Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Relocation Specialist (Unofficially!) (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh: 2009, crime rate, homes)

[AVOCA1]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

Speak for yourself! I want a nice Nor'easter to come up the coast just in time for January 15, so I can get a "snow day!" I'd rather be shoveling the Lowe's parking lot than sitting in a three-hour long molecular genetics class. Then again, I went running earlier today in shorts and a t-shirt without getting chills; it was great to put my calves and abs back into action, even though the people driving by were all staring at me like I was nuts! LOL!

Hello Scranton one. I am interested in buying a home in Avoca for my return back to the area from Boston. Can you give any insight on current conditions there in Avoca and if it fesible to buy a place now, rent it until I move in a few years from now.
Thanks

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by AVOCA1

Hello Scranton one. I am interested in buying a home in Avoca for my return back to the area from Boston. Can you give any insight on current conditions there in Avoca and if it fesible to buy a place now, rent it until I move in a few years from now.
Thanks

Hello there. Actually, I'm extremely familiar with Avoca. I live in the Butler Heights part of Pittston Township (the neighborhood of 31 homes that's about to become surrounded by that huge new shopping center on 315), and during warmer weather I run through all of the main and side streets in the Dupont/Avoca area.

What do you mean by "current conditions?" Residentially, there are three housing developments in the Avoca/Dupont area:
Quail Hill: This is a newer planned community of homes that are generally priced in the $300,000-$500,000 range. It can be accessed from two entrances---following Pittston Avenue in Avoca (Off McAlpine) to the end, or by the main entrance off of the OTHER Pittston Avenue in Dupont (near the metal bridge between the two towns). The developments abuts the new Pittston Area Primary Center in Hughestown.
Paradise Park: This community is well-established, but a new phase is currently under development. Most homes here are in the $175,000-$300,000
range, and the development is located at the end of Gedding Street (Off McAlpine). Views from both Quail Hill and Paradise Park are fantastic.
Laurel Hill: This development is located in both Avoca and the "Fifth Ward" of Duryea, off of Church Street (From Main Street). The neighborhood is now just about at capacity, with one or two newer homes for sale. Most homes here range from $200,000-$300,000. I'm pretty sure the homes that abut I-81are protected by a sound barrier to limit noise.

In general, much probably hasn't changed in Avoca over the past 20 years of my life, so it's probably the same community you'll remember it to be. There's still Vince's Pizza, Colarusso's, O'Malley Funeral Home, Lyons Barber Shop, the Convenient Mart, the West Side Club, and other longtime fixtures. In the past ten years, not much has changed. The population of the town, overall, has aged considerably and dwindled, yet most of the homes in the older neighborhoods are still well-kept. Personally, my favorite Avoca neighborhood is the Grove Street area, which runs parallel to Main Street, as it is home to some very well-kept older homes and friendly people who wave to me from their front porches as I pass by on my runs.

The most recent controversies in the town were the closing of St. Mary's School and its impending conversion into a halfway house, which was defeated by a massive public outcry. A new bar, "The Shire", has opened on McAlpine Street, across the street, more or less, from the West Side Club, which is also housed in a newer building now. There have been mine subsidence issues recently on South Street, and I believe that roadway is still closed until further notice. Parts of Grove Street have been subject to water runoff problems as of late, and the expansion of the airport, uphill from town in Pittston Township, is being blamed for the problems. There was a rash of arson fires in the town in the late-1990s, including one that hit the old Lavelle's Tavern. (Avoca has a lot of bars, doesn't it?) LOL!

There really aren't many "fixer-uppers" left in Avoca, from what I have seen. I work at Lowe's, and one of our regular customers flips houses in Avoca, so he must have the monopoly on the town's flipping ventures. There was a double-murder in Avoca last year over a botched drug deal, and that sent shockwaves throughout the community, but any sort of crime, even vandalism, is rare in Avoca. The old train station on the corner of Main & McAlpine has been converted into a pool supply business.

I'd be more than happy to assist you with any concerns you may have with Avoca, as I'm in the town on a nearly-daily basis.

[AVOCA1]

Thank You for your thorough and comprehensive history lesson of the Avoca area. I was born and reared there and still can smell the creosote plant LOL.
I am aware of the "new" developments in the avoca, but frankly I am interested in the older existing stock. My plan is to turn entire streets, one block at a time back to the beauty and soul they once enjoyed. As a child in Avoca, my friends and I would sleep outside on those wonderful summer nights, I swear we never slept. I remember "cruising the streets at 2 or 3 am and feeling like we owned the world. There existed a feeling of safety, a sense of belonging and wonderful neighborhoods full of life and energy. As I get older I yearn for those feelings again. This time, however I have the experience of maturity and the financial means to make it happen.
Perhaps I know your Avoca flipper, and perhaps he can help me too. As far as your home, I do not know where that is. Can you elaborate more. I appreciate your help.

[ScranBarre]

Here are some homes currently on the market in Avoca/Dupont:





422 Grove Street, Avoca. 6 Rooms, 3 BR, 1 BA. 1,222 Square Feet. Built in 1940. Annual Taxes: $778. 52'x94' Lot. $72,000.








