Reason Why People Move to NEPA (Scranton, Wilkes-Barre: 2013, apartments, to rent)
Northeastern PennsylvaniaScranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pocono area
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I live in Luzerne County and I don't have agita. I do get occasional headaches when I read about how terrible it is to live here, or how wonderful it is to live here. Trust me when I tell you, it's no better and no worse than other areas that people praise or complain about.
Corruption? Sure. It's everywhere. Or don't you read the national news?
Drugs? Everywhere.
Gangs/gang wannabes? Everywhere, some places more, some less.
Schools? Range from so-so to Great! (if you have the tuition)
Employment? Well, there you've got me. Not a lot of opportunities. But that's everywhere as well - except in Washington D.C. where the politicians abound. (And in Scranton if you're a friend of Doherty)
I've lived elsewhere but I have no interest in going elsewhere now. My three eldest attained their teen years elsewhere but moved here in the mid-sixties, vowing to return "home" when they reached 18. (Now in their 50s and they still live in NEPA) My two youngest were brought up here and they still live in the area, although they could choose to go anywhere else.
Could some things change for the better? Certainly. But that's everywhere except Utopia.
Some posters here have particular problems that weigh heavily, but for the most part, it isn't all bad.
it is compared to where i spent most of my married years,i guess i am more content being in an area where it is easier to get medical care,needed medication(one drug supplier supplies 99% of the pharmacies here),clean stores,never being greeted by cigarette smoke everyplace you go or having people spit hockers in your immediate view and not having to witness daily drug issues(never saw this stuff before and my first apartment was what people here would call a barrio with those dreaded(here) mexicans
btw---i am NOT talking bout wilkes barre or edwardsville primarily
it is compared to where i spent most of my married years,i guess i am more content being in an area where it is easier to get medical care,needed medication(one drug supplier supplies 99% of the pharmacies here),clean stores,never being greeted by cigarette smoke everyplace you go or having people spit hockers in your immediate view and not having to witness daily drug issues(never saw this stuff before and my first apartment was what people here would call a barrio with those dreaded(here) mexicans
btw---i am NOT talking bout wilkes barre or edwardsville primarily
Annie, I have lived in NEPA for 44 years. I have never had any difficulty getting medical care, wait...excellent medical care and I have had some heavy duty issues - malfunctioning heart valve with required open-heart surgery, which I had done at Wilkes-Barre General; colon cancer, which required surgery, done at WBGH; a hysterectomy done at Nesbitt Memorial; a tumor removed from my facial nerve which could have left me with disfigurement had it not been for the skill of the surgeon who removed it, at WBGH. I have found the doctors to be thorough, accessible and capable.
Medications? While I don't take many, I have never had any difficulty getting them when my scrips needed refilling, except once, when a snowstorm delayed delivery from the distributor to the pharmacy.
The stores I shop in are clean. If a store is dirty, I tell the manager and if it isn't fixed, I don't go back.
The laws concerning smoking have changed and are changing all over the country. It is mainly since the changes that more and more smokers are gathered outdoors to take a smoke-break. I'm betting you'll find the same thing in your former locale.
Hockers and drug issues on a daily basis? Just where do you spend your time?!? That's beyond my ken.
I'm thinking you miss the life you knew before it soured and seem to be unhappy with life in general.
There are many things in life that irritate me, but not enough to hate where I live, especially since I know they're not unique to the area. It took me a long time to realize that there's no going back to the younger, idealistic me and to take life (and people) with aplomb. Ergo, I don't hang around where drug issues happen daily. I don't go walking around known unstable areas alone, especially after dark. I'd rather not witness people spitting in the streets, but you can't legislate manners or morality.
There is so much this area offers that it behooves me to look past the crap and try to see what today has brought me.
The reasons people move to this area are varied and plentiful. Most people come here because they have a job offer (or transfer). Or to attend school. Or because family needs them. Or because they need family. But whatever the reason, they are coming. Why not tell them about all the good they can find. After all, it won't be long before they'll be scraping crap off their shoes like the rest of us.
