Scranton: Introduction

Scranton, formerly known as the Anthracite Capital of the World, is one of the largest cities in Pennsylvania and site of the Steamtown National Historic Site. In the early 1990s the city found itself in the peculiar position of simultaneously emerging from a 40-year decline while having to file what amounted to a bankruptcy petition with the state. The loss of its manufacturing base and nearly half its population without an accompanying reduction in city services forced The Pennsylvania Economy League in 1992 to develop a three-year plan to rescue Scranton from insolvency.

By the late 1990s, hundreds of millions of dollars were being spent on development projects and surveys rank the city highly as a desirable place to live and locate a business. Today, the professional services, health, education, retail, and tourism industries are the basis of the economy. Scranton is traditionally linked with Wilkes-Barre, the seat of neighboring Luzerne County, and is conveniently located near some of the Northeast's finest ski slopes and the beautiful Poconos Mountains.