737 Grove Street, Avoca. 9 Rooms, 3 BR, 1.5 BA. 1,197 Square Feet.
Annual Taxes: $957. 41' x 150' Lot. $85,000.





338 Lidy's Road, Dupont. 6 Rooms, 4 BR, 1 BA. 1,242 Square Feet.
Annual Taxes: $1,008. 69'x 182' Lot. $99,900.



422 Liberty Street, Dupont. 4 Rooms, 2 BR, 1.75 BA. 1,764 Square Feet. Annual Taxes: $1,598. 48' x 112' Lot. $119,900.



536 Pittston Avenue, Dupont. 7 Rooms, 3 BR, 1 BA. 1,400 Square Feet. Built in 1959. Annual Taxes: $1,785. 138' x 185' Lot. $139,900.



247 Lampman Street, Paradise Park Development, Avoca. 6 Rooms, 3 BR, 2.5 BA. 1,800 Square Feet. Built in 2006. Annual Taxes: TBA. 102' x 140' Lot. $258,900.








1130 Church Street, Laurel Hill Development, Avoca. 7 Rooms, 4 BR, 2.5 BA. 1,818 Square Feet. Built in 2004. Annual Taxes: $3,283. 80' x 100' Lot. $262,900.






20 Ivy Lane, Quail Hill Development, Dupont. 10 Rooms, 4 BR, 3 BA. 2,418 Square Feet. Built in 2006. Annual Taxes: TBA. 100' x 171' Lot. $339,000.







2 Whitman Drive, Quail Hill Development, Dupont. 8 Rooms, 4 BR, 2.5 BA. 2,266 Square Feet. Built in 2006. Annual Taxes: TBA. 117' x 127' Lot. $339,000.

[ScranBarre]

622 Pittston Avenue, Quail Hill Development, Avoca. 10 Rooms, 3 BR, 2 BA. 2,360 Square Feet. Built in 2006. Annual Taxes: TBA. 117' x 128' Lot. $359,000.





22 Costello Circle, Laurel Hill Development, Avoca. 10 Rooms, 4 BR, 2.5 BA. 4,100 Square Feet. Built in 2006. Annual Taxes: TBA. 76' x 129' Lot. $365,000.









30 Ivy Lane, Quail Hill Development, Dupont. 8 Rooms, 4 BR, 3.5 BA. 2,906 Square Feet. Built in 2006. Annual Taxes: TBA. 0.66 Acre Lot.
$455,000.







9 Cambridge Circle, Quail Hill Development, Pittston Township. 11 Rooms, 5 BR, 3 BA. 3,262 Square Feet. Built in 2006. Annual Taxes: TBA 172' x 254' Lot. $475,000.



32 Ivy Lane, Quail Hill Development, Pittston Township. 9 Rooms, 4 BR, 3.5 BA. 3,327 Square Feet. Built in 2006. Annual Taxes: $5,779. 0.87 Acre Lot. $479,900.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by AVOCA1

Thank You for your thorough and comprehensive history lesson of the Avoca area. I was born and reared there and still can smell the creosote plant LOL.
I am aware of the "new" developments in the avoca, but frankly I am interested in the older existing stock. My plan is to turn entire streets, one block at a time back to the beauty and soul they once enjoyed. As a child in Avoca, my friends and I would sleep outside on those wonderful summer nights, I swear we never slept. I remember "cruising the streets at 2 or 3 am and feeling like we owned the world. There existed a feeling of safety, a sense of belonging and wonderful neighborhoods full of life and energy. As I get older I yearn for those feelings again. This time, however I have the experience of maturity and the financial means to make it happen.
Perhaps I know your Avoca flipper, and perhaps he can help me too. As far as your home, I do not know where that is. Can you elaborate more. I appreciate your help.

Mmmm...Creosote! It's nice to hear about someone else who wants to move back into one of our smaller towns and breathe "new life" into them. The elected officials see projects such as Quail Hill as being the only means of bringing new residents to town. However, as a person who has lived in both a middle-class, established, tightly-knit neighborhood in Pittston, as well as our current newer housing development in Pittston Township, I can tell you that developments are much more "sterile" in that people don't take the time to really get to know each other too well. To me, a place like Quail Hill isn't a "true" neighborhood for that reason.

Right now I live in Butler Heights. Basically, travel on 315 South out of Dupont to the top of the hill and make a right at Pella Windows (near the old Spiccioli Chiropractic building and before the Pilot Truck Stop). We live right behind the old Vullo Trucking Garages. Starting next month or so, construction of "Pittston Crossings" will begin on the tract of land across 315 from Pilot. This new shopping center will consist of a Wal-Mart Supercenter and an L-shaped complex of seventeen other chain retailers. Basically, this will be just another nail in the coffin for Downtown Pittston's revitalization efforts, but I digress.



This is the L-shaped complex which will be built on the land currently occupied by the vacant Vullo Trucking Garages, an old ranch home, and the former Spiccioli Chiropractic (and then Car-Lotta Credit) buildings. My home sits directly behind #130 or so, and West Chapman Street into our development starts right around #280.