Annie, I have lived in NEPA for 44 years. I have never had any difficulty getting medical care, wait...excellent medical care and I have had some heavy duty issues - malfunctioning heart valve with required open-heart surgery, which I had done at Wilkes-Barre General; colon cancer, which required surgery, done at WBGH; a hysterectomy done at Nesbitt Memorial; a tumor removed from my facial nerve which could have left me with disfigurement had it not been for the skill of the surgeon who removed it, at WBGH. I have found the doctors to be thorough, accessible and capable.
Medications? While I don't take many, I have never had any difficulty getting them when my scrips needed refilling, except once, when a snowstorm delayed delivery from the distributor to the pharmacy.
The stores I shop in are clean. If a store is dirty, I tell the manager and if it isn't fixed, I don't go back.
The laws concerning smoking have changed and are changing all over the country. It is mainly since the changes that more and more smokers are gathered outdoors to take a smoke-break. I'm betting you'll find the same thing in your former locale.
Hockers and drug issues on a daily basis? Just where do you spend your time?!? That's beyond my ken.
I'm thinking you miss the life you knew before it soured and seem to be unhappy with life in general.
There are many things in life that irritate me, but not enough to hate where I live, especially since I know they're not unique to the area. It took me a long time to realize that there's no going back to the younger, idealistic me and to take life (and people) with aplomb. Ergo, I don't hang around where drug issues happen daily. I don't go walking around known unstable areas alone, especially after dark. I'd rather not witness people spitting in the streets, but you can't legislate manners or morality.
There is so much this area offers that it behooves me to look past the crap and try to see what today has brought me.
The reasons people move to this area are varied and plentiful. Most people come here because they have a job offer (or transfer). Or to attend school. Or because family needs them. Or because they need family. But whatever the reason, they are coming. Why not tell them about all the good they can find. After all, it won't be long before they'll be scraping crap off their shoes like the rest of us.
Co-signed!
Goodness Annie, I really must ask where you spend your time. Between your views of the WBA school district and the valley, I'm greatly puzzled.
Annie, I have lived in NEPA for 44 years. I have never had any difficulty getting medical care, wait...excellent medical care and I have had some heavy duty issues - malfunctioning heart valve with required open-heart surgery, which I had done at Wilkes-Barre General; colon cancer, which required surgery, done at WBGH; a hysterectomy done at Nesbitt Memorial; a tumor removed from my facial nerve which could have left me with disfigurement had it not been for the skill of the surgeon who removed it, at WBGH. I have found the doctors to be thorough, accessible and capable.
Medications? While I don't take many, I have never had any difficulty getting them when my scrips needed refilling, except once, when a snowstorm delayed delivery from the distributor to the pharmacy.
The stores I shop in are clean. If a store is dirty, I tell the manager and if it isn't fixed, I don't go back.
The laws concerning smoking have changed and are changing all over the country. It is mainly since the changes that more and more smokers are gathered outdoors to take a smoke-break. I'm betting you'll find the same thing in your former locale.
Hockers and drug issues on a daily basis? Just where do you spend your time?!? That's beyond my ken.
I'm thinking you miss the life you knew before it soured and seem to be unhappy with life in general.
There are many things in life that irritate me, but not enough to hate where I live, especially since I know they're not unique to the area. It took me a long time to realize that there's no going back to the younger, idealistic me and to take life (and people) with aplomb. Ergo, I don't hang around where drug issues happen daily. I don't go walking around known unstable areas alone, especially after dark. I'd rather not witness people spitting in the streets, but you can't legislate manners or morality.
There is so much this area offers that it behooves me to look past the crap and try to see what today has brought me.
The reasons people move to this area are varied and plentiful. Most people come here because they have a job offer (or transfer). Or to attend school. Or because family needs them. Or because they need
family. But whatever the reason, they are coming. Why not tell them about all the good they can find. After all, it won't be long before they'll be scraping crap off their shoes like the rest of us.
