Carbondale Photo Tour (Scranton, York, Nanticoke: ski resort, transplants, real estate)

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Good afternoon everyone! It's another beautiful day in NEPA! I had only a half-day at work today, so I decided to take a jaunt up to Carbondale, in the northeasternmost corner of Lackawanna County, for my latest photo tour.

I'm going to post the photos for now to allow you to enjoy them while I get ready to head out for my first real date in a very, very long time. Expect more in-depth analysis regarding the "Pioneer City" tomorrow!





Welcome to Historic Carbondale, PA---The "Pioneer City!"

(PHOTOS TO BE CONTINUED BELOW)

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Looking west down Salem Avenue towards the intersection with Church Street.


Two attractive historic buildings along Main Street.


The old Carbondale Post Office, which now houses a day care center.


The current Carbondale Post Office, which is architecturally-unappealing and a blemish to the historic downtown area.


Ben-Mar Restaurant


This historical marker sat perched proudly right in front of the Ben-Mar Restaurant, even though the edifice pictured in it in no way, shape, or form resembles the current structure.



Greater Carbondale YMCA. As you can see, Carbondale is a very neighborly, civic-minded community that gives generously when the town is in need. $400,000 is needed to help expand the YMCA with a more modern addition, and I'm certain they'll reach and even surpass that goal.


Greater Carbondale YMCA on the left, low-income elderly high-rise in the middle, and gas station/convenience store on the right across the street.


Carbondale Senior Center


Looking south along Church Street.


Guns, shoes, and mullets, oh my! Carbondale is like taking a step back in time (in most cases for the better I must admit though, as motorists would even stop to permit pedestrians to cross, something you don't see here in hoighty-toighty Pittston).


Looking west across the town square towards Carbondale City Hall.


Some businesses along the town square's northerly side.


Looking east across the town square towards Church Street.


History of Memorial Park, which adorns the center of the town square.


Adams Building, Main Street.


Wallis Furniture, Main Street.



Carbondale Public Library


Carbondale Fire Company, Corner of Main & 6th.



City Hall dominates Main Street and the town's history books.


Another handsomely-restored historic building along Main Street.



The upcoming Pioneer Plaza project, which is expected to serve as a catalyst to help rebuild the surrounding downtown business district with a hotel, stores, and restaurants. Then again, this is the same developer who has been promising to do the same for Downtown Pittston with 100+ new luxury penthouse apartments on the city's up-and-coming waterfront, yet we've been waiting for those for a very, very long time.


H & R Block, Domenick's Pizza, Nationwide Insurance, Main Street


Looking south along Main Street.


The Corner Bistro Family Restaurant & Dinner Theatre.


The town clock.


Main Street shops.


A neat Victorian-era home that is situated at the southern gateway to downtown at a fork in the road.


Looking north towards downtown from the south side of town.


The Lackawanna River as it flows beneath 7th Avenue.


Yet another handsomely-refurbished historic treasure in the downtown area.


Some buildings under renovation along Salem Avenue near Main Street. Come to think of it, many structures were being remodeled throughout town, which is certainly good news.


The old Western Hotel, Salem Avenue.


Maxson's Family Market, which just opened along Dundaff Street.


The view as you approach the downtown area from Fallbrook Street.




A trio of scenes from along Salem Avenue. Barbour's Bakery looked extremely-inviting.


First Liberty Bank & Trust on the corner of Salem & Church.






The religious district along Church Street.

(TO BE CONTINUED BELOW)

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Those who know me best know that I oppose urban sprawl with a passion, as it is beginning to ruin our area's beautiful scenery. If that alone isn't a good enough reason to explain why sprawl is needless and wasteful, then just look at a select few images I shot of the uglier sides of Carbondale (of which there were many, many, MANY more!)


This vacant school building in a residential neighborhood would have made a lovely loft-style residence for young professionals, a senior citizen residential dwelling, or even a unique, historic bed & breakfast. Instead, it just sits and rots.


Just a block from Main Street is this monstrosity that could be reinvented as an antiques store, art gallery, or even a restaurant.



How people could take absolutely no pride in where they live is beyond me.






YUCK! The bad thing about Carbondale is that while history and beautiful mountain views adorn just about every neighborhood, these blemishes are on every block as well. How can the city's code enforcement officials sit around and continue to allow these buildings to decay and detract from the quality-of-life for the 90% of the town's residents who are upkeeping their properties?

(PHOTOS TO BE CONTINUED BELOW)

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Here is a spattering of images from the rest of the city. Enjoy!























Carbondale's more well-kept dwellings.


My favorite home in the entire town!



Hendrick Manufacturing. I'm guessing they only have that daily count out there proudly perched upon their sign because clumsy oafs like me don't work there! LOL!


Marian Community Hospital


Looking across town from Salem Avenue near Marian Community Hospital.



Looking across town from Lincoln Avenue.


