it growing too long are slim. Maybe we should afd List of famous people from Allentown, Pennsylvania for the sake of accuracy and completeness...after all, it's not current, and not even linked from Allentown. Alphageekpa 15:57, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
If anyone is up for it, here is a site [1] that details other baseball teams (incl. leagues and years) that played in Allentown. Some are of interest, including Kelly's Killers, who were coached by the colorful King Kelly. I also added a handful of professional baseball players born in Allentown to "Notable residents" -- four didn't have Wiki pages, but the links posted should give more than enough information if someone has the time and inclination. Alphageekpa 16:20, 8 November 2006 (UTC)
This article could really use some actual current photographs of Allentown, as opposed to the interesting but not especially informative art and historical postcards that are there now. -- Dmz5 *Edits* *Talk* 04:43, 3 January 2007 (UTC)
Dorney Park is not in Allentown. It is in South Whitehall Township. Does anyone else agree the contents of this article should only contain information related to the City? If there is mention of Dorney it should be noted it is NOT in Allentown. Jschnalzer 21:08, 10 June 2007 (UTC)
Climate data is in Centigrade. This is America, damn it! This needs to be converted to Fahrenheit. YourMother 21:08, 22 June 2007 (UTC)
As a Lowellian, I find this claim to be humorous :-) Either way, maybe we need some sort of category for early industrial centers? CSZero 02:05, 3 August 2007 (UTC)
The historical summary on Allentown and its founder has several inaccuracies: - The land Allen purchased hardly qualifies as an "estate" since the area was almost entirely wilderness and Allen had no intention of settling here. It should be mentioned that the land was acquired from the Penns, because it shows the historical roots of the land, its ties to the most influential family of the period. - Trout Hall was not built on the site of Allen's hunting lodge (also named Trout Hall). The lodge's site is believed to have been several blocks to the north. - The house (not a building) is not the city's oldest structure; Hunter's Cabin, built in the early 1740's in what is now Lehigh Parkway, qualifies for that distinction. I believe that pointing out Trout Hall's current use (home of the Historical Society) reflects the property's significance as well as the fact that the structure is still standing. - It is highly doubtful the city's proximity to New York City had anything to do with Allen's motivation since 90 miles was a considerable distance in those days and New York was far removed as a sphere of influence in eastern Pennsylvania. - One more quibble: Allen is often described in local histories as a "merchant," but that term is now limited to retailing so its use here is archaic; at any rate, it hardly does justice to the fact that Allen owned one of the largest, most successful shipping businesses in Colonial America. Submitted by Allreet, 07 November 2006
- Please do. I would also like to see the average temperatures (highs/lows) for each month of the year. Precipitation would be nice as well.
> Is Dorney Park really "one of the world's most popular amusement parks?" That doesn't seem right, can it be verified?
I have removed this from the main page, but here is the template that was proposed for the information box and hopefully someone can work on it, in accordance with this format below. PAWiki 13:09, 1 June 2006 (UTC)
After a quick glance at a Google map of Allentown, it sure looks like the city is pretty well gridded to me! Sure, not every major road follows a grid once outside the central city, but very few cities of this size will be built entirely to any one rigid grid system.
Now if this was being written about downtown Boston... Hillsboro 21:24, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
I have to agree -- much of the content of the "Roads" section isn't particularly well-written, or even relevant.
Alphageekpa 16:23, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Technically, US 22 actually doesn't "run" through any part of the city. All of US 22 is located just north of the City of Allentown. In the Allentown area, it runs through the following townships (heading west to east): Upper Macungie, South Whitehall, Whitehall, and Hanover (all in Lehigh County). I-78 is the only real highway that actually is on city land, and it runs through only an extremely small part of south Allentown. Made necessary changes in the article.
In the interest of consolidation, I'm going to fold HIGHWAYS and ROADS into one entry. I'm also going to remove much of the content of the "Roads" section mentioned previously... Alphageekpa 10:21, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
I think Dorney Park should be removed from the introduction, as it is located in South Whitehall Township, and has a Dorneyville address, not Allentown. Maybe it should be noted somewhere in the article that Dorney Park is close to Allentown, but the introduction should be reserved for information pertinent to the city itself.
