Downtown Wilkes-Barre is becoming a new entertainment hotspot! (Scranton, Back Mountain: appointed, loft)

[W-B proud]

After many years of decline, downtown Wilkes-Barre is once again becoming a place to go after dark, and it's been a long time coming! Here it is.Night on the town in downtown Wilkes-Barre | News | citizensvoice.com | The Citizens' Voice great article that appeared in The Sunday Citizens Voice. Enjoy!

[ScranBarre]

I'm not at all surprised by this. On the evening of Tuesday, November 18, our forensic accounting professor (also an IRS special agent) treated us to pizza and beverages at the recently-relocated Rodano's on Public Square. I was very impressed by the heavy amount of foot traffic in that part of downtown on a weekday night. The seeds have now been sown for private developers to start bringing loft housing downtown for we aspiring young professionals. Regardless of where my career takes me I'm always going to yearn to live in the heart of a city in order to "practice what I preach" in regards to chiding urban sprawl. I've never understood why developers in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre never took the initiative to bring upscale loft housing to our downtown cores. Not all of us want to live with the soccer moms and BMWs in the Back Mountain or The Abingtons.

[Chefkey]

The downtown is looking better and better everytime I go there. I can't wait to see the Riverfront Portal go in. I bet the Fireworks will be awesome from there.

Thanks for the article W-B.

[W-B proud]

I think the key to the success of The Riverfront Project is that an organization, like Leadership W-B, be tasked with thinking up, organizing, advertising and carrying out alot of events at the new riverfront throughout the year. If they just build it and then do nothing to keep it alive and vibrant, then I think it'll end up like "the current" Coal st Park. let's hope our leaders have the vision to know this and invest in organizing new regional events and most importantly, advertising them. I'd like to see a "Jazz on the River" event, maybe an East Coast Regatta rowing competion like Philly does, or a best B-B-Q cookoff like Memphis does along thier riverfront, maybe a bass fishing competion, the possibilities are endless, but it will take leadership, vision, and organization from the county, which is an oxymoron to say the least. If there is one entity that can ********** whole thing up, it's definately Luzerne County Government!. That's why I wish they'd ask Leadership W-B, or Diamond City Partnership to step up to the plate. Now, as far as the downtown coming back to life. I agree it seems to get better every week. It has been a total transformation from a few years ago. I am very disappointed in our local news media. They have not been covering Wilkes-Barre's comeback at all. Besides this story in The Citizens Voice, there has been very little coverage of any of this from any other news source. It's going virtually unnoticed. WBRE, expecially has been disappointing being that they are located in downtown W-B. They should be covering everything going on, and feature live shots from downtown during the weather, or at the end of the news ect. They even dropped live parade coverage of W-B's parades. I've noticed a huge decline in Wyoming Valley news coverage ever since they entered into a "news alliance" with Times Shamrock and WYOU a few years ago. Everything revolves around Scranton now. I wish they'd go back to the way they were before. The only time Wilkes-Barre even makes the news anymore is when there is a shooting, or homicide ect.. No positive reporting, only negative! And people wonder why everybody has such a negative view of Wilkes-Barre. Anyway, hopefully this Citizens Voice article will be the start to alot of desparately needed positive news coverage. Until then, I'm just thankful this city is FINALLY headed in the right direction. I just hope the foward momentum continues.

[wbnurseguy]

Thsi city has definitely gotten better in the last 5 years. i am so excited for the spring when the river park reopens. It will also be nice to have more parking downtown and hopefully more diners, stores and unique boutiques. keep up the good work Wilkes-Barre.

[go phillies]

I think its great that new businesses seem to be coming to downtown W-B, but that doesn't change the fact that, during the weekdays at least, that a lot of trashy people are hanging around Public Square.....the language I hear some of these people shouting doesn't exactly make it a "family" atmosphere. Especially around the bus stops and outside the Anthracite news stand. I hate even walking over that way on my break/lunch....I've never seen a place where second-hand smoke is so offensive OUTSIDE as on Public Square near the bus stops. Then the teenagers hanging out on the square cursing and smoking after Coughlin high school lets out are pretty bad too.

[go phillies]

Honestly, I think W-B's bragging about downtown coming back is just as bad as Doherty bragging about downtown Scranton being some kind of bustling metropolis. The truth is, in both cities, the only businesses that seem to be popping up are bars (well actually Scranton does seem to be at least attracting some stores, but we're losing them just as quick). Its sad when more places to get drunk (just what NEPA needs ) is considered "revitalization." We need more bars around here like we need more potholes.

[W-B proud]

Originally Posted by go phillies

Honestly, I think W-B's bragging about downtown coming back is just as bad as Doherty bragging about downtown Scranton being some kind of bustling metropolis. The truth is, in both cities, the only businesses that seem to be popping up are bars (well actually Scranton does seem to be at least attracting some stores, but we're losing them just as quick). Its sad when more places to get drunk (just what NEPA needs ) is considered "revitalization." We need more bars around here like we need more potholes.

I agree with that, but in W-B we'll take what we can get! This city has had zero development for about 25 years or so. I do hope that the new bars and restaraunts eventually lead to other sorts of buisnessess opening, and I think it will in time. I think the movie theater has been a tremendous help. As far as the riff raff on Public Square. I wish there was a law that allowed you to get rid of them, but that will not happen. They do make the city look scummy. One of the main problems is that two of W-B's largest housing projects are right on the border of downtown, and those people are in easy walking distance to The Square, and do hangout downtown because they do not work, and have nothing better to do all day then to hang out downtown. Scranton was smart, they put their housing projects way up on top of the hill in Southside. Far away from downtown. Forcing the scumbags to either drive downtown or take a bus. That's why many of them just hang out at the Southside Shopping Center instead.

[go phillies]

I am looking forward to when the riverfront project is complete....that will be a nice place for a lunchtime walk.

[weluvpa]

Originally Posted by W-B proud

That's why many of them just hang out at the Southside Shopping Center instead.

Ahhh Yeh I guess....The South Side Shopping center is really not the place and hasn't been since the mall was opened.....There are several housing projects in the city on the edge of the downtown..They recently closed one and tried to get it for the med school but ran into a roadblock when they found out that the land was deeded as a public trust and since Doherty is already been to the supreme court and is still in letigation over selling off the Southside Complex they won't try it with Washington plaza.....

There are projects off seven ave by the Southside complex and there are some just up providence rd from the SHS.........Our center square per se is the court house so they never really hang out there, too much police presence, so they all hang at the mall now.....

The Steamtown mall main entrance is study in our cultural diversity in Scranton thats for sure.......

And they wonder why no one wants to go to the mall in downtown......Its a terrible display and a deterant for anyone wanting to go in the mall thru the main entrance, especially after school gets out.