while i am so glad life here is idyllic for you--you cannot say that this area has the best medical care---you cannot comment on my life having soured (this may be your knickers in a knot for my disliking your beloved area-)---my quality of living has declined here cause the area is dirty(try comparing this area to a city that is actually clean)----people do not smoke at entrances to stores in the area i lived in nor do they spit into the street and if you have never seen this up here i wonder where you go---happens in 99% of the shopping centers here
as to hospital care---no way is the general better than my former facility---mayo clinic----my drs were consistently on the top physicians list in world news/health---there has been NO ONE from here on that list ever-ass to drugs---as i said before---one drug distributor determines the manufacturer of the generic you can get here----as one that is an active participant in my health care i find this horrendous and backward (more progressive cities never have this)
as for painting a rosy picture of here--i am a realist,honest and NEVER glossed over reality
i grew up here and things DID NOT get better --rather just the opposite---and that is reality
btw--for those that have had little contact with the average working day crowd---it is utopia here cause they are in their own little world with rose colored glasses(and i have relatives in this group)
i would love a list of the clean stores without dirt on the outside or inside and where one can escape the constant smell of cigarette smoke---add to that a list of specialists one can call without a referral from someone the office staff knows ---an oral surgeon that has emergency appointments---a pharmacist that doesn't dishonestly tell you that the drug is not available when it is and only tells the truth about distributorship control when backed into a corner---i could go on----will be looking forward to your list of the above
I believe theater gypsy has made it a point to be quite honest about the downfalls of our area. I disagree that she has painted her life as "idyllic" here. She doesn't see negatives in every nook and cranny here.
She did not say that her medical care was better than yours. She said she was very happy with the level of care she received for her various maladies. Like theater gypsy, I've never had an issue obtaining medication I or my family ever needed. I am also an active participant in my healthcare.
I don't know that I'd categorize your posts as realistic. They seem mired in the negative. There are positives here too. I grew up here too. Things are better than they were in some ways and worse in others.
Since we have a very high rate of smokers per capita in our area, you probably won't escape the cigarette smell as much as you'd like. As a former smoker who has a very good sense of smell for smoke, I do disagree about smelling it constantly. I can pick that smell up a mile away. I do not smell it constantly.
Needing a referral for a specialist is an issue with your insurance carrier, not our area.
I don't have much experience with oral surgeons but I have to ask why you would need an oral surgeon on call for emergencies?
If you think distributorship control is only an issue HERE, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.
I believe theater gypsy has made it a point to be quite honest about the downfalls of our area. I disagree that she has painted her life as "idyllic" here. She doesn't see negatives in every nook and cranny here.
She did not say that her medical care was better than yours. She said she was very happy with the level of care she received for her various maladies. Like theater gypsy, I've never had an issue obtaining medication I or my family ever needed. I am also an active participant in my healthcare.
I don't know that I'd categorize your posts as realistic. They seem mired in the negative. There are positives here too. I grew up here too. Things are better than they were in some ways and worse in others.
Since we have a very high rate of smokers per capita in our area, you probably won't escape the cigarette smell as much as you'd like. As a former smoker who has a very good sense of smell for smoke, I do disagree about smelling it constantly. I can pick that smell up a mile away. I do not smell it constantly.
Needing a referral for a specialist is an issue with your insurance carrier, not our area.
I don't have much experience with oral surgeons but I have to ask why you would need an oral surgeon on call for emergencies?
If you think distributorship control is only an issue HERE, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.
first of all--there is no contest here--i am giving my OPINION on this area----as to the stores you mentioned--i have been in all of them and i guess my level of clean is different from others here and cigarettes,gum,dirty carts,and floors,smells of rotting produce are okay
a referral is NOT my insurance carriers problem--this is an office problem here
every oral surgeon in other parts of the country have daily times allotted for an emergency extraction(if u cannot understand why--i guess u have not experienced sudden dental issues
as someone that has been in the medical field in other parts of the country---distributorship is NOT a dig problem elsewhere but my experience in very rural areas is limited--i tended to be in areas that were the same as or more populated than here
as long as others here are unwilling to fix the negatives cause they refuse to see them--things will not improve here
i am old enough to have seen the good parts of nepa and through apathy and denial things have deteriorated
as to my negativity---guess i have difficulty lowering my standards and accepting this area's problems --had i lived previously in areas that were lacking in so many things----i would not feel negative about most things here
here are the positives---nice flowers here,plenty of wildlife(i like animals),good pizza and pierogies,and a daily laugh from talkback 16
again this is my view of reality here and no one needs to agree with it---i am giving my opinion and NOT saying my experiences are better than others----add this to my wish list for here(not cd----area in general)----an opposing viewpoint should not costitute a personal challenge to people here---it is an opinion
first of all--there is no contest here--i am giving my OPINION on this area----as to the stores you mentioned--i have been in all of them and i guess my level of clean is different from others here and cigarettes,gum,dirty carts,and floors,smells of rotting produce are okay
I've never heard the stores I listed regarded as dirty. I'd really like to see the stores you shopped in previously so I can understand your opinion. I'm fascinated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by auntieannie68
a referral is NOT my insurance carriers problem--this is an office problem here
Why would an office require a referral if your insurance carrier does not?
