The Brown and White took a stroll around the neighborhood and spoke to community members about their South Side backgrounds and some of the location’s best kept secrets.
Herbert Bradley and Wayne Mengies, Veterans and South Side Residents
Q: Are you from the South Side?
Herbert Bradley: I’m actually from Easton, but my family is from Bethlehem. We’ve been one of the longest Black families in the area, 250 years. My great grandfather was a slave, and he came here and started a family. It’s named after us, Bradley Street, right by the Five and Dime. I moved here from Easton after a lengthy divorce, and I decided I like Bethlehem better.
Wayne Mengies: I’m from the South Side. We’re both veterans.
Q: If you had to describe the South Side using one adjective, what would it be?
HB: I’ll just use the word versatile. There’s lots of things to do, lots of places to go. Transportation is readily available. You can go to New York, or sometimes I catch a bus and go to the shore. There’s lots to do. Not all of the time, but it’s a very interesting place.
WM: Basically, Herb covered it. It’s nice here. You can walk around at 2 o’clock in the morning without getting bothered. The South Side needs a little cosmetic surgery to it. Some of the houses are run down, some of the places are OK. The further west and north you go, the better the city gets. Because people want homes, they are working, they are respectful and pay the taxes. When people rent properties, usually the neighborhood goes down.
Q: Is there a secret location or place on the South Side that you think more people should know about?
HB: Godfrey Daniels. It’s a little bit of everything. It’s not just a restaurant. They have a lot of entertainment right in that area.
WM: Right down the street you’ve got The FunHouse. They have bands playing there and everything. I’ve been there a few times and it is fun. By the way, that’s my middle name: “Funny.”
Q: How long have you been friends?
HB: About 10 years. It’s been quite a while and our relationship changes from time to time. The fact that we’re both veterans makes it easy for him and I to talk. Most people, they don’t have that experience.
Q: When did you serve?
HB: My service was from 1963 to 1967. I stayed in domestic reserves for a couple of years and then I went to California. I stayed around there for about 20 years and then I came back to Pennsylvania.
WM: 1970 to 1973. Instead of getting drafted and enlisted by the high school, I pursued my mechanic experience working on cars, diesel, truck and tank mechanics. And I served my country.
Mika Crandall, Bar Manager at The Social Still
Q: How long have you been living in Bethlehem?
Mika Crandall: I have lived in Bethlehem my entire life. I grew up off of Washington Avenue, around the area, by Liberty (High School) and Northeast (Middle School). So yeah, 36 years.
Q: If you had to describe the South Side using one adjective, what would it be?
MC: Ever-changing. It is growing incredibly fast. New condos and apartments are coming up, and the restaurants are really, really kicking butt right now. Local stuff is really cool, too.
Q: Do you think the culture of the South Side changes when college students return to campus in the fall?
MC: In some ways, yeah. I’m just a little bit more aware of what’s happening. But it does bring a lot of people down to the restaurants, which is fantastic. We have alumni from Lehigh as well, so we are really big on supporting anything that’s going on.
Q: What brought you to Social Still?
MC: I’ve been here since March of this year. I have bartended and managed a bunch of restaurants on the South Side, and I got welcomed here and I am very, very happy at my new home.
Q: Is there a secret location or place on the South Side that you think more people should know about?
MC: Honestly, here, Social Still. We are the very first distillery in the Lehigh Valley, and a lot of people don’t know that. For myself, I lived here my entire life and I really had my first dining experience about two years ago, and I’ve never really thought to come over here. The food’s great, the staff is wonderful, customer service is great and we have lots of stuff you can take home, too.
Jermaine Warren, CEO of Atown Promotions Advertising Media
Q: What brings you to the South Side today?
Jermaine Warren: I came over here to the Plant Festival at the SteelStacks. Particularly, I found this food truck here, Bananarama Sundae, they’re based out of Emmaus, but whenever they’re here in the area I pretty much follow them wherever they go. So I came over there to patronize them and then see what else is going on.
Q: Do you spend some time on the South Side?
JW: I do, I do.
Q: If you had to describe the South Side using one adjective, what would it be?
JW: I would say the South Side is exponentially growing. It’s very diverse, you know, it’s cool. They’re building up the area. I think it’s great.
Q: Is there a secret location or place on the South Side that you think more people should know about?
JW: I would have to say it’s not the South Side but downtown Bethlehem. I would probably have to say Casa Del Mofongo, which is a Spanish restaurant that used to be located on Hamilton Street, but due to all their revitalization and development, they moved to Bethlehem. So I don’t think a lot of people know about them, and I believe that they’re probably the best kept secret.
Q: How long have you lived in the area?
JW: I’ve lived in Allentown since I was 4 years old. And I’m 48, so I’ve lived here my whole life.
Q: What is your favorite thing about the area?
JW: My favorite thing about the area, it’s now becoming the people. But before that, I would just say, you know, the amount of opportunities.
Alex Hartman, South Side Resident
Q: Are you from the South Side?
Alex Hartman: I was actually was born here. I traveled. I’ve been back here since COVID happened.
Q: What brought you back?
AH: Family.
Q: If you had to describe the South Side using one adjective, what would it be?
AH: Colorful. Very bright. The people, the different places you can go to eat. The scenery is very beautiful and bright.
Q: Is there a secret location or place on the South Side that you think more people should know about?
AH: The mom and pop shops. Those are nice ones to go to. I can’t really pick one. The boba is pretty good too.
Q: Do you think the culture of the South Side changes when the college students come back in the fall?
AH: I believe it’s changing every single season. So, every year round things change. It’s almost like evolution.
Q: If you have kids or want them in the future, would you want them to grow up on the South Side?
AH: Yeah, I hope they would be able to go to college too.
Q: What is something you wish more people knew about the South Side?
AH: The community involvement. A lot of people helping out other people.
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