Thanks for the Scranton Cheerleading! (Philadelphia, Wilkes-Barre: middle-class, lofts, mover)

[EVILASICANB]

This Is Completly Off The Subject, But I Need Some Opinions! I Am A Single Mom With 4 Daughters, 3 Of Which Are Teenagers. Is The Scranton Area A Good Place To Raise Kids? We Currently Live In Montana( Having Moved Here From Cali 5 Yrs Ago) And I Hate It! No Jobs, Bad Schools, Nothing For Kids To Do. I Want To Move To Ur Area...any Help Or Comments Would Be Appreciated!

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by EVILASICANB

This Is Completly Off The Subject, But I Need Some Opinions! I Am A Single Mom With 4 Daughters, 3 Of Which Are Teenagers. Is The Scranton Area A Good Place To Raise Kids? We Currently Live In Montana( Having Moved Here From Cali 5 Yrs Ago) And I Hate It! No Jobs, Bad Schools, Nothing For Kids To Do. I Want To Move To Ur Area...any Help Or Comments Would Be Appreciated!

Hello there! Since I'm currently "snowed in", I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to offer you a reply. In my opinion, the Northeastern Pennsylvania area is a wonderful place to raise children. Don't believe all that you hear being spewed from the mouths of the "DohertyDeceit.com" people; while their claims about the city's financial woes are valid, much of the rest of their assertions are just overblown and are their way at attacking Mayor Doherty due to personal vendettas that they have with him.

First of all, what type of setting do you prefer? You can live in a relatively-larger city (Scranton-pop. 70,000+ or Wilkes-Barre-pop. 40,000+), a small town, suburbia, or way out in the country. Even the cities themselves have varying neighborhoods with distinct flavors---I think Scranton's "West Side" has one of those "big small town" type of complexes where everyone feels as if they are an integral part of everyone else's lives. You also have East Mountain, which feels just like a suburb, as well as the Hill Section and Green Ridge, both of which are "old money" types of areas where the old financial barons of the city built their Victorian mansions to "show off." Wilkes-Barre's neighborhoods are also quite diverse---Parsons and Miners Mills each have that "big small town" flair to them, and the area surrounding Wilkes University and the Historic District is the Diamond City's "old money" type of area with impressively-large Victorians, Tudors, etc. Places such as Honesdale, Tunkhannock, Moscow, and Montrose are quiet country towns with quaint downtowns and friendly people.

The schools in our area, overall, are excellent, so that should clear up that issue for you. As far as there "being nothing to do", that's a complaint I also often here about our area, but with minor-league sports teams, skiing, hiking, whitewater rafting, malls galore, night clubs, etc., I never find myself sitting around on a Friday night saying "I'm bored!" As far as the job situation is concerned, it all depends upon your field.

There are many great reasons to call our area home, but I'd be a bit more logical and fly out here for a week first to "snoop around" before making a rash decision like moving cross-country. I'd also consider renting somewhere for a year before purchasing a home, just so you can get a "feel" for the area for a year without having anything to "tie you down."

[ScranBarre]

Getting back to the DohertyDeceit crew, I now have the evidence I needed that proves recently-banned City-Data member "BigBuddy" is officially in bed with Mr. Pilchesky on his anti-Doherty web site. Check out their message board, and then click on the thread titled "Found this site hilarious!" Apparently, they stumbled across our peaceful forum by accident; the only city council representative they actually like, Janet Evans, was criticized by one of our members in another thread on here (possibly appearing in a Google search), and that's when they stumbled upon the pro-Scranton threads initiated by yours truly and just had to "chime in." Yac has since deleted some of BigBuddy's wild rants, including the ones in which he "carefully researched" my family history to conclude that I'm indeed my own father. If that is the type of Earth-shattering research being done by the crew on DohertyDeceit, then I'm glad I'm on the pro-city side.

