Old Fairgrounds

OF Artist Ramon Peralta’s Show Continues Through the End of July

jeffpooley — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:00:02 +0000

Old Fairgrounds’ own Ramon Peralta, a truly gifted artist, is featured in a one-man show underway at Muhlenberg College’s Martin Art Gallery:

Ramon Peralta: Color and Form
Martin Art Gallery, Baker Center for the Arts, Muhlenberg College
through July 30, 2011
Tuesdays to Saturdays, noon to 8pm

Stevens Park in the News–near-riot

jeffpooley — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:45:12 +0000

The Morning Call covered last week’s “near riot” in Stevens Park. It’s a small-scale tragedy, and a blow to the neighborhood. One relevant omission from the Call’s story: no mention of the deplorable, inexcusably decrepit state the park’s in. To call it run-down is an undue compliment. There’s a grant application in process to overhaul the park, which is all for the good. But I can’t help but feel that the park’s plywood-affixed play equipment and high weeds helped contribute to the teens’ cynicism.

New Pharmacy Coming to Seventh Street

jeffpooley — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:38:01 +0000

The neighborhood has been without a pharmacy ever since Rite Aid left the old Sears building at 602 N. 7th St. to return to Hamilton. Leaking and code problems, and not poor sales, forced the move. Rite Aid’s 7th was reportedly among the busiest in the region.

Enter Allentown Pharmacy. The new drug store is set to open “soon” just down 7th, in part of the old Sears Auto Center, at 530 N. 7th St.

Note: Cross-posted with 7th Street Now.

Sacred Heart opens new extended care unit

jeffpooley — Fri, 06 May 2011 16:49:05 +0000

Sacred Heart Hospital, just outside Old Fairgrounds on Chew and 5th, unveiled its new extended care unit yesterday, as reported by the Morning Call:

Sacred Heart Thursday unveiled the 19-bed unit that will become a home away from home for people who need longer-term care for mental and behavioral illnesses. It partly fills a health care void that was created when Allentown State Hospital closed its doors for good last year.

Congratulations to our neighbor!

OFNA Meeting Tuesday!

jeffpooley — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:14:13 +0000

Come join us for a general Old Fairgrounds Neighborhood Association meeting on Tuesday (May 3), at 6pm, at Dubbs Memorial Church. All the details can be found here

Come support Stevens Park on Wednesday

jeffpooley — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 04:29:04 +0000

Stevens Park is, by many accounts, the most used park per square foot of any in the whole city. And yet its condition is deplorable–including plywood over broken equipment and graffiti.

There’s good news! Lorne Possinger from the state’s DCNR is visiting Stevens on THIS Wednesday (March 30) to tour the park in advance of our application for a grant to overhaul the park:

THIS Wednesday, March 30

10am

Stevens Park (corner of 6th and Tilghman)

We’ve applied before, through the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation. Our plan is based on a community-input study from 2008, produced by a Muhlenberg College student. The design is from one of the city’s top firms, Roberson Butz.

This is our year! Come out and support Old Fairgrounds and Stevens Park!