Keep your clothes on, I meant do you shop at strip malls? ; } And sorry, this is not about the Coyote Strip Club, I think WFMZ 69 News, "the family minded zone" has that story covered. They even led with it last night as top news.
The iconic Saylor's Diner at the corner of 19th and Tilghman will be torn down to make way for a new modern strip center! Well, at least it won't be an Auto Zone. I really miss Sunday breakfast at Saylor's, but times they change, sweetheart. They don't call it a strip mall, it's a strip center. I'd like to know what the difference is? This article answers my question : http://www.thestrategicedge.com/Articles/strips.htm Well, call it what you'd like it still sounds like a boring mall to me.
So what kind of stores do you envision in this new strip center? I think we have enough hair salons in the area. I could do without the "19th Strip&Tease." Remember "Curl up and Dye"on Sumner Ave? Eewwww!
So does anyone know what's going on with The Shanty? How could such a great location remain vacant for so long? It just doesn't make any sense. Allentown is so completely unpredictable. I see someone finally took down the awning which was falling apart. The shabbiness did kinda take away from the new celebratory "Theatre District" banners. But you could always spin that as "shabby chic!"
Well, I'm looking forward to all the fanfare when the new strip opens. Maybe they'll even have a "Dancin' on the Strip" party. I could plan that for them.
PS A special thanks to Mr. Damien's former blog for the photo
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11 comments:
I just came here from Phoenix, which is in one perspective one great, vast ocean of strip malls and tract housing. Beneath it is buried an interesting history, dating back a couple thousand years. But it's paved over.
I can't personally feign a nostalgic connection with Saylor's, though I've heard my local surrogate family talk about it fondly - "my grandpa used to take me there every day". The architorture of strip malls (as with housing, including cornrow castles) do not inspire such memories. Even the most creative and personal locally-owned businesses begin to fade into a blur of sameness and homogeneity. Architectural distinction is very important to the identities of our community businesses.
However, on the other hand, it is more efficient. If we were ants, or bees (with or without CCD) then perhaps we would much prefer strip malls.
Of course malls, as such, aren't anything new. Rome's Colosseum and other buildings had stalls where merchants could sell their wares. And look at the Allentown farmer's market at the fairgrounds - merchants sharing a market space is much more efficient, and they pool their various expertises to create a great deal of variety. But you also seldom run into friends and relatives at strip malls. A strip mall is not a community forum.
Saylor's - I remember the tiny elderly lady greeter – she was always impeccably dressed, charming and cheerful. We’d take our kids there 14 years ago, they were then a baby & toddler, & the waitress would give us a dish of oyster crackers to keep them quiet until the eggs came.
I heard a rumor that the Shanty was bought by the same owner as the Mexican restaurant in Emmaus – this was a while ago though.
For the Strip Mall – I can think of loads of things I don’t want it to be…. But I was thinking of a courtyard-type strip mall with cafes, ethnic restaurants, or how about a good Beer Garden (60% of Allentown residents used to be of German heritage?) Yes, I know there are some nice cafes & restaurants in the area, but why are there so few where we can sit outside? Create a Berlin or Paris type atmosphere. Wistful thinking.
I remember going to Saylor's with my grandfather. It was always a nice treat. It amazes me that such a community hub and bustling little eatery can close and go on the market and no one will buy it. The clientele that used to go there would certainly return, at least for the first try, if someone reopened Saylor's as a restaurant.
The idea of a strip mall in that neighbohood repulses me. I remember the Auto Zone proposal and how they wanted to build the store way back from the street, because apparently they think we consumers are dumb enough to think that if we can't see parking right out front, then there must not be ANY, so why stop there? (Like that dreadful Rite Aid two blocks away on Tilghman.)
Of course, I would like Saylor's and the Shanty to reopen as eating establishments or even some clever locally owned stores. The last thing we need are more chain stores with bad service and cheap crap for sale. That's what the suburbs are for!
I think an outdoor courtyard cafe would be nice but who wants to look at that ugly Commerce Bank, Hess gas station, and used car lot?
Maybe if a fence would be put up, like at Bellissimo down the street where you can dine al fresco.
Nolan, I have a link at my sidebar to a blog about malls. I think the "strip" mall is much more unfriendly than the traditional mall.
I don't know how i feel about a strip center. the "mall" part may be gone, but the "strip" part is still there... 19th street is shaping itself up to be quite the boutique center, so i anticipate some little shops jumping on that storefront space.
the saylor's pecan pancakes on sunday mornings were the BEST, and if you got the corner booth, they were somehow even better.
as for the shanty, a friend of mine who lives on that block said that there's hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of water damage inside due to a water main break that no one knew about since the building was vacant. still, this is just something that i heard.
hooray for rumors!
Katie Bee,
It could be true that there was extensive water damage at the Shanty. I heard the same rumor.
If there will be new boutiques, I hope they will be affordable. :D
I noticed driving in that neighborhood recently that a Napa opened right next to the commerce bank. And it didn't require a monster-scale set back. Yes folks, it can be done.
Whatever is constructed, I hope it fits into a community vision. A group of residents in that neighborhood did a visioning process 2 or 3 years ago and stated their intended vision for the neighborhood. That vision should be front and center in this conversation as it was created from resident input.
I can't comment on this without offending someone, but I will say that what I understand of the Shanty is that in addition to the expensive repairs that are needed, the owner has some delusion about how much money the property is worth and has turned down several "reasonable" offers instead choosing to let the place rot away from the inside out.
LOLV,
That's really sad news about The Shanty. It was a popular place, and a venue for local music. Where are all the wealthy business people who support the arts in ALlentown, and why can't one of them buy it? I don't get it.
It's unfortunate, but it seems that despite the good intentions of an entire neighborhood or a large group of people, one guy can ruin it for everyone. I ranted about a month ago about the future of our city and its buildings being in the hands of people who are not from here, don't live here and have no stake in our community. It's really unfortunate for those of us who live here to have to live within someone else's "vision" - which often tends to be just a vision of dollar signs. :( I wish I had a zillion bucks to waste irrationally. That art space would here and done by now!
I happened to be at the Allentown Planning Commission Meeting today. Turns out that CAL4 Associates (the developers wanting to knock down Saylor’s) submitted a revised plan to the city yesterday. Today they were a bit upset that the APC hasn’t approved them yet.
The APC tabled the approval until the next meeting, which is next month.
The big change seems to be the roofs will be gabled instead of flat.
The APC also mentioned that there seems to be public interest in the project, yet not one person has gone to city hall to check out the plans. BTW, the artist’s conception on the sign out front is the view from 19th Street. The back of the shopping center will be facing Buffalo Street (no more parking for Greg’s) and the parking lot will be between 19th Street and the storefront (a.k.a. offset).
Speaking of offsets, I love them. It allows for a little more green in this crumbling concrete nightmare. Also, as a motorcycle rider, the open space gives knucklehead cagers a little more time to see me.
Ta-ta and keep up the good work.
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