Wilkes-Barre skyline photo tour (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh: live, gardens, title)

[W-B proud]

Well it's not Manhatten, or even Toledo, but It's ours, and I like it.

[dansdrive]

WOW seeing those pictures made many memories of Wilkes-Barre come flooding back...no pun intended. The one newer high rise on Public Square I watched as a kid being built. Would ride my bike to public square and watch the big crane in the center of the building working to make the building rise from the rubble of the old buildings that it replaced. One of those building on Public Square housed Planter Peanut store....where you would always see the Peanut Guy walking around shaking hands and giving kids some fresh roasted peanuts.

I could not figure out the one picture near the bottom of the thread where it looked like they are building a large concrete burm along River Street with maybe a walking bridge...may I'm not clear where that actually is.... The rest of the sky line looks pretty much the way I remember it over 25 years ago.

At that time there was the Paramount and Columbia theater on Public Square...They built the Martz terminal where the Columbia Theater was.... I think it was Columbia but maybe it was called something else? Any one remember?

When I grew up there was no video games or computers quite yet. So lived outside on my bike as a kid and explored Wilkes-Barre downtown till dark. Never had a worry about crime. As a teenager use to ride to Public Square and sit and watch all the cool cars go around the square. Some real cools ones too! Bet that doesn't happen now.

Whom ever posted those phots, thanks for the trip down memory square! ...

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by dansdrive

The one newer high rise on Public Square I watched as a kid being built. Would ride my bike to public square and watch the big crane in the center of the building working to make the building rise from the rubble of the old buildings that it replaced.

Are you talking about the Provincial Towers apartment high-rise just off of Public Square along South Main Street? That building is an architectural monstrosity very reminiscent of the Soviet-era. It truly detracts from the otherwise historic appeal of the downtown. If nothing else those building's residents are largely a BURDEN on the city. First they complained about how "dead" the downtown was. Now that Mayor Leighton is helping to turn Wilkes-Barre into more of an 18-hour city replete with nightlife, these same people are complaining AGAIN about there being too much nighttime foot traffic. What are they, Goldilocks?

Originally Posted by dansdrive

One of those building on Public Square housed Planter Peanut store....where you would always see the Peanut Guy walking around shaking hands and giving kids some fresh roasted peanuts.

Another stupid move by the city of Wilkes-Barre, which recently tore down the old Planters Building along South Main Street to house a suburban-style STRIP MALL instead of renovating that building to perhaps house some sort of Planters-themed museum/gift shop/restaurant complex with a Mr. Peanut roaming up and down South Main Street back-and-forth from Public Square. Why do local elected officials try to create auto-centric developments in the heart of a historic downtown? Idiocy. At times I wish I could be hired as an urban planner to show these fools their errant ways. Unfortunately all Wilkes-Barre saw was the short-term cash infusion this strip mall developer offered to them and said "screw history."

Originally Posted by dansdrive

I could not figure out the one picture near the bottom of the thread where it looked like they are building a large concrete burm along River Street with maybe a walking bridge...may I'm not clear where that actually is...

That would be the new River Commons area. By mid-to-late-2009 the riverfront will be TEEMING with pedestrians with the new river walk, amphitheater, boat launch, benches, etc. There are plans for events here as well, including concerts. After decades of Wilkes-Barre residents fearing the river since the major 1972 flood (and a very close call in 2006), they are now starting to embrace it.

Originally Posted by dansdrive

As a teenager use to ride to Public Square and sit and watch all the cool cars go around the square. Some real cools ones too! Bet that doesn't happen now.

My first time at Thai Thai I was walking along South Main Street and stopped to marvel at a passing Ferrari. There's TREMENDOUS wealth in our area, despite what the Debbie Downers say. Just take a drive through parts of the Back Mountain, Abingtons, Mountain Top, North Pocono, or Greater Pittston sometime and see the proliferation of $500,000+ McMansions everywhere with "toys" galore in the driveways.

Originally Posted by dansdrive

Whom ever posted those phots, thanks for the trip down memory square! ...

I'll let Vasiliy know this week at King's if I see him that his work continues to be appreciated.

[go phillies]

Originally Posted by W-B proud

Well W-B has a small skyline in comparison to big cities, but it still has a skyline. Scranton doesn't really have a skyline that I have seen. I think it's because all of downtown Scranton's building's are flat topped and relatively the same size, it gives the illusion of being flat...similar to Washington D.C. but smaller. Wilkes-Barre, on the other hand, has buildings of different shapes and sizes which give the city a small, but respectable skyline.

I think the only reason Wilkes-Barre seems to have more of a "skyline" is that all of its tall buildings are close together around Public Square, Scranton's are more spread out a few blocks apart from each other. But like I said, calling anything in this area a skyline is a bit of a stretch....but some people want to think that this area is some kind of big city or bustling metropolis. It is what it is, and Wilkes-Barre and Scranton are much closer to being small towns than they are big cities. Which is OK with me....NY and Philly are only a couple of hours away if I want the "big city."

[W-B proud]

Originally Posted by go phillies

I think the only reason Wilkes-Barre seems to have more of a "skyline" is that all of its tall buildings are close together around Public Square, Scranton's are more spread out a few blocks apart from each other. But like I said, calling anything in this area a skyline is a bit of a stretch....but some people want to think that this area is some kind of big city or bustling metropolis. It is what it is, and Wilkes-Barre and Scranton are much closer to being small towns than they are big cities. Which is OK with me....NY and Philly are only a couple of hours away if I want the "big city."

I guess you're right. You need at least one modern skyscraper to have a skyline. All of NEPA's largest buildings were built over 100 years ago. I don't think there is any modern buildings with any real height to them that have been built in the last century in NEPA.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by W-B proud

I guess you're right. You need at least one modern skyscraper to have a skyline. All of NEPA's largest buildings were built over 100 years ago. I don't think there is any modern buildings with any real height to them that have been built in the last century in NEPA.

If and when Mr. Siniawa decides to follow through with his promises Downtown Pittston will have twin large-scale glass condo towers on its waterfront.

[go phillies]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

If and when Mr. Siniawa decides to follow through with his promises Downtown Pittston will have twin large-scale glass condo towers on its waterfront.

Siniawa is the same guy that bought the Murray complex in Wilkes-Barre, right? So it should happen....about the same time we have peace in the Middle East.

[W-B proud]

Mr. Siniawa is trying to beat out The Hotel Sterling Project in The Guiness Book of World Records as "the longest ongoing development project ever proposed"

[W-B proud]

I think the frozen credit markets, and the sluggish economy are holding up alot of these projects. Hopefully it will not be long before things get back on track.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by W-B proud

Mr. Siniawa is trying to beat out The Hotel Sterling Project in The Guiness Book of World Records as "the longest ongoing development project ever proposed"

To be fair I believe the Hotel Sterling is being developed by CityVest, not by Mr. Siniawa. What I love is the fact that if this were a SUBURBAN project in his pet project called Dickson City he'd have it developed in six months flat, yet he has failed to show ANY progress whatsoever on all of his mixed-use urban renewal projects he's promised. Considering his company is partially responsible for the decline of our core cities by selling them out in favor of the suburbs with his large-scale retail chain projects, it would behoove him to finish these projects in Carbondale, Scranton, Pittston, and Wilkes-Barre before he dies to leave a legacy of caring for our valley instead of destroying it.