What Happens When a Suburb Begins to Die?

Re:What Happens When a Suburb Begins to Die? by baldfat on Wednesday October 11, 2017 @07:27AM (#15448865)

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.

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Re:What Happens When a Suburb Begins to Die? by stevenwoo on Wednesday October 11, 2017 @11:21AM (#15450477)

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.

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Re:What Happens When a Suburb Begins to Die? by panzagl on Wednesday October 11, 2017 @11:31AM (#15450550)

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.

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Re:What Happens When a Suburb Begins to Die? by baldfat on Wednesday October 11, 2017 @02:37PM (#15452100)

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.

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Re:What Happens When a Suburb Begins to Die? by brookside on Wednesday October 11, 2017 @12:27PM (#15450966)

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?

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Re:What Happens When a Suburb Begins to Die? by Buttes on Wednesday October 11, 2017 @07:39AM (#15448924)

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.

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Re:What Happens When a Suburb Begins to Die? by ryandrake on Wednesday October 11, 2017 @11:27AM (#15450526)

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.

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Re:What Happens When a Suburb Begins to Die? by baldfat on Wednesday October 11, 2017 @02:41PM (#15452144)

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

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Re:What Happens When a Suburb Begins to Die? by ForRealsies on Wednesday October 11, 2017 @10:13AM (#15449906)

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

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Re:What Happens When a Suburb Begins to Die? by baldfat on Wednesday October 11, 2017 @02:40PM (#15452132)

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...

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