Quote:
Originally Posted by auntieannie68
every oral surgeon in other parts of the country have daily times allotted for an emergency extraction(if u cannot understand why--i guess u have not experienced sudden dental issues
I'll take your assertion that every oral surgeon in the US has emergency hours with a grain of salt. BTW, daily allotted times during office hours is completely different than emergency hours. I'd bet a lunch that most of the oral surgeons in this area have them. Yes, I have experienced multiple dental issues. I've never had an issue getting a last minute appointment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by auntieannie68
as someone that has been in the medical field in other parts of the country---distributorship is NOT a dig problem elsewhere but my experience in very rural areas is limited--i tended to be in areas that were the same as or more populated than here
Funny, but I know people who live in California, Kansas, Michigan, Florida and New York who all say that this is an issue in their areas as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by auntieannie68
as long as others here are unwilling to fix the negatives cause they refuse to see them--things will not improve here
I completely agree. I am involved with a few organizations and efforts that are trying to make Wilkes-Barre a better place. What about you?
Quote:
Originally Posted by auntieannie68
i am old enough to have seen the good parts of nepa and through apathy and denial things have deteriorated
What if I told you I am old enough to have seen Public Square as a ghost town and now see vibrancy and life there? Are my opinions somehow less valid because they don't jive with yours?
Quote:
Originally Posted by auntieannie68
as to my negativity---guess i have difficulty lowering my standards and accepting this area's problems --had i lived previously in areas that were lacking in so many things----i would not feel negative about most things here
Where did you live before that was so glorious as to render everything in this area crap?
Quote:
Originally Posted by auntieannie68
here are the positives---nice flowers here,plenty of wildlife(i like animals),good pizza and pierogies,and a daily laugh from talkback 16
I like the people here. Most of them are friendly and willing to help anyone in need. I love our library system, compared to other areas I've seen we have an amazing resource. The scenery is gorgeous between the mountains, river, wooded areas, historic homes, etc. I love the rich history of the area. I am happy that we have several gyms in the area to choose from, access to the highways, oodles of state parks, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by auntieannie68
again this is my view of reality here and no one needs to agree with it---i am giving my opinion and NOT saying my experiences are better than others----add this to my wish list for here(not cd----area in general)----an opposing viewpoint should not costitute a personal challenge to people here---it is an opinion
A personal challenge or conversation? Why would you think your opinions could go unremarked upon?
To anyone who thinks that I look at this area through rose-colored glasses, let me hasten to assure you that I have always recognized the bad and savored the good here. When people ask what it's like to live here, I can tell them truthfully that it's better than the four areas I previously lived.
There are some among us that only see what they want to see and are content to believe that nothing wicked this way comes. Then there are those who choose to believe that it is the worst place to live since Sodom and Gomorrah.
I love the accusation that one has one's knickers in a knot because they counter another's views. My knickers are very nice placed, TYVM. It is called debate and should be entered into only in a civil manner. Which I have done during my tenure on this board. (Although there was that one time...)
People move here because they have to. Not many throw a dart at the map. Well, maybe some do but they're not coming to the forum to ask what it's like to live here. I try to present a realistic POV, and would hope that others would do the same.
As far as an idyllic life, maybe it seems so to some people. To me, I'm grateful for every day I wake up. If surviving cancer and having another chance is idyllic, guilty as charged.
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My two youngest were brought up here and they still live in the area, although they could choose to go anywhere else.
