Ghost Bull Durham Sign Restored

Part of historic funkiness got restored this week on 7th Street. Along with repointing 601 N 7th's facade, we restored the old advertising "ghost" sign for Genuine Bull Durham which was pretty much faded away. 603 N 7th - the green and yellow checkerboard building is scheduled for a historic facelift next month!

getting started:

during priming of lettersalmost done
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ghost_sign

600 block facades under way

625 N 7th Street has gone from Drab...

to fab...Germania's Jeans Collection has opened and also undergone a facade transformation...our newest retailer is doing brisk business in the 600 block across the street from the Little Apple Market...stop by and check them out

Before and After: Rodriguez Check Cashing

What a difference a facade grant makes.

Pharmacy Coming to 7th Street

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.

More details to come.

Seventh Street Receives $500,000 for Pedestrian Lighting Improvements

The Morning Callreports that the city of Allentown received a $499,100 award for pedestrian lighting improvements along Seventh Street.

Seventh Street Nativity Featured on Channel 69

WFMZ's cameras captured Seventh Street's St. Luke's Lutheran Church live nativity:

The story of Christmas was brought to life at an event in Allentown.

Folks were treated to a live nativity at St. Luke's Lutheran Church on 7th Street Sunday afternoon.

The display featured alpacas, goats and burros, that were all brought in from a local farm.

This is the first year the church put together the live nativity.

Banking Switch on Seventh Street

Welcome to Seventh Street, Wells Fargo. (Wachovia was, of course, acquired by Wells Fargo back in 2008, but only now is the Wachovia name getting phased out.)

Happy Day for Happy Garden Chinese Restaurant - 501 N 7th Street

3 weeks after a fire closed Happy Garden's doors, they are set to open for business again this Friday, Novemeber 19. Please let's help them celebrate their doors opening again and order some great Chinese food! Their number is 610-432-9330.

MAKING PEOPLE SCREAM? ACTORS NEEDED!

Haunted House Creator, Steve Whol has created yet another masterpiece in the haunted house world. He has built countless mazes of fright in the past that included thrills that chilled the soul. This time he has created one on 7th Street in Allentown, Pa, as part of the Day of the Dead Festivities.
Mastermind Steve is looking for actors to round out his cast of ghouls and unknown things that will bump in the dark. Actors need to be 18+ years old and unafraid to make people scream. Some acting experience preferred but not necessary. The fun will begin at 4pm and continue until 9pm.
If this is you, contact Kathleen Kapila for more information at kkapila@caclv.org or call her at 610-433-5703.
The Day of the Dead Festival is on October 30, 2010.

Two side-by-side facades underway on Seventh

A pair of adjacent, well-loved Seventh Street eateries---Winston's (619) and Ecua Atlantic Seafood (621)---have just begun their own facade makeovers. Now stripped of their homely siding, the two restaurants will get the full Peter Lewnes treatment over the next month or so.

Save the Date: Day of the Dead Festival on 7th coming October 30

Save the date for the first annual Day of The Dead Festival:

---Saturday Oct 30th from 5pm to 9pm.

Come celebrate this traditional festival where we pay tribute to our ancestors.

There will be a haunted house, vendors selling cool stuff, palm readers and spiritual advisors all along the street. We will have a salsa tasting, music, and lots of great food from the restaurants on 7th Street! Come join us and have some scary fun!

If you are a vendor and would like to reserve a spot - call Sharon Smith at 610-433-5703.

MetroPCS coming to long-vacant space at 529 N. Seventh

The mobile phone provider metroPCS is opening a store at 529 N. Seventh, between Liberty and Allen Streets. The space has been vacant (with the occasional temp agency) for the eight years I've lived off Seventh---one of the last vacant storefronts left on the three-block stretch from the 400 to 600 blocks of Seventh.

a doozy of a facade begins

here's the reason for the season...removing aluminum siding to find a building in pretty bad shape but why we help. In a couple of years, there wouldn't be a building left...this one will be our first painted lady.

Even I'm impressed

Here's a before and after that I'm thrilled with...we started doing some residential facades and have taken this one back to it's original historic splendor...we have about 10 done this year with 20 more to go...stay tuned folks:

MAXED OUT Planter Exhibition at The BAUM School of Art tonight

Following up on our successful planter project last year, 7th Street was able to find large concrete planters on sale at the end of the season. ANDA youth group partnered up with the BAUM School of Art and engaged help of kids from the St Luke's Neighborhood Center and Boys and Girls Club to create 8 new uber colorful mosaic planters.A team of volunteers will be planting today and the planters should be out by this weekend - if you'd like to help - and we can always use your help, please call Kathleen Kapila at 610-433-5703. The BAUM School is hosting a photo exhibition of this project starting Thursday, July 8 from 6-8 PM which is open to all.The planters will be placed in front of storefronts along the 7th Street corridor to continue the greening of 7th Street projects. Along with the 18 planters last year, 7th Street has planted 36 new shade trees and planted a kiosk garden near Little Apple Supermarket this year.Special thanks to Pennsylvania Partners of the Arts, KNBT Bank and PPL for providing funding for this project. To find out more on what's happening on 7th, look us up at http://www.7thstreetallentown.org/ or find us on facebook.

New, beautiful Kiosk Garden on Seventh!

Since mid-June, the thousands of commuters and sidewalk-bound pedestrians have enjoyed the newest addition to Seventh Street: the Kiosk Garden. Vibrant flower beds, surrounded by wrought-iron enclosures--between the old Sears building and the Little Apple market on the 600 block. Enjoy...

Maxed Out Planter Project on 7th

Following up on our successful planter project last year, 7th Street was able to find large concrete planters on sale at the end of the season. ANDA youth group partnered up with the BAUM School of Art and engaged help of kids from the St Luke's Neighborhood Center and Boys and Girls Club to create 8 new uber colorful mosaic planters.

A team of volunteers will be planting today and the planters should be out by this weekend - if you'd like to help - and we can always use your help, please call Kathleen Kapila at 610-433-5703.

The BAUM School is hosting a photo exhibition of this project starting Thursday, July 8 from 6-8 PM which is open to all.

The planters will be placed in front of storefronts along the 7th Street corridor to continue the greening of 7th Street projects. Along with the 18 planters last year, 7th Street has planted 36 new shade trees and planted a kiosk garden near Little Apple Supermarket this year.

Special thanks to KNBT Bank and PPL for providing funding for this project. To find out more on what's happening on 7th, look us up at www.7thstreetallentown.org or find us on facebook.

Casa Latina Gets a New Sign

Check out the handsome second story banner-sign for Casa Latina--the excellent Dominican restaurant at 527 N. 7th Street.

Seventh Street Has a Twitter!

You can follow Seventh Street at 7thStAllentown.

New Banners for Seventh Street

The new banners are up! Their vivid coloring is only partly captured by the photo; they must be seen in person.