I had to laugh hysterically when I read them whining about how Yac had deleted their messages, even claiming that they "needed a bolt of lightning because they're out-of-control." I was also insulted again by the lack of research on behalf of the DohertyDeceit crowd, as another member chimed in with "the person posting all of the pictures over there has to be a real estate agent trying to CON people into moving to Scranton!" Once again, I'm a 20-year-old Accounting major who lives just south of the city; while I consider myself to be an unofficial relocation specialist, I'm certainly not compensated in any way, shape, or form for my services, nor do I wish to be. If these miserable old farts at DohertyDeceit are so depressed living in the Electric City, then why don't they do what all of the other "quitters" do and move to the Abingtons to escape life's problems? I'm not blind to the fact that Scranton has issues in the way of oppressive taxation and strained municipal services. However, I'd prefer to move to the city to try to help find a solution instead of attending council meetings and blasting everyone except for Councilwoman Evans about the city's strifes without offering one iota of their own ideas to get the city moving in the right direction.

P.S. They also showed their lack of maturity with another reply on DohertyDeceit as well that referenced as being delusional for portraying Scranton to being some sort of "gay/latte life." Yes, I am gay, but I hope to make our city the best that it can be for gays and straights alike. I've also never sipped a latte in my life; give me a good bottle of Aquafina, and I'm a happy camper! How can these people be so sour and bitter in life? It's a proven fact that optimists tend to outlive pessimists; what's the harm in trying to have faith that the city can revive itself? If I'm a mere college student and can see through the clouds of red ink and political cronyism to a city replete with wonderful offerings for my future family, then why can't anyone else? Political corruption is widespread throughout the world; what happens in Scranton is nothing out of the ordinary. Most Rust Belt cities are deep in red ink, and this is nothing unthinkable for Scranton. We are in trouble in these respects, but we're making great strides in others.

[weluvpa]

I went over there and its funny and sad , but did you read the post about the zoo? I can't believe that they do not have water for the animals for over a week now..Thats not good, especially for the animals. I wonder if they are taking donations of water? Anyone have the # for the zoo?

[weluvpa]

SWB I went back and read some of those posts and I understand where you are coming from but I have a few questions. Don't you think that since you have admitted that you are 20yr college student who lives outside of scranton, that it is almost impossible for you to understand what people have to go thru when they have mortgages and family's and all that comes with and then have a tax increase that maybe they did not want or at least expect? I mean you are right on alot of your points about the city and have a great vision, but you are just looking in from the outside.

The only thing I did not like was:
"We all had choices in life---mine is to sacrifice a social life and work dilligently at a dead-end job to support a college education that will be a stepping stone to a great career path in my future. Instead of pumping out a baby at age fifteen or thinking that a single local manufacturer would be stable enough to provide you with employment from 16-65 (As was the logic many Techneglas employees had, even as they saw their company collapsing for years due to foreign competition), you all could have likewise been ambitious enough to have done something to enrich your professional skills to make you, as a prospective employee in a competitive marketplace, a more marketable commodity. Stop the "there are no jobs" whining; I already have a promising career lined up, so wonderful career opportunities are out there if you'd put forth the effort!"
I'm sorry that you feel that its just that easy for someone to change their future, sometimes life throws things at you that never planned on and sometimes people can't just get out and go to college and sometimes life is harder than you will ever know. I like what you see in the future of Scranton but what I do not like is that statement. Its probably the only thing that you have said that defines your naive age and inexperience in life. Thats ok because you will to see that its not always the way you thought it would be....
Just so you know: I have a 100ton Merchant Marine Captains license, Series 6&63 financial license's, and numerous certifications from diving to climbing and a College education and that had a profound path to my future that I to made sacrifices for, and I am happy but in noooo way did it end up the way I envisioned it. Thats life so go easy on the people that have to constantly worry about what you have to yet experience!!!

[weluvpa]

You know SWB I have said it to you in the past posts and I still say that you have a great vision of the future of Scranton but I still cannot get over the posts that you have put up in the past.

SWB:
"Read my other post that shows that a major recent drug bust involved members from both the "Bloods" and the "Crips." The Hill Section has rebounded nicely; I don't believe one of the over two-dozen defendants in this major drug bust (a network that supplied 75% of our area's heroin from NYC), even hailed from the Hill Section; this is inspiring to everyone who can still recall a decade ago when this same neighborhood was plagued by gunfire and muggings. "
A decade ago you were 10yrs old and I can say for a fact that you do not remember the muggings and gunfire. I lived on the 600 blk of North Irving in 1991 and 1992 and I can tell you for a fact that the houses that you have pictured here were never in the bad parts of the Hill and have always had the $$$$$ and the cars. The streets that have rebounded are not the ones you so glorify.
Crime is crime and please do not make light of this because "I don't believe one of the over two-dozen defendants in this major drug bust (a network that supplied 75% of our area's heroin from NYC), even hailed from the Hill Section" gang violence is real and its here in Scranton and its a problem for all of us. I guess the rest of the city should feel better knowing that not one of the criminals came from a wealthy neighborhood of the city.

