Just yesterday I noticed that the Towne Restaurant was getting a facade fix-up. To tell you the truth, I’ve never paid too much attention to this corner, other than stumbling in (years ago) at 4am for some breakfast munchies. Yesterday was different – I stopped and stood in front of the building for the first time, looking at the actual building… and it was quite nice. The stripping of some of the exterior has created a slight historic sparkle, where I don’t remember seeing anything too memorable before. It turns out that this building might actually have some hidden character that could be brought brought back to life.
When I got home I took a look at Google maps to see if the exposed brick had been covered up previously. It’s tough to tell, but it looks as if the brick had been painted. The red bricks that have been exposed give the facade a “pop” that it never had before. If a small amount of brick can be so noticeable, then what else is hiding behind that exterior? The dull monotone colors of the old Towne looked drab. Not to say that the business is not a successful Allentown institution, it’s just that this crucial urban corner deserves a fresh (historic) look that it appears to be getting… if even slightly? I’m hoping to see something uplifting and sensitive to the street… it wouldn’t be hard to transform Towne Restaurant into an absolute jaw-dropper if the right direction was taken.