The Geography of Allentown

The Allentown District lies within the city of Buffalo about one-half mile north of the downtown business district.  Containing approximately 733 buildings on 29 blocks, the district is largely residential in nature but also includes some 1890's commercial buildings and residential hotels as well as three churches.  The architectural features of most buildings are remarkably intact and most are well maintained, especially in the east and north sections of the district. 

There are three park areas in the district, all of which Frederick Law Olmstead was involved.  The two residential greens were redesigned by Olmstead in the late nineteenth century, and Symphony Circle was the first circle he laid out in Buffalo as part of his comprehensive park plan for the city. 

The street plan of Allentown is formed by two distinct early nineteenth grid patterns, those of the Holland Land Company and of the New York State's village of Black Rock.  The resulting irregular intersection of the two regular block patterns running north and northeast respectively forms the angular block patterns found in the west section of the district.

The physical characteristics of Allentown today are mostly the same as they were during the late nineteenth century.  Most residential streets have many trees, and houses built close together with between two and three stories.

(Source: the National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form).