.png)
The Patio Podcast
The Patio Podcast is a wistful exploration of my hometown's enduring attachment to Hess’s Department Store. In candid conversations with residents, historians, collectors, former shoppers and employees, The Patio hopes to shed light on Allentown, Pennsylvania’s multigenerational interest in one single place.
Does nostalgia this visceral unite a city, or hold it back? How has Max Hess Jr.’s marketing genius endured? What happened to his famous chandeliers? And how good was all that whipped cream pie, really? The Patio Podcast is a new collection of Hess’s memories, meant for the here and now!
The Patio Podcast's original music: Theme created and produced by Dave Meyers with Vocals by Sam Cummings
The Patio Podcast
Community Conversations: Hess's and the JCC, PART 1
Earlier this year, thanks to a grant from the Lehigh Valley Arts and Cultural Alliance (LVACA), I took my microphones inside several Allentown community centers focused on retired adults and seniors, specifically asking for stories from Lehigh Valley local who, when it comes to Hess’s department store, are the true legacy-holders.
In this first episode, you will hear me at the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley, as I wanted to record Hess’s memories from their adult members. As you listen, you will hear about Simon Katz’s work as the Event and Membership Coordinator, and I get a very different kind of lesson in local history from Executive Director, Eric Lightman.
As I began this grant project, I knew the topic of Hess’s could open most doors around here— but in order to gain people’s trust enough to step up to the microphone and tell their story, I first had to share mine.
...
These upcoming episodes are part of a Community Conversations series, which is a continuation of Season 3! Each episode captures the spirit of Hess’s from our friends and neighbors, ages approximately 65 to 96. The project grant from LVACA is titled, Preserving Hess's Department Store History Through the Art of Conversation.
Although, the people you’ll meet and I have enjoyed somewhat different versions of the same downtown Allentown, simply asking them about their version has connected our generations in ways that few other things can.
Uncovering our connection through Hess’s isn’t just meaningful, in this case, it’s medicinal. Research for healthy aging tells us that meaningful social connections can boost well-being and even extend someone’s life expectancy by up to 50%.
By recording and sharing these memories through a podcast, we are not only preserving local history— but we’re giving our aging friends and neighbors a voice in digital spaces where they are far too often overlooked.
RESOURCES + POINTS OF CONNECTIONS FOR LV SENIORS:
- Healthy Aging- United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley
- https://www.unitedwayglv.org/healthy-aging/
- Friendship Circle at the JCC, Ages: 50+
- https://lvjcc.org/friendshipcircle
- Lehigh Valley Active Life
- https://lvactivelife.org/
- Lehigh County Aging and Adult Services
- https://www.lehighcounty.org/Departments/Human-Services/Aging-and-Adult-Services
The Patio's original music: Theme created and produced by Dave Meyers, with Vocals by Sam Cummings.
Follow us on Instagram @HessPatioPodcast
Connect on Facebook with The Patio Podcast
Visit our website www.hesspatiopodcast.com