(There were similar issues with things being included in the Lancaster, Pennsylvania article that were actually in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; it was decided that they be moved to the County article) Passdoubt | Talk 16:11, 13 September 2006 (UTC)
If you look at http://www.dorneypark.com/, the company *does* list the address of Dorney Park as 3830 Dorney Park Road, Allentown PA 18104. Alphageekpa 20:06, 13 September 2006 (UTC)
There were a number of edits I made to clean up the writing style somewhat. However, I made a number of deletions based on information that is NOT a part of Allentown. Eagles camp is in Bethlehem...why is that listed under Allentown? It shouldn't be. Had this been an article about the Lehigh Valley, I would agree. I also deleted the other sports team that is played in Stabler Arena. Again, this is in Bethlehem, not in Allentown.
I also removed the multiple airports reference. Of course this entry should mention Lehigh Valley International Airport. But then mentioning Newark, Philly, JFK, and LaGuardia...why? If you want to name airports, why not also include the airport in Harrisburg? Or Reading? They're both certainly closer to Allentown than JFK and LaGuardia. Where do you stop?
I went to school in Allentown, and it will always have a place in my heart, but this article should be about Allentown, not the surrounding Lehigh Valley. Asc85 00:26, 16 September 2006 (UTC)
I also see the Allentown template appears broken. Maybe someone can fix that? PAWiki 10:06, 16 September 2006 (UTC)
We're getting a bit lengthy (30k+ in size), and the article is getting unwieldy. I'd like to propose that we start a PEOPLE & CULTURE subhead, and break-off NOTABLE RESIDENTS (which appears to already dupe a pre-existing page linked from the bottom of the Allentown article), POPULAR CULTURE, MEDIA, LANDMARKS and MUSEUMS into their own individual pages. I'd recommend taking a look at other cities (notably Philadelphia) for an example as to how I propose handling. Since this is a fairly major edit, I figure I'd throw it out for group discussion before undertaking. Alphageekpa 12:02, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
If anyone has some spare time and wants to develop, I believe the following categories warrant some additional effort and focus:
>ECONOMY: Allentown has a long history in manufacturing, that has gone through several notable phases since the early 1800s. This history is inextricably tied to the type of city Allentown has become. The current entry merely discusses current corporations based in Allentown (which I think should be broken-off into another page and expanded), not the history of industry in the city.
>HISTORY: Still a little weak. There's more to Allentown's history than Trout Hall, the hiding of the Liberty Bell and beer.
>FROM SCRATCH: How about CLIMATE? GOVERNMENT? SUBURBS?
>CITATIONS: Lastly, if we really want to make this entry more solid, we need citations. As of this date, there are none associated with this article.
>PHOTOGRAPHS: Can someone local get some good pictures for the article? Perhaps one of the PPL Building lit up at night, the Allentown Band playing at the bandshell in West Park, or something that is indicative of Allentown's image and personality?
That's it for now. Appreciate everyone's input and assistance in making this a great article! Alphageekpa 12:12, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
I'd to include some concept photo of Lehigh County Ballpark. That's a pretty big deal for the city. I used the one from the Lehigh County Ballpark page, but I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong with the caption. Maybe someone can assist me in fixing that? Thanks. PAWiki 15:28, 1 October 2006 (UTC)
It is undeniably warranted, and I don't think anyone but you has expressed reservation about it. At $34 million, architecturally alone it warrants inclusion. And its construction and the arrival of a AAA-level team makes it the largest sporting event in Allentown. Why is this so under your skin, by the way? I've edited wikipedia for years and never seen something so small consume someone. Just curious as to your angle and why you spend even a second thinking about it. PAWiki 22:40, 2 October 2006 (UTC)
Trying to be civil here, but suffice to say, I very much disagree with PAWiki continuing to list the Eagles and LVO in this entry. Very briefly, my position is that it is appropriate to list this under "Bethlehem" but not Allentown.
Accordingly, I was wondering if we could have a "vote" on this issue? Today is October 2...why don't we give it a week until October 9? See if anyone else besides PAWiki and myself have an opinion on this one? I'm certainly willing to abide by whatever the majority thinks if PAWiki will. As a sign of "good faith," I have not removed the reference on this article. Asc85 15:18, 2 October 2006 (UTC)
Below is the content copied over from the merger of Tilghman St into the Allentown article. I think road coverage in existing article is more than adequate, so I'm moving this here for archiving purposes. Alphageekpa 10:58, 27 October 2006 (UTC)
Route information | |
---|---|
Length | 10 mi (16 km) |
Existed | 1960s–present |
Major junctions | |
West end | PA 100 in Fogelsville |
near
Kuhnsville
west of
Allentown | |
East end | Front Street in Allentown |
Location | |
Country | United States |
State | Pennsylvania |
Counties | Lehigh |
Highway system | |
Tilghman Street is a major street in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The street is sometimes referred to as Old Route 22 because it used to be U.S. Route 22 back in the 1920s.
