One Thing to Change About Scranton (Allentown, Harrisburg: neighborhood, taxes, restaurants)

[NYRangers 2008]

I agree with Dan on this one. Scranton will never be the city Paul envisions. It would be nice though, I give him that. The city itself is not that big in square miles to offer anything close to what bigger cities like NY can offer. The downtown area is not that big and will never be any bigger or better than it is now. You can't make something out of something that was never there and never will be. Most people are content with Scranton's status as a 9to5 city as opposed to a city that never sleeps. The problem most of us have with this city is the mayor and it's corrupt government.

[CHS89]

Originally Posted by skijmpr

Do you happen to know how long the trail in Clarks Summit is, and where its termini are? I remember seeing it from the road in Chinchilla one time at night, and it was well lit and looked nice.

Not sure. I've only seen it from a vehicle, but you're right, it looks nice and is well lit.

The bridge that the detracters call a bridge to nowhere is simply a pedestrian bridge over Nay Aug gorge. It beats trying to jump the gorge to get to the other side for a different view, or swinging from a rope, but apparently that's just not good enough for some. Other than the fact that it was built during the Doherty administration, I don't understand the disdain for it. I know WHY there's disdain, I just don't understand it is all. I've stopped trying to figure it out.

Anyway, it seems to be a fairly well put together bridge (I guess; I mean, it hasn't fallen in yet) that gets from one side of the gorge to the other (the very definition of a bridge), and it does offer a nice view.

As long as it's maintained properly, and admittedly the city has a spotty record as far as taking care of its toys--that blame is the publics to share, as well--over the long term, then I see no problem with it. It's just "trendy" to rag on the Mayor and current administration. (see Ed's post, above )

[weluvpa]

Listen I'm not really sure what major metro areas or cities that you have lived in but I can tell you that Scranton will never be a 24/7 city.

With that being said there is no reason for Scranton to be a 24/7 city in order to be successful.

Scranton has had some higher end bars in the downtown over the years and yet they failed. The last one was the club 530, dress code, high end liquor, good music and live acts, but no one wants that, they want their $1 Lagers. This is the world of dollar drafts and then you have the quasi yuppie Wannabe's that are charging their cool martini's on the credit cards that they cannot afford to pay for already.

A grunge club and a high end bar are only going to attract drinkers and maybe some people that want to go out but that is it. People will not pay a 3.4% wage tax and move downtown so that they can drink at a high end bar. The city shuts its doors at 5 pm mon thru fri and noon on Saturday. Sunday is ghost town.

Northern lights, that place is a joke. The previous owner had multiple tax leins against the business and it was barely hanging on.
I'm sorry but I really don't have any faith in a idea that hinges our cities rebirth and recovery on a expresso bar, its a coffee shop thats it. Oh ya there is a starbucks right around the corner as well.

Scranton needs to have a downtown feature that will make large numbers of people want to go downtown. A outdoor walking mall is one thing that would help. You put the shoppes at montage on lackawanna ave and close the street to everything but pedestrians it would be busy everyday of the week. Look at the outlets in Tannersville, they bus people in to spend money there. This is America and there is one thing that we do well and thats spend money.

2 bars and a coffee shop along with some mixed housing doesn't even make me want to stand up, never mind drive downtown.

Why does so much seem to hang on the downtown? You do realize that there is a city outside of the immediate downtown right?

No one has bothered to mention that the current tax structure in the city makes it hard for business's to hold on and make it work. The 3.4% wage tax is huge. You want people to move into Scranton then get the taxes for business's down and lower the wage tax.

Give people incentives not welfare to come into Scranton.

We need more high paying jobs and those companies watch their bottm line like hawks and they are not going to take a financial hit by moving into the city of Scranton even with a koz. No matter how nice the parks there are and how many trees we plant, they will not want to deal with our current tax structure.

We can't give incentives, instead we'll just build all these stupid things that no one is going to want to move into or move a business into for one reason and one reason only.....SCRANTONS BUSINESS AND WAGE TAXES SUCK.

[NYRangers 2008]

Yes, the downtown is not the strength of Scranton. It's the neighborhoods that keep Scranton alive. Paul always says that you have to have a healthy downtown and then people will want to move to the neighborhoods. But Scranton's downtown is not one that will make people want to move here. I think most people moving to Scranton really don't care about the downtown. They want to buy a nice house in a nice neighborhood and don't mind driving a little bit to get to where they want to go. In Scranton's case, the neighborhoods come first then the downtown.

CHS89, I haven't liked the Mayor for a few years now. So in my case, it's not a trend I'm following. I figured out years ago that Doherty has mismanaged this city into a financial wreck.

[CHS89]

: pats Ed on the head :

[NYRangers 2008]

Thank You, CHS89

[ScranBarre]

I'd LOVE to see a Dave & Buster's in Downtown Scranton, similar to the one in Downtown Providence.

