Walking around the less traveled parts of Allentown I stumbled on a hidden gem of a street. That street is Trinity Place named after Trinity Episcopal Church. It is two blocks long between Tupper and Delaware, forming part of the southern edge of Allentown. The portion starting at Elmwood is a cozy up and coming residential street. A sharp bend at about the street’s 1/3 point marks the collision of the old villages of Black Rock and Buffalo as their respective street grids collide in messy urban beauty. This kink in the street is reminiscent of the extra charming and highly popular Little Summer Street on the city’s west side. Also like Little Summer, the street is composed of an eclectic mixture of simple but charming 19th century buildings set close together and close to the street. The resultant setting holds the potential to create one of the city’s best streets.
I say potential because the street is still a work in progress, as much of the West Side is. Most of its houses are in great shape with some recent high end restorations. Some need freshening, such as removal of dull aluminum and asphalt siding. Trinity does not yet have the luxuriant gardens of Little Summer but I don’t think it will be long before this street is also a favorite on the Garden Walk. One major hurdle for Trinity (and the neighborhood) is its inability to overcome the crushing burden of a few neglectful and absentee owners on this and nearby streets.
One in particular is a wonderful storefront building on the east end near Elmwood which has tremendous potential but is in horrible condition and may be abandoned. I can think of no excuse for this owner to be allowed to bring down this street with this kind of neglect. Its current condition drags everything down, and this neglect should not be used an excuse to tear down a building which can never be replaced. It has great potential as an asset in the future and its loss would be a loss to the city as a whole. As well, the building directly adjacent on the southwest corner of Elmwood and Trinity could use a bit of tasteful rejuvenation. Though not in horrible condition, years of bad alterations are hiding the beautiful corner this could be.
There is another very interesting surprise of a building on this street that I have not talked about. I will save that beauty for another post. In the meantime check out the accompanying slide show or better yet take a fall walk in the neighborhood and discover this wonderful little street.