Relocating to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton by myself. NEEDS YOUR HELP/ADVICE! (Pittsburgh: 2009, apartments)

[BillieBrawliday]

I have viewed many user's questions about moving to the Wilkes-Barre area of Pennsylvania. First off, I'd like to thank the people who responded for being helpful to not just them but to me. Although, my situation and questions seems to be a bit different then many of the ones I have read. I am currently living in Greensboro, NC and am looking to relocate to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre by mid 2008. I'm not interested in buying a home, I'm not married and I don't plan to have kids for a while. So my questions to you all are mainly about rent, jobs, social life and transportation. What areas would you suggest (in mainly Wilkes-Barre) that I look into for renting an apartment or 1bdrm house, that is in a suitable neighborhood and falls in the monthly cost bracket of $300-$600? I don't mind older structures as I currently live in one and love it. Is it absolutely neccessary to own a car in Wilkes-Barre? For once in my life, I'd rather walk/take a subway/or bus it! As far as social life, I'd rather not have to run to NY all the time to meet up with friends or family and hang out. So would you say that there is a lot to do for 21-30yr old single people? (i.e. rockabilly shows, concerts, bars, art galleries, street fairs, etc.) And lastly, JOBS! I'd like to transfer with my company but if not, would you say that Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has a lot of job opportunities? Any help, suggestions or advice WILL BE MUCH APPRECIATED! -Billie

Oh and I have already checked out several of the Roller Derby Leagues in the Eastern part of Pennsylvania since I will be transferring to one of them. WAY TO GO PA ROLLER GIRLS!

[poconosmama]

I have no words of wisdom whatsoever(yea that sounds helpful lol) but I just wanted to say hello and welcome

[BillieBrawliday]

Thanks for the welcome! Everyone seems rather nice and helpful. Have a great weekend in your town

[jennazer]

Have you visited Wilkes- Barre? If not, I would suggest doing so before commiting to the move. I have family that lives near there (aunts, uncles, cousins) and my grandparents lived their whole lives in Wilkes- Barre (now deceased). I was born there (kingston actually) At one time, years and years ago, Wilkes-Barre was a very respectable town, but has since gone down hill. It has a lot of crime and does not have a lot of industry. Of course it would depend on what job market you are in though. I urge you to view the stats on the city from city-data. Public square, which was once a beautiful shopping district is now riddled with drugs and the homeless. If you absolutely HAVE to move there, I suggest not moving into the city of Wilkes- Barre but its surrounding area's such as Kingston, Forty-Fort, Dallas (mountain), Mountain Top (a bit further), Back Mountain. Kingston and Forty-Fort are probably more your speed, with a more younger crowd and more to do. It is literally just right over the river from Wilkes-Barre, but is like a whole other world. THe rent will be slightly higher, but you will be in a much nicer area with low crime, and finding a place for up to 600 should be no problem. THere is public transportation in Wilkes-Barre via the bus. THere is no commuter train or subway so you will most likely have to have a car. Plus, since im a former NE PA gal, now living in Charlotte, let me tell you the winters are brutal, and walking in the dead of December through March will be no picnic. You will freeze. I know of a few places that my cousins go to in the Kingston/Forty-Fort/Swoyersville area. THey are, the Bistro Bistro Bistro & Mambo Italiano, boylen's ( i know im not spelling right sorry, and Leary's Kork and Keg. My cousin used to bartend at The bistro and its very nice. Good luck and stay warm.

[Chefkey]

I live in the Heights of Wilkes Barre and feel safe and have had no problems. I would point out that I lived in Philly for eight years which is a much tougher city to deal with than Wilkes Barre. As a result, what others see as some great danger I see as petty annoyances. Having never been to NC. I can't tell you if it will be worse for you or better. I do know this, I haven't seen a person begging on a street corner yet.

When I was in Philly I would walk by three homeless Huts and actually say hello to them because they had become like my neighbors. When I got a little deeper into town I would pass a beggar EVERY Block. I have seen nothing, I mean zilch nothing like this since I have been in Wilkes Barre.

There is a huge shopping hub with a Bus to it on the outskirts of the city and it is very convenient. As I always say in my crime posts, Crime is everywhere. Use your head and don't walk into questionable areas. There are good clubs in the area that you can find friends and if you like hiking or skiing you will love the nature here.

Good Luck with your move, I'm sure you will feel safe and happy here

[ScranBarre]

I live about ten minutes to the north of Wilkes-Barre and attend college downtown (King's). My father's office is also on Public Square, so my family has quite a bit of experience with the Diamond City (nicknamed as such because the focal point of the downtown area is the "diamond" of Public Square).

What jennazer and Chefkey have both said is rather accurate testimony. Wilkes-Barre's quality-of-life has gone very far downhill since its heyday in the 1940s-1950s (before the collapse of the mining industry), but in my opinion it had already hit rock bottom back in the late-1990s-early 2000s and in the past few years has begun to round a corner.

