Wilkes Barre Area (to rent, mortgage, houses)

[Chefkey]

Originally Posted by MrKrabs

It doesn't run the risk of becoming another Centralia, does it? Those fumes cannot be good to breathe for people who live right near there.

Yeah, I know it is sort of ominous to see the smoke coming up and I do feel for the people living close to there in Georgetown. As far as I have read they have the fire under control. In 1973 they dug around the fire and inserted clay and other non-flammable substances deep into the ground. So far so good so we'll see I guess.

[dansdrive]

Originally Posted by Chefkey

dansdrive, there are some pictures here of Dana Street School and Red Ash Mine

04.15.2008 Wilkes Barre Photos

I saw them THANKS much! WOW! A many a memory flowed back seeing those. The days of small neighborhood schools where practically everyone walked and knew each other. Where arguments were settled in the school yard with fist and not knifes and guns. We learned Math, Science, History and English. Where English was a course and not a second language. I would not trade those days for anything. Then when our time in Dana Street was done we went right down the street to GAR.

[SifuPhil]

Originally Posted by WasPA

How is Lee Park these days? And Breslau?

I lived in the Breslau area when I was married (Lyndwood actually) - still an old-fashioned, pretty quiet neighborhood. The old folk are dying off and being replaced by younger families, but overall I think it's one of the nicer places to live on the outskirts of WB.

Lee Park seems tame enough, but I've seen some signs of trouble with teens - nothing major.

BowlingManager - I hope you realize that you need to take everything we all say with a grain of salt. As one who was born and raised in NY, this area seems quite different to me than, say, a person born and raised here. Also, I teach martial arts, so I see things in a different light than most people would.

That being said, this area is like any other - good parts and bad - at times, though, it just seems that in many ways it's 20 years behind the rest of the world. That might appeal to some, though.

[W-B proud]

Wilkes-Barre must appeal to some people, because every week there are more and more people moving here (in my neighborhood anyway). Plus, over the last 5-6 years, out of towners have been buying up all these abandoned, properties that have literally been falling apart for years. They are buying them and renovating them, then renting them out. It's nice to see so much investment in the city, and so many new people moving in.

[SifuPhil]

Ah, but are they buying them for their love of this area, or for a profit?

Makes a difference, I think...at the first sign of trouble, they'll disappear. It's happened before, and the taxpayers are stuck with the bills (and the trouble). But yes, they're buying them up - they're bargains compared to prices elsewhere. It's like buying domain names - cheap enough to invest in dozens of them, on the off-chance that one will bring home the gold .

I know why I moved out here - my ex's- folks were born here. Plus, I wanted a place to raise my kids that was a bit safer than NY. So my personal life benefited from moving to the area, but my professional life went down the tubes - what I do, and have done, successfully in other parts of the country seems to have little appeal to the population here.

[SteelCityRising]

On my northward commute today home from school into the suburbs I counted TEN (yes as in the number just above nine and just below eleven) oncoming vehicles between the King's College campus and the Cross-Valley Expressway along North River Street that were from out-of-state. That's only what---maybe two miles at best? It seems year after year we're welcoming more and more new transplants from NY and NJ. I say let's open the door and usher them on in to help stem our population decline and help bring new vitality into our aging communities!

[Chris633]

Hey,

I was reading this tread as I am also going to be moving to WB in the next couple of months. I also plan on renting somewhere in town. What I understand from reading this thread, is that South WB and Downtown are the areas to "stay away" from or at the very least aren't the best areas. Not being familiar with the area, what streets separate these areas?

Thanks!

Chris

[Chefkey]

This area may vary by opinion but my best guess for border areas where it gets the seediest are Blackman Street West of Main Street to Carey Ave.

[bowlingmanager]

I really appreciate all the information. The job switched up on me a little and I am going to train in Vestal, NY and live in Conklin, NY for 2 months before coming to work in W-B. So I guess I have until June or July before I will have to decide wear to look. I do appreciate the comments and hope to continue to see them. I have learned more in reading everyone's comments than I could have learned in a month on the net. THANK YOU ALL!!

[dansdrive]

Originally Posted by bowlingmanager

I really appreciate all the information. The job switched up on me a little and I am going to train in Vestal, NY and live in Conklin, NY for 2 months before coming to work in W-B. So I guess I have until June or July before I will have to decide wear to look. I do appreciate the comments and hope to continue to see them. I have learned more in reading everyone's comments than I could have learned in a month on the net. THANK YOU ALL!!

Good luck in your move! I've lived in upstate NY for over 20 years and am very familiar with Vestal and Conklin NY. Both are nice small towns along the Susquehanna River.