The name of the street lasts for about 10 miles from Pennsylvania Route 100 where it is continuous as Main Street/Old Route 22 to Front Street in Allentown.
Tilghman Street was once U.S. Route 22. In the 1960s, when the Interstate 78 freeway was constructed, it replaced the current freeway that today is U.S. Route 22 and once was known as Interstate 78. U.S. Route 22 used to run through northern Allentown as Tilghman Street and then became Union Boulevard, from which it goes into Bethlehem and Easton.
Just a little confusion here. In the 60's the road then known as the "Lehigh Valley Thruway" was built. It was designated US22, and Tilghman St lost that designation. There was no I78 in the LV at that time. In the 1990s, (late 80s?) I78 was extended into the LV. Part of its course follows the LV Thruway, and is both I78 and US22, part is new construction, and part follow PA309.
Tilghman Street starts at Pennsylvania Route 100, where it continues as Main Street then Old Route 22. The speed limit on the street is 45 MPH. Tilghman Street divides into a mini freeway when meeting U.S. Route 22. West-bound Tilghmam Street is used only for U.S. Route 22 West. The east bound of Tilghamn Street uses U.S. Route 22 EAST. The same thing for ramps coming off Route 22. Then, Tilghman Steet turns local and there's an enterance to the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Interstate 476.
From there, it crosses above the Pennsylvania Turnpike and then intersects with Pennsylvania Route 309. One mile east of that interesection, there's an intersection with Cedar Crest Boulevard. Then, Tilghman Street enters Allentown, where it crosses more than 30 streets in the city.
Tilghman Street is a fast route in Allentown, where the traffic lights give cars on Tilghman Street substantially more time to cross. Where Tilghman Street reaches the more populated part of the city, it interchanges with Pennsylvania Route 145, forming Alllentown's 6th and 7th Streets. Then it crosses the first of two bridges where Jordan Creek and American Parkway run below. From there, it reaches Front Street where it crosses the second brige and becomes Union Boulevard. You can still find Tilghman Street in East Allentown but not connected to this fast route.
Place | Intersection | Notes |
---|---|---|
Fogelsville | Pennsylvania Route 100 | This is where Tilghman Street ends and Continues as Main Street. |
Kuhnsville | U.S. Route 22 | Westbound:US 22 WEST only Eastbound:US 22 EAST only |
South Whitehall Twp. | File:Interstate 476.svg Interstate 476 | The North East Extension of The Pennsylvania Turnpike |
South Whitehall Twp. | Pennsylvania Route 309 | This is an interchange with Pennsylvania Route 309 |
Allentown | Cedar Crest Blvd. | |
Allentown | Pennsylvania Route 145 SOUTH: 7th Street | To Center City Allentown |
Allentown | Pennsylvania Route 145 NORTH: 6th Street | To Lehigh Valley Shopping Malls |
I was the one who did the merge. In case anyone's confused, it's because of this AfD. -- `/aksha 11:05, 27 October 2006 (UTC)
I just want to point out that List of famous people from Allentown, Pennsylvania exists out there. At this point, I think the list on the main Allentown page suffices, since it is not too long, and the prospects of it growing too long are slim. Maybe we should afd List of famous people from Allentown, Pennsylvania for the sake of accuracy and completeness...after all, it's not current, and not even linked from Allentown. Alphageekpa 15:57, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
If anyone is up for it, here is a site [1] that details other baseball teams (incl. leagues and years) that played in Allentown. Some are of interest, including Kelly's Killers, who were coached by the colorful King Kelly. I also added a handful of professional baseball players born in Allentown to "Notable residents" -- four didn't have Wiki pages, but the links posted should give more than enough information if someone has the time and inclination. Alphageekpa 16:20, 8 November 2006 (UTC)
This article could really use some actual current photographs of Allentown, as opposed to the interesting but not especially informative art and historical postcards that are there now. -- Dmz5 *Edits* *Talk* 04:43, 3 January 2007 (UTC)
Dorney Park is not in Allentown. It is in South Whitehall Township. Does anyone else agree the contents of this article should only contain information related to the City? If there is mention of Dorney it should be noted it is NOT in Allentown. Jschnalzer 21:08, 10 June 2007 (UTC)
Climate data is in Centigrade. This is America, damn it! This needs to be converted to Fahrenheit. YourMother 21:08, 22 June 2007 (UTC)
As a Lowellian, I find this claim to be humorous :-) Either way, maybe we need some sort of category for early industrial centers? CSZero 02:05, 3 August 2007 (UTC)