There are still many safe, quiet neighborhoods in the city of Wilkes-Barre to reside in, contrary to popular belief. Wedged between the Cross-Valley Freeway and the inner suburb of Plains Township (townships are geographically-large communities governed independently, unlike in North Carolina where these unincorporated areas would probably fall under county domain) is North Wilkes-Barre, which consists of two neighborhoods---Parsons and Miners Mills. Both of these neighborhoods are rather aesthetically unappealing, in my opinion, as greenery is at a premium and almost every home is the same boring white color, but North Wilkes-Barre remains one of the safest communities in this city of 40,000. Parsons has a struggling "Main Street" type of corridor along George Avenue with a grocery store and various day-to-day conveniences, and Miners Mills is located within walking distance of the new Mohegan Sun Casino. There is a new housing subdivision here as well known as Pine Ridge Estates, which has some townhomes in the mid-$100k range, if you'd be interested in a townhome instead of an apartment. Otherwise your main options for apartments in North Wilkes-Barre would generally be as renting half-duplexes or renting a 1-BR or 2-BR unit that is part of an existing single-family home.

Downtown Wilkes-Barre itself has a lot of condos and loft apartments under development, but I don't see any of these units being available for occupancy in any of these projects until late-2008 or early-2009, especially since it seems as if the Hotel Sterling project has once again been delayed. I'll have to stray from Jennazer's opinion just a bit about the caliber of folks downtown though, as she made it sound a bit more "rough" than it really is. The only part of Downtown Wilkes-Barre I have ever felt unsafe in (even during the day) has been the neighborhood near the St. Vincent DePaul Soup Kitchen. I still recall one morning in late-2006 when I said "Good morning" to a man who was lying on the sidewalk and staring at me as I passed, and he rose to his feet, began staggering around in a drunken stupor, screamed obscenities at me, and threatened to kill me, apparently thinking a polite greeting was a "challenge." I just kept on walking, knowing that nothing would happen to me as I approached the very busy North Main Street corridor near my campus during the morning rush-hour. By and large though the rest of Downtown Wilkes-Barre is safe during the day, and at night just use common sense, as you would in any city. My friends and I enjoy the new theater, and the police presence has been VERY strong as Mayor Leighton (someone I'm an advocate of), has beefed up patrols in that part of downtown at night to give suburbanites a sense of increased safety and an incentive to return and spend more money in the city (which has started to work).

Speaking of the central business district, Downtown Wilkes-Barre is just beginning to undergo a renaissance of its own. The city now hosts First Fridays on, you guessed it, the First Friday of each month, in which a trolley ferries folks around the downtown area to visit various arts and cultural attractions, including the Widmann Gallery at King's College, the Sordoni Gallery at Wilkes University, Arts YOUniverse on South Franklin Street, Marquis Art & Frame on South Main Street, and various other cultural points of interest (a new artists' colony is being planned, by the way, in the old Irem Temple building on North Franklin Street). Public Square is very underutilized, in my opinion, as the focal point of the city, but nevertheless it still hosts a very popular weekly farmers' market on Thursdays (except for winter), and an annual Fine Arts Fiesta. The city also hosts annual parades for Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, Veterans' Day, and Memorial Day, even though I must admit that they pale in comparison to the parades that its sister city of Scranton offers. Along South Main Street is a Barnes & Noble with a Starbucks inside, and a new Starbucks will be opening up across the street early next year, in space formerly occupied by a short-lived night club (which failed due to poor management, not on account of the city being an unattractive place to do business). Several new restaurants have opened up in recent months, and there are now a plethora of great places to eat downtown (or will be shortly). Some of the options include an upcoming Thai restaurant, Katana (Japanese), La Toscana (Italian), Lowe's (established restaurant), Oyster (inside Genetti's Hotel), an upcoming mining-themed restaurant called "The Mines", Bart & Urby's (classy pub fare), Jannuzzi's (pizza), Quizno's, Subway, a Chinese buffet, and a few others. The riverfront is undergoing a renewal of its own, and I see the laborers hard at work everyday from my parking lot across the street. When the project is completed two large portals will have been cut in the levee wall to permit people to have direct access to a new RiverWalk with an amphitheater, sculpture garden, and lush landscaping. New Victorian-era streetlights now adorn many downtown streets, and the third phase of that project will get underway early next year. A new intermodal transportation center is currently under construction and will bring bus traffic off of congested Public Square. A new visitors' center is planned in a restored historic train station on Market Street Square; if and when commuter rail service is ever restored between Scranton and NYC, there are plans to link Wilkes-Barre to Scranton, and the trains will utilize this station. All in all I think downtown is headed in the right direction, and the residents agreed by re-electing Mayor Leighton with more than 2/3 of the vote (then again his opponent was meager and had very few, if any, good ideas, so that might have been a factor).

