How's Nanticoke?? (Washington, Hanover, St. Marys: homes, buy, theater)

[PolishBear]

I have many fond memories of Nanticoke, since that's where my mom's side of the family was. My mother, Patricia J. Anziulewicz, was born and raised in Nanticoke. Her parents were the late Walter & Ann Petrash. Going to visit Grandma and Grandpa up in Nanticoke was always a treat, especially when I was a child back in the 1960s. Here are some of the things I remember most fondly about the Nanticoke area:

Westside Park: Whenever I was staying with my grandparents up on Hanover Street, I always enjoyed walking down the hill to Westside Park. My cousins (children of Nick & Sonia Marshall) lived in Nanticoke, and we enjoyed playing on some of the fun (if dangerous) playground equipment down there, in particular this large swinging carosel thing that I think they called a barbell (which of course is long gone).

St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church: This is where my grandparents went to church. When I was a child I remember the entire service was recited and sung in Ukrainian. The men sat on the right hand side of the church, and women were on the left. There were large statues of the Virgin Mary and Joseph up front, and they hat glowing green neon halos!

Sans Souci Park: This was the wonderful old amusement park in Wilkes Barre. It was the first place I ever rode a roller coaster. There were great old rides there like the Caterpillar and the Wild Mouse. The park was eventually torn down to make way for a new high school.

Larry's Pizza: This place still exists on Church Street, and the pizza still tastes and smells exactly the same after 40 years ... but when I was a kid Larry's Pizza was located on Hanover Street, just down the street from where my grandparents lived. Some of the best pizza on Earth!

"Henna" or "Hayna": I remember so many of my older relatives ending sentences with this! I think it's a derivation of the phrase, "Ain't it?"

I have very few relatives left in Nanticoke. All of my cousins have moved away, my grandparents are all gone, and there's really no reason to visit. But I still make a point of visiting anytime I'm up in in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It just makes me feel very wistful to walk around Nanticoke, even if it's just a shadow of its former self.

CHUCK ANZIULEWICZ

[Southwb]

Its an old town no stores except specialty anymore, Nice quite neiborhoods.

[Jungle George]

Originally Posted by ashley19

I also lived in Nanticoke for a while many years ago. I did not like it very much. Some very strange people there. I also know many that currently live there and do not have nice things to say. I am sure, like every where else, it depends on what kind of neighbors you get stuck by. They can make life a living hell. I am not sure how gay friendly they are either. I grew up a few miles up the road in Hanover and I find it to be much friendlier in every aspect. Any place you go there is going to be issues. Some worse then others. One thing that cracks me up about Nanticoke is in the winter time when everyone has chairs out on the road. The guy across from me used to drag an old washer out. That was so funny. I am glad that I am at a dead end now and do not have to worry about parking. Let us know what you decide. Best of luck to you and hope your mom does better.

WOW!! I just came across this thread I started last year...I thought it had died out but it's still going!!!

Thanks for even more advice on Nanticoke!! We now decided to stay in Florida. My mom died a year ago tomorrow & being back up north to bury her "showed" me how much I actually love it down here!!

We're flying up to NY in 2 weeks to visit my mom's grave (and buy a plot for us......not the most cheerful thing to think about...) & I'm actually dreading the "cold" (as compared to here...I know...I'm a wimp..) & the grey/brown drabness, but at least we'll get to see a bunch of old friends!!

I'm hoping we have time to drive down to visit Nanticoke to see my grandma's old house & visit some relatives still out there.

AND get some REAL pierogies!!!

[MeatPuppet]

If you are coming to hazleton be ready to speak spanish

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by MeatPuppet

If you are coming to hazleton be ready to speak spanish

President Dubya on a recent trip to Hazleton:

[WasPA]

Originally Posted by PolishBear

Sans Souci Park: This was the wonderful old amusement park in Wilkes Barre. It was the first place I ever rode a roller coaster. There were great old rides there like the Caterpillar and the Wild Mouse. The park was eventually torn down to make way for a new high school.

CHUCK ANZIULEWICZ

Don't forget Dimond's Candy Shop.
And you might enjoy the following:

go to this link:
Roller Coaster Models

[Polaris]

You really appreciate Nanticoke if you were born there and lived most of your life there. I was born in 1952 and moved from Nanticoke to Mountaintop in 1993. Always said I couldn't wait to leave the town and now I miss it and all my friends and family. I sure ate those words! I know there are are now blacks and hispanics living there and alot of crime. But I am remembering the happy years in the 50's and 60's. I lived across from the cemetaries with a field down the street. The Community College is there now. I lived in the best part of Nanticoke.
I remember West Side Park, hikes to the second resevoir, Concrete City, San Souci, all the horsechestnut trees and picking the chestnuts, bike riding all over town, and sleighriding in the cemetaries. And what I miss most is seeing the cemetary lit up all night on All Saints Day.
I am so glad I grew up there. My childhood was so happy. Live in Mountaintop, PA now where all the neighbors are unfriendly and the kids are all BRATS.
I liked the way I knew every family in Nanticoke. And we all had so much in common.
Boy I would give up everything now just to go back to those happy times!

[GUESSIAM]

I just read the prior posts on this page.
My MOM was also from Nanicoke. I remember as a child, a candy store on Market Place,with semi "circled" steps.
Now,I beleive It is an Auto parts Store? But it looks like the steps are still there.

Also, We used to ride the bus,"Downtown" as It was called. There were several stores there.

As I read the messages,It brought back many wonderful memories.

Also there were coal miners in our family.

Gee,this really brought back memories.Thank You all!!

GuessIam

[WasPA]

There was a Neisner's and the Leader Store, the major department store. As was the case with older large stores in those days, you paid for your purchase at the counter where you bought it, then your money was sent to a central office elsewhere in the store and your change returned to you at 'your' counter. The more modern department stores of the day had upgraded to vacuum-operated sytems to transport the money. The Leader Store still had an old-fashioned cable system, where the money containers were slipped onto a continuously operating moving small cable that whisked the money away to get registered and changed..... for little kids like me, these devices were the coolest part of having to go shopping......ugh....oh, apart from those machines that x-rayed your feet as you watched from above..you could see your foot bones....and no, I'm not kidding....

[GUESSIAM]

Originally Posted by WasPA

There was a Neisner's and the Leader Store,
machines that x-rayed your feet as you watched from above..you could see your foot bones....and no, I'm not kidding....

Neisner's sounds very familiar.That's funny about the "XRay."
LOL,We have come a long way.

After I posted yesterday,I also remembered a gas station,On West Nobel Street?
There were alot of houses,on that street as Market Street.
Also,do you or anyone remember If there was a small playground on the corner of W Nobel Street?
I vaguely remember one.
My grandfather and Uncles worked in the Coal Mines.
They all had Lung diseases.One uncle died in the Coal mine.
Very sad.

Several years ago,we took a coal mining tour in PA and Virginia.

I found that very interesting.And what poor conditions.

They spoke of how coal was measured.By arms length.
If It wasn't high enough,the foreman would have the coal miner start all over.