POLL: Scranton vs. Wilkes-Barre (living in, most dangerous, shop)

[blip]

with Scranton bleeding residents at faster pace under Mayor Doherty's leadership than Wilkes-Barre, which has slowed its population decline under Mayor Leighton.

You're painting it as a dramatic difference, when it's -4.8% vs -5.1%, by estimates that are often way off. If the estimates are correct, they've both effectively bottomed out give or take a year or two. Man, Scran, you're so fickle- you were all about the Scranton a few months ago. :P

Go Phils seems to be the only poster so far who actually knows both cities pretty well. I still haven't been to WB, but everything he's said jives with what I've heard from locals who know both towns. I've also heard that WB's downtown is tiny, any activity is just on the blocks right adjacent to the square. Not that Scranton's is huge, but I've heard WB's has fewer small businesses. No?

I'll make it down to WB sometime, but for now Scranton gets my vote because it has a vegan cafe!

[LusOnlyVoice]

Most people will vote for the town in which they live ... if you live in Scranton more than likely (not in all cases) you will pick Scranton ... because afterall there is a reason that you moved there or made the choice to stay there ... same with Wilkes-Barre.

I am not going to vote ... because I believe that both towns have good and bad about them ... I cannot say anything bad about Wilkes-Barre as I have never really spent any amount of time there ... I have driven through and that's about it ... how can I make a decision on what town is better ... I know that I live in Scranton and made a choice to stay here because I love it here ... and I am sure that the people of Wilkes-Barre feel the same.

Is one better than the other ... No ... this poll should have had another choice in the voting ... that choice being that neither is better .... but that is just my opinion.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by blip

You're painting it as a dramatic difference, when it's -4.8% vs -5.1%, by estimates that are often way off. If the estimates are correct, they've both effectively bottomed out give or take a year or two. Man, Scran, you're so fickle- you were all about the Scranton a few months ago. :P

Go Phils seems to be the only poster so far who actually knows both cities pretty well. I still haven't been to WB, but everything he's said jives with what I've heard from locals who know both towns. I've also heard that WB's downtown is tiny, any activity is just on the blocks right adjacent to the square. Not that Scranton's is huge, but I've heard WB's has fewer small businesses. No?

I'll make it down to WB sometime, but for now Scranton gets my vote because it has a vegan cafe!

Fickle? Of course I am. I'm still young, naive, and trying to figure out where I want to live. I'm quite certain that some sort of political office bid will be in my future---most likely at a council level---in whatever city I happen to end up in. I just have so many fresh idealistic perspectives on revitalization issues that I think are overlooked by our jaded mostly "50-something" current elected officials in each local city.

Wilkes-Barre would be ranking much higher if it had more attractive neighborhoods instead of its drop-dead ugly ones with all of the dingy white-aluminum-sided two-story homes with the barn-shaped roofs that haven't heard the word "renovation" in fifty years. Scranton just has very photogenic neighborhoods. I'm not looking forward to doing photo tours of Parsons, Miners Mills, East End, The Heights, etc. because every picture is going to look just like the other---the same densely-packed little white miners' homes that have been in dire need of cosmetic updating for years.

In my opinion though its downtown is much preferable to Scranton's. You can very easily walk from King's College, which anchors the northern end of downtown, down to Wilkes University, which anchors the southern end. Both colleges, while being viewed as a "burden" by locals (albeit much less maligned than the University of Scranton), are an extreme asset to the city with art galleries open to the public, performing arts, theater, guest lecturers and seminars, great libraries, etc. Two of the highlights of my college career thus far have been being able to attend a Wilkes-Barre City Council candidate debate in our school's Burke Auditorium as well as attending an eye-opening rally about the illicit activities of Wal-Mart by attending a seminar from "Wake-Up Wal-Mart." I also enjoyed listening to many speakers, including the brother of Ted Kaczynski (the Una-Bomber). Since I enrolled at King's in 2005 the downtown has vastly improved. The street lights alone give an air of elegance to the city---I wish the city would be ambitious enough to hang Christmas wreaths on them in the same manner that Pittston has done with its new Victorian-era street lights. They could rely upon each wreath being sponsored by a different business. One thing I DO like about Mayor Leighton is that he has made street parking free anywhere in the downtown throughout the Holiday season in an effort to encourage more people to shop downtown (this is something Mayor Doherty should consider as well).