Jennazer is right in that the city is a sad shell of what it formerly was. However, Chefkey and I both agree that the city is now headed on a better course.

Another neighborhood you might want to consider is the Historic District, which is located adjacent to Wilkes University on the southwestern end of downtown. Here you might be able to find a nice 1-BR apartment in an old brick mansion for the upper-range of your budget figure, but if you're looking solely for affordability, then this neighborhood probably won't be for you. For what it's worth though, even though I see many, many more folks riding bicycles and using mass transit in Wilkes-Barre, I still couldn't envision living in Wilkes-Barre without a car (yet). Another five years (and with the addition of a grocery store), and that might be a reality. If you wanted to toy around with the idea of living without a vehicle, then Wilkes-Barre will be a difficult choice.

As Chefkey mentioned earlier, there is a massive chain retail area wedged between the city limits and I-81 near Highland Park Boulevard and Mundy Street. It is here where you'll find the Wyoming Valley Mall, which is anchored by Macy's, JCPenney, Sears, The Bon-Ton, and about 90 other stores. The Arena Hub Plaza, which sits just behind the mall, is home to Lowe's Home Improvement, another Barnes & Noble (and Starbucks), Pier 1 Imports, Michael's Arts & Crafts, Dick's Sporting Goods, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, TJ Maxx, Staples, PetSmart, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, Dominic's of New York, and a few others. Adjacent to this shopping complex is Wilkes-Barre Township Commons, which is home to Target, Circuit City, Party City, Petco, Babies R Us, Catherine's, Panera Bread, GameStop, Dress Barn, Country Junction, Ashley Furniture, and a few others. The Wilkes-Barre Township Marketplace is home to Wal-Mart Supercenter, Bennigan's, Cracker Barrel, Logan's Roadhouse, Super King Chinese Buffet, Fashion Bug, Radio Shack, and a few others. Just down the road you'll find Wegman's Foods, Sam's Club, Kohl's, and Office Depot. Also nearby are another Starbuck's (yes Wilkes-Barre now has FOUR of these, much to the chagrin of naysayers who said it could never support that many), Bob Evans, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, UNO Chicago Grille, Boston's, FedEx/Kinko's, Wendy's, and a few others. Also along this corridor is the Wachovia Arena, which is home to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AAA Affilliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins), the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (Arena2 Football League), and various concerts and other special events. Finally, as if this wasn't enough, other nearby retail areas are home to Home Depot, Burlington Coat Factory, Raymour & Flanigan Furniture, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, Long John Silver's, TGI Friday's, Toys R Us, Ruby Tuesday, Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Price Chopper Grocers, Friendly's, Perkins, Burger King, Ground Round, and a few others. As if THESE options weren't enough, I've heard rumors another major shopping center is being planned on land adjacent to the Wachovia Arena and I-81! As can be expected, traffic can be heinous in this part of town, especially on weekends, so be prepared to have to dodge vehicles like a game of ******* whenever you head on out to the 'burbs to do your shopping. This area serves a much larger retail customer base than Dickson City (Scranton's chain district) does, and it has more businesses as a result.

Well, I'm a bit tired for now, but let me know if there's anything else you'd like to know about the Diamond City. I'm a vast storehouse of useless knowledge!

[BillieBrawliday]

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS, INFORMATION AND EVEN ENCOURAGEMENT! THIS CERTAINLY WILL HELP ME WITH MY DECISION MAKING (: I HAVE MY HEART SET ON PA (particularly Scranton/Wilkes-Barre). SO THANKS AGAIN AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR UP THERE! Billie*

[beckycat]

Just out of curiosity, why are you leaving NC ?

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by BillieBrawliday

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS, INFORMATION AND EVEN ENCOURAGEMENT! THIS CERTAINLY WILL HELP ME WITH MY DECISION MAKING (: I HAVE MY HEART SET ON PA (particularly Scranton/Wilkes-Barre). SO THANKS AGAIN AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR UP THERE! Billie*

Happy New Year to you as well! Let us know if we can be of any further assistance as your relocation nears.

[Steve Hazzard]

BillieBrawlidayRelocating to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton by myself. NEEDS YOUR HELP/ADVICE!


Why would you want to ruin your perfectly happy life by moving to NEPA; ahh, that would be "North Eastern PA"?

I'm an ex-trucker and I've been in Greensboro, NC on numerous occasions; it's a lovely city to live in and to enjoy! With all seriousness, I would suggest a "trial period" in NEPA before committing the whole enchilada. NEPA is unique, too unique for the accommodations of people from other areas of the country, particularly the Southeastern states. A "trial run" would be beneficial to your decision process. BTW; I'm 61 years old and I was born and raised in NEPA and have lived here most of my adult life; I am now attempting to escape to New Mexico!