[skijmpr]

Originally Posted by weluvpa

Listen I'm not really sure what major metro areas or cities that you have lived in but I can tell you that Scranton will never be a 24/7 city.

Agreed to disagree.

Originally Posted by weluvpa

Scranton has had some higher end bars in the downtown over the years and yet they failed. The last one was the club 530, dress code, high end liquor, good music and live acts, but no one wants that, they want their $1 Lagers. This is the world of dollar drafts and then you have the quasi yuppie Wannabe's that are charging their cool martini's on the credit cards that they cannot afford to pay for already.

I think the current influx of newcomers from major cities is changing that. It will only accelerate if more large companies start setting up shops in the area (especially if the mythical "Wall St. West" ever materializes).

Originally Posted by weluvpa

People will not pay a 3.4% wage tax and move downtown so that they can drink at a high end bar. The city shuts its doors at 5 pm mon thru fri and noon on Saturday. Sunday is ghost town.

I agree with you that the wage tax is ridiculous. The city should find other ways to bring in money. Possibly higher fines for traffic violations, parking violations, noise disturbances, public unrulyness, and the like. Possibly supplanting some of the wage tax with increased property taxes over time; that way the tax is based on where you live not what you earn (fancier digs = more tax). Vehicle decals is another option that they use in some localities here in Virginia. The point is that there are other ways for the city to bring in the revenue it needs besides having a wage tax. Having more people in the city will help solve that, but in order to draw people they would likely need to lower or abolish the wage tax. A classic chicken/egg problem.

Originally Posted by weluvpa

Northern lights, that place is a joke. The previous owner had multiple tax leins against the business and it was barely hanging on.
I'm sorry but I really don't have any faith in a idea that hinges our cities rebirth and recovery on a expresso bar, its a coffee shop thats it. Oh ya there is a starbucks right around the corner as well.

I didn't say the entire renaissance of the city would be based on espresso bars, but it is local businesses like Northern Lights that make some people want to visit a place. And given a choice between NL and a Starbucks, I'd pick NL easily, even if it were, say, 50 cents more for a cup of joe. Reason: I like supporting the local economy of places I care about.

Originally Posted by weluvpa

Scranton needs to have a downtown feature that will make large numbers of people want to go downtown. A outdoor walking mall is one thing that would help. You put the shoppes at montage on lackawanna ave and close the street to everything but pedestrians it would be busy everyday of the week. Look at the outlets in Tannersville, they bus people in to spend money there. This is America and there is one thing that we do well and thats spend money.

Yes, they should have done this before they went and built those Montage Mtn. stores, but again it's too late for that now. The only other possibility is to try and renovate the Steamtown Mall to turn it "inside out" so that some of the stores have street-side entrances, but that's probably not likely to happen.

Originally Posted by weluvpa

Why does so much seem to hang on the downtown? You do realize that there is a city outside of the immediate downtown right?

Where? The Viewmont Mall? Wal-Mart?

Originally Posted by weluvpa

We can't give incentives, instead we'll just build all these stupid things that no one is going to want to move into or move a business into for one reason and one reason only.....SCRANTONS BUSINESS AND WAGE TAXES SUCK.

If you are unhappy with something in your city then why not work to do something about it? Have you ever gone and talked to the Council about your concerns or ideas for the city?

[skijmpr]

Originally Posted by NYRangers 2008

Yes, the downtown is not the strength of Scranton. It's the neighborhoods that keep Scranton alive. Paul always says that you have to have a healthy downtown and then people will want to move to the neighborhoods. But Scranton's downtown is not one that will make people want to move here.

I happen to harbor the belief that the downtown has tons of potential. They just need to unleash it. The neighborhoods are good too, but every city needs a solid core in order to really "work". Scranton has certainly gotten better, but it has a long way to go.

If the job situation, tax structure, and housing availability were improved, I'd easily live downtown if I ever moved back to the area.

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by CHS89

The bridge that the detracters call a bridge to nowhere is simply a pedestrian bridge over Nay Aug gorge. It beats trying to jump the gorge to get to the other side for a different view, or swinging from a rope, but apparently that's just not good enough for some. Other than the fact that it was built during the Doherty administration, I don't understand the disdain for it. I know WHY there's disdain, I just don't understand it is all. I've stopped trying to figure it out.

You don't understand the disdain? How about the fact that money was wasted on this unnecessary bridge right around the same time as a 25% tax increase, after Doherty did not deliver on his campaign promise to lower the wage tax, and we are millions in debt with more tax increases on the horizon! Honestly, I'm not sure what you're smoking.

I think Doherty has mastered the old "Irish diplomacy": The ability to tell a man to go to hell so that he actually looks forward to the trip." Obviously, you and others who have voted for this mayor have fallen for it: Irish Diplomacy