[AVOCA1]

Wow, Those home prices in Quail hill and surrounds sure seem high considering they sit on a garbage dump! I wonder how many people know that???? It is sad that pittston has fallen to such a state of disrepair. Now filled with the wonderful seniors and the druggies. The housing stock there, if it is not sinking into the mines, could really use a good renovation in my opinion of-course.
As far as investing money in Avoca or other neighborhoods, it seems foolish, but people need a place to live and they can not all live on quail hill. Thank God!
Scranton, thanks for the house listings, not "cheap" for a dying area hey.
and I know where your home is now. Sounds as though that strip mall will be just what the doctor ordered for the area

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by clearwaterlargodude

WHO WOULD WASTE THERE HARD WORKING MONEY IN THAT WASTELAND

"Wasteland" meaning Pittston Township? Unfortunately, many, as our township's population continues to explode at the same time our downtown business district of Pittston continues to decay. I personally can't wait to leave this mess of traffic, strip malls, and housing developments for a more "in-town", neighborhood-oriented community, preferably in Scranton, as I'm impressed by the great strides in revitalization that have occurred in the Electric City in recent years.

[ScranBarre]

Blueberry Hill Estates in Duryea is also situated on an old dump, yet homes there have been selling like hotcakes. A new upscale gated community is also planned for land adjacent to Blueberry Hill Estates, and that, too, will probably be built on old wastelands. Quail Hill hasn't been doing too well in selling homes; I think there's just not enough of a market for $400,000+ properties in the Pittston Area School District as there are for the $250,000 ones in many other housing developments in the Pittston 'burbs. One thing our communities here don't market well enough is our convenience to both cities in the metro---It's nice being only fifteen minutes to Downtown Scranton or Downtown Wilkes-Barre. I've also looked at the web site for Quail Hill, and I was just blown away by how poor the grammar was throughout it! People in the market for a $450,000 home are probably going to be well-educated professional couples without children; I don't exactly think heading to such a poorly-equipped web site would pique their interest too much.

I'll agree that it's also a shame to see what has become of the city of Pittston---a community seemingly devoid of all hope. The city's population has plummeted from 9,389 in 1990 to 8,104 in 2000 to a bleak estimate around 7,400 or so today, approximately a third of the population the city had residing within its boundaries in its heyday. The central business district is essentially a lost cause; even the seemingly simple StreetScape and Riverfront Park projects are both sitting, idle and unfinished for many, many months. For a time last year, I attempted to launch a new civic-based effort to boost the civic pride of Pittston residents in the form of "Pittston 2020," which I more or less gave up on when I realized there wasn't much interest in it. The initial skeleton of my web site can still be accessed here: http://www.pittston.org. When your town's own Chamber of Commerce cares more about wooing a new Wal-Mart Supercenter to Pittston Township in hopes of creating "family-sustaining career opportunities" than it does about historic preservation in the inner city, then you know the town is just about a lost cause. While Scranton and Wilkes-Barre both have Chambers of Commerce that focus heavily on each city's downtown, the one in Pittston focuses more heavily on the suburbs, which is just a bad omen to me.

I'm just disgusted that people in Pittston seriously lack the ambition to take back their streets and try to make their city a decent place to live again. My family "escaped" back in 1996 to the 'burbs, yet I still long to see my old neighborhood thrive again. Just to give you some insight as to how DUMB people in our fair city are, take the instance of a recent freak flash flood that washed through the Broad Street area, knocking the historic Radio City Building so far off its foundation that it may now have to be razed. What did people want to see in place of it? A new building that would be mixed-use retail and loft housing? Nope. A community arts center? Nope. Some urban greenspace or a playground? Nope. A PARKING LOT? Yep. Pittston is becoming a city with an eroding skyline that is being replaced by parking lots, chain drugstores, and fast-food restaurants, and it's not something I'm proud of.

My first and utmost recommendation to help renew a sense of civic pride in the city would be to establish new "tree lawns" on some of our residential streets that are so tightly-packed that they just appear run-down, especially Mill Street, Parsonage Street, Main Street, and William Street. We should never underestimate the impact that plentiful shade trees have upon boosting property values, calming traffic, and lifting spirits. Just look at West Pittston as an example. If I were to ask someone which street they thought was more attractive---York Avenue in West Pittston or Mill Street in Pittston, which response do you think I'd get? Such an initiative wouldn't even be too costly, and would probably be funded by grant money from the state's DEP, or some other larger body. The only "gripe" I could see would be the loss of on-street parking in some areas, but I'd take having tree-lined streets anyday over having streets lined with tightly-packed cars. Perhaps that problem could be alleviated somewhat by razing rundown homes on those streets and using the resulting lot for off-street parking, which would free up the streets for tree lawns?

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by clearwaterlargodude

WHO WOULD WASTE THERE HARD WORKING MONEY IN THAT WASTELAND

Then why do you waste so much time on this forum with your 3rd grade grammar and spelling, insulting people?
If Florida is so great, get out there and enjoy the abundance of things to do in the "Sunshine State."

Personally, I think you're about 12 years old and still live in PA. No school today?