South Scranton bad? (Luzerne: crime, house, neighborhoods)

[Trucker7]

I am looking to relocate to the Scranton area. Based on previous posts I read here, South is bad, West is good, Green ridge is better and the hill is good/bad.

I spent the last couple of days exploring the city and now I am confused. Maybe I traveled the good parts of South Scranton and the bad parts of the west, but the streets I visited on the south were quiet, graffiti free, and well kept, while I saw graffiti in some parts of the west and the area looked more "active". Still, the worst places I saw in Scranton look better than the best places you will find in Camden. The only boarded home I saw was one that was undergoing renovations. In Camden you find boarded homes in almost every block.

On a side note, what's up with the stop signs? They are everywhere! I bet the city spends half of its budget on stop signs.

[LusOnlyVoice]

Each part of town in Scranton as in anytown I'm sure have good parts and bad parts. I don't live in South Scranton but a friends of mine have lived there for years and they love it. Just as the friends that live in West Scranton love it ... I myself am partial to North Scranton ... but understand that it's not for everyone ... I think what you have to do is to judge for yourself the neighborhoods as you look at homes ... talk to the neighbors ... do some research ... have your realtor check out crime for the particular area you are looking at ... Good luck to you in your search for a home ... I hope you find what you are looking for and remember to judge for yourself each neighborhood you look at ... the information here can be a good starting point ... but in the end rely on your own instincts and information that you have gathered.

[bsanva]

I too have heard much about South Scranton. After looking into it, it is mostly based on an influx of Latinos. Not that they have caused any problems in the city, but it is a shock to people in the area to have a new group. South Scranton does not have significant crime, and I believe you would be perfectly happy living there. On the plus side, housing is insanely cheap. On the negative side, if you plan on reselling your house, housing down there is insanely cheap, so don't expect to by cheap and sell high.

[Trucker7]

Housing values is the thing that caught my attention in South Scranton. I saw homes there sell for $90-100K. In New Jersey, the same home will cost you about $200K, and you will end up paying about $5,000 a year or more in property taxes.

[scrantonluna]

South side NEEDS stable neighborhoods; if you get along well with Latino neighbors, please consider living there. You will be able to pick up a house for about 15% less than elsewhere in the city, and it's an area that I feel very possibly could be on the upswing. This building of a brand new and green-friendly library in south side is in discussion, and as more people move in, be they white, black, yellow, red, or blue, you will see growth.

[to570717]

The city is trying to hedge some of its bets on South Side. They are doing some things to try and improve the athsetic of the area. There is possibility of getting decent ROI in southside.

[FightinPhils]

The city is doing its usual shortsighted asinine practice of concentrating one only one section of the city. In the 90's they cracked down on the Hill Section, and what happened? The crime and undesirables scattered over to South Side. All they did was move the problem, not solve it. I fear that South Side's criminal element will move over here to West Side....its already trickling over here, the lower part of Luzerne Street is getting bad, and if you walk in to the Price Rite market, you'd swear you were in Newark, NJ. Why can't they come up with some plan to improve the entire city, rather than just chasing the crime from one section to the next?

[to570717]

Just the other night down here they found a young woman who was murdered. It was right in the middle of a residential neighborhood. The police are on the news saying that the crack down on crime in the more seedy areas is resulting in criminals heading twords less policed areas. It is the criminal mindset to go where they are less likely to be caught.

We have had like 6 murders this month....white, black, hispanic, their is no M-O. Miami is getting atrosious, even the Bahamas are experiencing surges in crime like no other. It is tough economic times all over and that begets crime....

[weluvpa]

Originally Posted by FightinPhils

The city is doing its usual shortsighted asinine practice of concentrating one only one section of the city. In the 90's they cracked down on the Hill Section, and what happened? The crime and undesirables scattered over to South Side. All they did was move the problem, not solve it. I fear that South Side's criminal element will move over here to West Side....its already trickling over here, the lower part of Luzerne Street is getting bad, and if you walk in to the Price Rite market, you'd swear you were in Newark, NJ. Why can't they come up with some plan to improve the entire city, rather than just chasing the crime from one section to the next?

Because improving the city would cost money and they cannot spend money on the taxpayers, that money is only for crony contracts and crony projects.

Trucker don't worry the taxes here will be right on par with Jersey as soon as they start trying to pay down our debt. Scranton also has the second highest wage tax in the state.

[FightinPhils]

Today's news from South Side:
Breaking news: South Scranton store burglarized | News | thetimes-tribune.com - The Times-Tribune