PA National Guard Armory


The beautiful meadow behind some homes on the west side of town.


It's hard to see in this image, but those little specks that adorn the mountain ridge are actually very large windmills! They're an awesome sight in person.


The view down Fallbrook Street, a major link to nearby Fell Township.


Little Nikki's Pasta House, Fallbrook Street.


Another mom-and-pop store along Fallbrook Street.


An impressive house of worship as you enter town from Fallbrook Street.



America's first anthracite coal mine opened here in Carbondale in 1831.


Why, oh why has nobody renovated this home yet? Rich New Yorkers looking to pounce on cheap real estate in small-town America, where art thou?


An awesome brick street in Carbondale. How's that for historic?!

(ONE MORE IMAGE TO COME BELOW)

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An image that I think captures the essence of the town quite well!

That's all folks! I hope you enjoyed your brief journey to the Pioneer City!

[NYRangers 2008]

Nice photos. I've been to Carbondale many times so I know all those places that you took pics of. There are some nice old houses in Carbondale. Some of those remind me of the big, old houses in Green Ridge in Scranton. But a lot of Carbondale is dumpy. I guess like everything else, there's good and then there's bad.

[NiteGeni]

I have to tell you how much I enjoyed the photos. I am currently living in Orlando, FL...however, was born in Carbondale. I know nearly every place...have photos of me and my family at the BM Restaurant...which was once a RR depot. I have several of these locations in photos that are over 60 years old. Kept looking for a dinner called "McDonald's"...which existed downtown long before the golden arches.

There is a large white house on the side of a hill that can be seen from one of the main roads in town. My maternal great grandparents lived in that house. I always loved the architecture. I also have some very old railroad photos from the area.

Thank you so much for the memories

[kinpa]

Wow some how you even found the beauty in Carbondale. I have always loved the "feel" of Carbondale but not so much the look. It is because of the feeling that the town was once a bustle of activity, that it fasinates me, but it seems so very depressed. I have seen most of the places in your pictures but because of what they are next to they did not look so nice. Thanks for another view.
I would love to see some pics of the small towns along the lackawaxen river from Hawley to Shohola (my home base lol) also pics from (on) lake wallenpaupack of the beautiful views and homes on the lake. Thank you so much for sharing your talent.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by NiteGeni

I have to tell you how much I enjoyed the photos. I am currently living in Orlando, FL...however, was born in Carbondale. I know nearly every place...have photos of me and my family at the BM Restaurant...which was once a RR depot. I have several of these locations in photos that are over 60 years old. Kept looking for a dinner called "McDonald's"...which existed downtown long before the golden arches.

There is a large white house on the side of a hill that can be seen from one of the main roads in town. My maternal great grandparents lived in that house. I always loved the architecture. I also have some very old railroad photos from the area.

Thank you so much for the memories

Thank you for checking out the photo tour! I must admit for as much flack as everyone throughout the metro bestows upon "Garbagedale," the architecture in a lot of parts of the community, especially near Marian Hospital and the downtown area, is gorgeous. The town is also conveniently-located to either Scranton or Honesdale via Route 6 and isn't far from Lake Wallenpaupack, Elk Mountain Ski Resort, or Aylesworth Park. There are nice mountain views from many parts of town, and the steep hills make for some great exercise to build up those calves!

I didn't think Carbondale seemed any "worse" off than either Pittston or Nanticoke, so I truly don't know why it is so poorly-regarded amongst so many people. If anything, I think Carbondale might be on the verge of a major comeback, especially if that Pioneer Plaza project comes to fruition. While sauntering through town I didn't see even one traffic light at a busier intersection that didn't have at least one out-of-state car idling at its red light, with most being from the well-monied areas of NY and NJ. There have been many, many recent property transfers in the Scranton Times-Tribune of lower-priced (under $75,000) homes in Carbondale to folks from out-of-state, possibly indicating that "new blood" is moving in to help rehabilitate some of the town's raddy-looking homes into showplaces for their families. Who knows? Some of these newer transplants might even consider bringing a new business venture to Main Street.

There's simply too much of a "doom and gloom" mentality here in NEPA at a time when I think we're rounding a corner back to prosperity. Historically, waves of immigrants have helped to rebuild and reshape the destiny of an area. For NEPA, it was first the Western Europeans. Now, it's a mix of Hispanics seeking a better quality-of-life and NY/NJ transplants seeking a lower cost-of-living. I'm optimistic that this new wave will help to breathe new life into a once-declining region.

[PAman]

SWB: Re your taking care of where you live comments: Carbondale looks ok to me, Theres plenty of worse off places in PA. a good portion of allentown, southside bethlehem; Clairton is pretty depressed, Duquesne is shot.And Ohio is even worse....However, I do agree, revival is potentially right around the corner...These smaller towns throughout our state all have something special about them, they just seem like a place you could call home and meet some nice people in.