Allentown, PA (Old Fairgrounds)

Many things matter about a neighborhood, but the first thing most people notice is the way a neighborhood looks and its particular character. For example, one might notice whether the buildings all date from a certain time period or whether shop signs are in multiple languages. This particular neighborhood in Allentown, the Old Fairgrounds neighborhood, has some outstanding things about the way it looks and its way of life that are worth highlighting.

Real Estate

The Old Fairgrounds neighborhood is very densely populated compared to most U.S. neighborhoods. In fact, with 36,570 persons per square mile in the neighborhood, it is more packed with people than 97.6% of the nation's neighborhoods. Even if you drive or take transit to your place of employment, many people enjoy being able to walk in their neighborhood. What many people don't realize is that most of America's premier vacation locations are also very walkable. The Old Fairgrounds neighborhood is among the top 5% of American neighborhoods in terms of walkability.

In addition, many people dream of living along a street lined with row houses or other attached homes. Such places do often have an abundance of charm. If you are one of these people, the Old Fairgrounds neighborhood could be your paradise. With 53.7% of the homes and real estate here classified as rowhouses or other attached homes, this neighborhood brims with opportunity to find the right place for you. Only 1.0% of U.S. neighborhoods have more row houses than this neighborhood, making it one of the most interesting things about this special neighborhood.

Furthermore, do you watch 'This Old House' on Public Television? Do you love the idea of fixing up a Colonial or Victorian era home, complete with the charm of yesteryear? Do you like to stroll or drive streets lined with gracious older residences? If you found yourself nodding yes to any of these questions, you are going to be interested in this unique neighborhood. The Old Fairgrounds neighborhood stands out on a national scale for the sheer concentration of historic residences it contains: 74.8% of the residential real estate here was built from 1939 or earlier, some much earlier. This is a greater concentration of historic homes than 99.2% of the neighborhoods in the United States.

People

Single parenting is hard. But you don't have to tell the Old Fairgrounds neighborhood about it; they already know. 22.1% of this neighborhood's households are run by single mothers, which is a higher concentration than NeighborhoodScout found in 98.0% of American neighborhoods. Further NeighborhoodScout research showed strong statistical correlations among high rates of children living in single parent households, and neighborhood crime, particularly violent crime, neighborhood poverty, and, importantly, the percentage of low weight births and rates of infant mortality.

In addition, the Old Fairgrounds neighborhood stands out for having an average per capita income lower than 95.2% of the neighborhoods in the United States. The Old Fairgrounds neighborhood also has a greater percentage of children living in poverty (64.5%) than found in 97.8% of all U.S. neighborhoods. Children living in poverty is one of the challenges facing America, and the world, and in this neighborhood in particular, the problem can be considered acute.

Modes of Transportation

Our research revealed that more commuters here take the bus to work (14.7% ride the bus) than 97.6% of all American neighborhoods. If you like the idea of leaving your car and home and hopping the bus to work, this might be a good neighborhood for you to consider.

Occupations

NeighborhoodScout's exclusive research identifies the Old Fairgrounds neighborhood as having one of the highest concentrations of people employed in manufacturing or as laborers of any neighborhood in America. In fact, despite the loss of manufacturing jobs nationally, this neighborhood has 44.0% of its working residents employed in such fields, which is a higher proportion than 96.9% of American neighborhoods.

Car Ownership

American households most often have a car, and regularly they have two or three. But households in the Old Fairgrounds neighborhood buck this trend. 21.2% of the households in this neighborhood don't own a car at all. This is more carless households than NeighborhoodScout found in 95.5% of U.S. neighborhoods.