Scranton vs. Schuylkill County---Obviously Years Apart (Wilkes-Barre: loft, condo, living)

[FightinPhils]

Scranton is not all that bad at all for a city its size. Take a ride through the neighborhoods of Harrisburg, Reading, and Allentown, and Scranton will look pretty darn good. Harrisburg definitely has Scranton beat in the downtown department (lots of white-collar state jobs), but Harrisburg itself is a ghetto.

[tremontpa]

Yeas Harrisburg is pretty bad outside of its downtown. Same as York, Lancaster, and Reading. Out of Scranton Harrisburg, York, Lancaster, and Reading I would pick Scranton without hesitation. But I like Pottsville the best (next to Tremont).

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by tremontpa

Yeas Harrisburg is pretty bad outside of its downtown. Same as York, Lancaster, and Reading. Out of Scranton Harrisburg, York, Lancaster, and Reading I would pick Scranton without hesitation. But I like Pottsville the best (next to Tremont).

Pottsville will always hold a special place in my heart, being the home of Yuengling.

[tremontpa]

Amen to that. ( I don't drink though, I'm too young) I just like products bring recongnition to the Anthracite Coal Region.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by tremontpa

Amen to that. ( I don't drink though, I'm too young) I just like products bring recongnition to the Anthracite Coal Region.

Another young NEPA optimist? Cool! I thought I was the only one!

[tremontpa]

I love the Coal Region and NEPA. I can't wait to move back once I finish High School (and College unless I go to school in the region). Its my dream to save the small coal town that I sadly had to move from (Tremont). The regions in for a big, and fantastic, change. The times can't stay bad forever.

[The Commish]

Originally Posted by FightinPhils

Scranton is not all that bad at all for a city its size. Take a ride through the neighborhoods of Harrisburg, Reading, and Allentown, and Scranton will look pretty darn good. Harrisburg definitely has Scranton beat in the downtown department (lots of white-collar state jobs), but Harrisburg itself is a ghetto.

East Harrisburg and the Allison Hills neighborhood are pretty bad. "Bombed out" is how I'd describe some parts. These neighborhoods are heavily minority and poor. You know you're in the ghetto when one of the churches is named "Reclaim the Streets Ministries."

But downtown, midtown, and uptown are actually really nice places.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by tremontpa

I love the Coal Region and NEPA. I can't wait to move back once I finish High School (and College unless I go to school in the region). Its my dream to save the small coal town that I sadly had to move from (Tremont). The regions in for a big, and fantastic, change. The times can't stay bad forever.

You remind me of myself at your age, only you would substitute Pittston for Tremont. For years I had grandiose dreams of running for office here in Pittston in order to restore our town's self-esteem and make it the type of place you would be proud to call home again instead of being like me and many of my friends and just telling people you live in "Scranton/Wilkes-Barre." Pittston used to have three times its current population, a downtown teeming with shopping, dining, and nightlife, and a respectable reputation. Now it has just over 7,000 residents, as most younger families have fled to the dozens of upscale housing developments in the suburbs of the city, a largely-vacant downtown where tumbleweed can be seen rolling by, NO nightlife (even our gay bar closed), and is just barely ahead of Edwardsville, Plymouth, and Nanticoke for being the valley's laughing-stock.

At age 18 I invested a few hundred dollars to launch a new web site, pittston.org, which was going to serve as the online home of my new grass-roots group concentrated on rebuilding the city, Pittston 2020. Then I realized that not only were our city's residents apathetic, but even our own Chamber of Commerce was selling out Tomato Town for the "Valhalla" that is Pittston Township. Why should I care if nobody else does? At least Scranton and Wilkes-Barre each have residents who take pride in where they live. Here in Pittston outside of the housing developments a lot of the working-class neighborhoods have shoddy-looking homes---Mill Street especially has to be one of the saddest streets to drive up. For God's sakes it's called a PRESSURE WASHER!

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by The Commish

East Harrisburg and the Allison Hills neighborhood are pretty bad. "Bombed out" is how I'd describe some parts. These neighborhoods are heavily minority and poor. You know you're in the ghetto when one of the churches is named "Reclaim the Streets Ministries."

But downtown, midtown, and uptown are actually really nice places.

There is actually a lot of new urban loft-style housing being developed in those three areas you mentioned. I never understood why Scranton never jumped onto the loft housing bandwagon. Now that gas prices are continuing to soar, people are going to take a second look at urban living. You can't buy a loft in South Abington Township; however, you can buy either a loft OR McMansion in a city like Scranton. The Electric City has failed to capitalize upon its diversity in housing styles and options. Even Wilkes-Barre has more lofts currently under development.

[tremontpa]

I have plans for the town. Although I get little support from my family (lost hope in Tremont) I will go through with them dispite this. My grandfather started the work and I will finish it. Also, I have made a website about the borough of Tremont, population 1784, (and it was free) The Tremont Online News and Directory | Everything You Need To Know. Right now I am working on a proposal to restore a vacant theater/store building on Main Street (its hard to find time when band camp is starting though). Tremont has many dedicated citizens who work hard. In the past decade two old schools have been reopened as community centers, the Robert "Pete" Wiscount Veterans Memorial Park has been established (he is my grandfather), and most borough streets have been repaved. Many of these citizens are older and worn out tired. The younger generation just isn't into doing anything to help.

It saddens me to think that we Americans can just leave our citys and towns die while the "suburbias" continues to grow. I idolize your success in spreading a good word for Scranton dispite its reputation. You have done a very good job on this forum and I strive to be as good as you. Anything I can to to raise awarness about "my" town helps in some way. I love Scranton and Wilkes Barre a lot too. The cities are very historic and beautiful. The area is a gem.

Just a quick question too, ScranBarre, do any of the univercities/colleges in the Scranton area teach pharmacudicals, because I plan to study this field and then open a pharmacy in Tremont. The last one closed (it made a bad business move and cost them big).

This is the Theater, the Tri Valley Pharmacy is now closed.