With projects ranging from the Empire Silk Mill conversion into lofts, the Hotel Sterling renovation into condos, the Murray Complex restoration into a mixed-use center, the North Main Street Gateway Project, the upcoming renovation of the Stegmaier Building into lofts, the Northampton & Main project, etc., etc. the city should be a teeming 18-hour destination in another five years. The riverfront park that will be completed in 2009 will permit a lot of downtown workers, students, visitors, etc. to recreate on their lunch breaks right on the waterfront. To me anyways looking at Downtown Wilkes-Barre vs. Downtown Scranton in 2012 I just don't see how the very limited selection of projects currently underway in Scranton will be able to out-pace the rapid downtown renewal in Wilkes-Barre. 2011 will be bringing a new law school to the Diamond City as well, and they are currently looking to redevelop another blighted downtown building for that complex as well.

As I said though the neighborhoods in Scranton are FAR superior to those in Wilkes-Barre. It's really a tough call.

[returningtonepa???]

Originally Posted by go phillies

You keep saying this, but where do you get this idea from?? I spend a lot of time in both cities and its not even close...Scranton is in better shape, its cleaner, just all around more liveable. Wilkes-Barre is more "ghetto."

why do you say that??? more visible people of other backgrounds????

i see LESS amount of garbage and cigarette butts lying around--i get to go to both cities on a regular basis--plus wb has actual maintenance workers cleaning their streets(saw them with my own eyes)--NEVER saw that in scranton


both cities have equal crime and corruption----only luzerne counties gets reported on a regular basis---scranton's gets squelched----
i prefer the unmentioned smaller towns such as kingston.dunmore,jessup,west pittston

[61scout80]

i can't pick. both have their ups and downs. for my line of work there is more oppertunity in scranton. its easier for me to find my way around w-b, but that may just be because i grew up there...

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by returningtonepa???

why do you say that??? more visible people of other backgrounds????

i see LESS amount of garbage and cigarette butts lying around--i get to go to both cities on a regular basis--plus wb has actual maintenance workers cleaning their streets(saw them with my own eyes)--NEVER saw that in scranton


both cities have equal crime and corruption----only luzerne counties gets reported on a regular basis---scranton's gets squelched----
i prefer the unmentioned smaller towns such as kingston.dunmore,jessup,west pittston

Wilkes-Barre has a business improvement district (BID). This BID levies additional annual fees upon property owners within the downtown area in order to pay for sidewalk cleaning, holiday decorations, television advertising, street cleaning, etc. in order to keep the downtown looking relatively clean and attractive. I'm surprised Scranton has yet to form a BID.

[go phillies]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

the Murray Complex restoration into a mixed-use center call.

Ha ha ha. The day that happens, I'll streak naked down Main Ave in Scranton or South Main St. in Wilkes-Barre, your choice. Siniawa is about as dependable as a 1979 Ford Pinto. That Murray Complex is still sitting there rotting how many years after he bought it? And wasn't he supposed to build condos in Pittston?

[Trucker7]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Please tell me you're not from Camden!

Hey, I moved from Camden. It was pretty hard being a Republican down there. Seriously, in the last primaries, I went to vote around 4:00 PM and me and my wife were voters #2 and #3 on the GOP list.

Regarding Scranton, I have to say, the worst place in Scranton looks better than the best place in Camden anytime. It is clean, with friendly neighbors, teachers that actually care, and a low crime rate.

[InfectedMushroom]

The murray complex is a mess. I used to like going to Murrays but now that's even closed. It's a shame too since it's a huge building that could be restored and turned into a huge bustling area...but it just sits there rotting away

[go phillies]

Originally Posted by Trucker7

Hey, I moved from Camden. It was pretty hard being a Republican down there. Seriously, in the last primaries, I went to vote around 4:00 PM and me and my wife were voters #2 and #3 on the GOP list.

Regarding Scranton, I have to say, the worst place in Scranton looks better than the best place in Camden anytime. It is clean, with friendly neighbors, teachers that actually care, and a low crime rate.

You were probably a rarity in Camden that you have a job and are a law-abiding citizen. How the hell did you live Camden.....Camden has been ranked as the most dangerous city in the nation....even worse than places like Detroit, Flint, etc.

Living in Camden is probably more dangerous than living in Baghdad.