Knowing I live in downtown Allentown, people have been asking my opinion lately on the fate of the city that is the subject of so much publicity.

As a resident here for more than 50 years, after growing up in the Fogelsville area, I have experienced firsthand the rebirth of the downtown.

It looks great. It feels vibrant. Good stuff is happening here.

Sure I miss Hess’s and all the wonderful downtown stores, and I always will. Thankfully I have my sweet memories because those splendid businesses never are coming back to town.

But the city has recovered remarkably from the loss of its beloved establishments.

I do believe the current mayor is responsible for turning this city around. And I do expect he will be re-elected in November, despite the distraction of a hovering dark cloud.

That said, the exciting culture and fabric of the revitalized downtown differs greatly from the day-to-day experience of living in the inner city for over five decades.

In a nutshell, the people here have changed. Dramatically. And not for the better.

Gone are common courtesy and common sense, both much more common in years past. Rudeness prevails on many of our streets.

We, and friends and acquaintances who have stuck it out in the city, can recite too many examples of neighbors lacking consideration and respect. Many have no concept of boundaries.

And many like to flout the ordinances by double parking to chat or blasting violent, vulgar “music,” or ignoring the animal control laws.

When we bought our home in the ’70s, I never imagined the need for a security camera. Two years ago, we had a system installed. We’re not the only ones.

In just the past few weeks, I experienced more incidents than I had seen over a 30-year span.

Why should I have to tell an adult male to remove his pack of cigarettes and box of whatever from the hood of my car?

And why would a different guy blatantly sit on the hood of a stranger’s car?

I can’t count the times I have to ask someone to get up and move from my front steps, or stop their kids from playing on and jumping off that same front stoop.

Typical responses include: “I don’t feel like moving,” or “They’re my kids and they can play anywhere they want.” Or, even better: “Go back in your house, old lady. You have a problem.”

Toys and scooters are strewed across the sidewalk, often in front of my house. Candy wrappers and drink containers are tossed from next door onto my sidewalk.

Usually my request to move the tripping hazards is met with sarcasm or is ignored.

Flowers and plants out front routinely are vandalized.

Just the other day I watched on the security monitor as a woman stopped to break off a tall, flowering hosta stalk as she walked by.

When I called her on it, she shrugged and replied, “Big deal, so I took a lily. I like lilies. So what?”

Apparently she likes them so much she doesn’t even know what a lily looks like.

I guess it never occurred to her that someone had to buy those plants and dig them into the ground. If she likes something, she thinks it’s her right to take it. What nerve.

Then, there’s the tenant from the apartment building next door who, at 1:15 a.m., came out, walked across my property to the other end, and put some containers in my recycling bin that was out front for collection.

Despite the late hour and my bedtime attire, I went out, removed his items and took them back where they belonged.

The same building houses a woman who thinks nothing of dumping her toddler’s wading pool over the second floor railing onto my patio and containers of herbs and flowers.

When I told her to empty the pool into her building’s backyard rather than on my property, she got huffy. “It’s only water,” she retorted.

When a number of good, working, respectful families left our neighborhood, quality of life issues, not crime, were given as the reason for moving. Every time.

So despite the tremendous business boom and influx of professionals into expensive new apartments, the surrounding neighborhoods do leave much to be desired.

We desire, and deserve, better enforcement, better landlords and better neighbors.

I will vote for any mayor who can commit to that.