SWB:
"I'd be happy to fill you in on anything you'd like to know about my beloved hometown! "
Don't you live in Pittston? How can you accurately gauge Scranton and its enviroment and its Gov't and taxes and crime and other problems and then give people a opinion that it is your "Hometown" when you do not even live here? I do not care how close you are to Scranton you still do not live here.

Do you own a house? Do you have apartment or do you live with your parents since your are still in College?

SWB I like you and your vision but I think its misplaced since you do not even live here. I commuted from a apartment in The Hill all the way to King's because I wanted to live here in Scranton and not Wilkes Barre . I also did go to King's with a double major in Bus Admin and Marketing, I still managed to stay here and support my city while attending college in Wilkes Barre.
I said this in the past, it is easy for you to sit in Pittston and pass judgement on adults that work their asses off every day to better this city and faithfully pay their taxes and city bills and you have the stones to come down on them because they are unhappy about the way that THEIR CITY IS BEING RUN, NOT YOURS THEIRS. I applaud your efforts but until you have to walk a mile in our shoes you should tone down your support for a city that you are not contributing to and have not become part of the tax base as of yet, not to mention these are adult problems that we deal with every day while your in class in Wilkes Barre or your place of residence in PITTSTON . You are only twenty and a student. Just another misguided youth of tomorrow.

[CHS89]

On the other side of the coin, as a 36 year old lifelong resident of Scranton, I say keep it up SWB. This town needs more optimistic young people like yourself who see the potential in this city a whole hell of a lot more than we need disturbed and disgruntled carpenters/pseudo-lawyers and his "big buddies" and minions who flat out refuse see the forest through the trees.

[samvit]

<<On the other side of the coin, as a 36 year old lifelong resident of Scranton, I say keep it up SWB. This town needs more optimistic young people like yourself who see the potential in this city a whole hell of a lot more than we need disturbed and disgruntled carpenters/pseudo-lawyers and his "big buddies" and minions who flat out refuse see the forest through the trees.>>

I agree 100%!! While I don't doubt that many of their complaints have some legitimacy, complaining seems to be many Scrantonians' favorite pastime. At the same time, they offer no suggestions of their own to improve the town, and strangely enough, seem averse to any type of progress or positive change.

[DeLorean]

Originally Posted by samvit

<<On the other side of the coin, as a 36 year old lifelong resident of Scranton, I say keep it up SWB. This town needs more optimistic young people like yourself who see the potential in this city a whole hell of a lot more than we need disturbed and disgruntled carpenters/pseudo-lawyers and his "big buddies" and minions who flat out refuse see the forest through the trees.>>

I agree 100%!! While I don't doubt that many of their complaints have some legitimacy, complaining seems to be many Scrantonians' favorite pastime. At the same time, they offer no suggestions of their own to improve the town, and strangely enough, seem averse to any type of progress or positive change.

Sounds true of many cities in NEPA, Many people do nothing but criticize current efforts, but offer none of their own suggestions. I really can't understand why this is. You would think that people who live and work in a certain city would WANT to live there and have positive opinions about that place. If that's not the case, why do they live there? Why not move to Jersey or something? Personally, if I did not like where I lived, I'd move, not just constantly complain about anything and everything!

[I LOVE PA!]

weluvpa...calling SWB 'just anther misguided youth of tomorrow'.. It's a positive outlike like his that will give him the ability to overcome the obstacles that life throws you with flying colors, and not have him sit and drown in his misery like so many people do. He may be only 20, but it is clearly obvious by all of his posts that he possesses knowledge way beyond his years and beyond most adults, no matter what their age.
If he were my son, I would be extrememly proud of him, and while I realize life is full of surprises, I would not discourage his dreams and aspirations one bit. I, for one, truly beleive that everything he has planned for himself and his future family will come true. Sure, life will give him a few surprises, but he'll handle him, I am sure.