The Northside 2027 Neighborhood plan identifies the Northside of Bethlehem as a “middle neighborhood.” Safe, stable and affordable, middle neighborhoods are known for their livability and increasing importance in overall community health. The City of Bethlehem and Community Action Development Corp. of Bethlehem challenged Alloy5 to create a visual brand reflective of this neighborhood. As with any community investment, a delicate balance of communication, input and accomplishment was critical for success. Far too often, neighborhoods act like rival siblings, battling for public dollars in already stretched budgets. Money spent in one new park can cause envy among neighbors just a few blocks away.

Walking along Union Boulevard beneath rays of Saturday sunshine, it’s easy to pick up the rhythm of this neighborhood. Family homes stand shoulder to shoulder with corner markets, barbershops, dry cleaners, churches, parks and schools. Unlike the monotony of the suburbs, this community feels alive.

The logo is an interpretation of the neighborhood street grid imagined as a mosaic. A star is a natural symbol in Bethlehem, appearing in brands for festivals, hotels, hospitals and the city itself. In the Northside Alive logo, the star appears in the negative space of the mosaic, showing that here the people and the places working together make the star. Further emphasizing collaboration, the color palette is inspired by Thomas Jefferson Elementary and William Penn Elementary. These schools reflect the collective spirit of the neighborhood while fostering a feeling of unity. The Northside Alive brand colors combine the school’s colors of red, blue, navy and gold.

Together with CADCB and the City of Bethlehem, the Northside Alive brand was launched with a neighborhood block party at Friendship Park. Kids feasted on branded Northside Alive cookies, families gathered around large paint-by-number banners and neighbors cheered each other on during a basketball pick-up game. A scavenger hunt sent everyone looking for the Northside mosaic around town and invited them to stop in their favorite shops and restaurants. The neighborhood continues to celebrate the brand with giveaways and new-neighbor welcome packets full of stickers, pens, t-shirts and social media features.