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I actually found the massive sterling hotel chain reference funny. But thought hey, maybe the guy who owned the sterling was a Marriott or Hilton, possibly the sterling was the start of choice hotels. I only knew in all my travels, I never saw or stayed in a sterling.
I do however thank your fine city for planters. I do love peanuts and cashews.
Susquehanna is 2nd on East Coast, 16th in US, so it looks like you're speaking without checking, as usual.
Woolworth's website is where I got the information that the company had its start in Wilkes-Barre as FM Kirby & Co. Later, Kirby sold his shares to the Woolworth brothers. Wrong again, ding dong!
There's a plaque on Public Square that says HBO began in W-B.
A PA Historical Society Marker near the sight of the Fell House claims anthracite was first burned in Wilkes-Barre by Jesse Fell.
I didn't say cable. Perhaps you're thinking of the first electrical grid? Yep, that was true too. Laid out in Wilkes-Barre.
LEARN TO READ! W-B used to be part of CT! That's the connection to Boston. They're both in New England, which sets all of its cities up the same way. You dony know what you're talking about!!!!
You can say I'm wrong, but it doesn't make it true. If you want to ACTUALLY prove me wrong, you're gonna have to do some research. Like I said, I've been studying this city for my entire life! Nobody knows more about its history than me. If you really want to prove me wrong, I just told all of you where to find the source of my information. If you want to argue like a rational, intelligent adult, go & check them out to see if I'm right. If you argue without even checking to see if you're wrong, you're just a stubborn idiot. Even though I knew I was right, I double checked everything I just said before I said it because I know I'm dealing with asperger-level nitpickers. You are all well aware that I'm an *** hole for facts & technicalities. Why even bother, if you're not 100% sure?
You guys get mad when I insult your intelligence, but behavior like this reminds me why I like to do it?
I actually found the massive sterling hotel chain reference funny. But thought hey, maybe the guy who owned the sterling was a Marriott or Hilton, possibly the sterling was the start of choice hotels. I only knew in all my travels, I never saw or stayed in a sterling.
I do however thank your fine city for planters. I do love peanuts and cashews.
Type in Sterling Hotel on Google right now! You will get results from cities all over the world. I promise you! In fact, I am willing to sign a legally binding, notarized contract that bequiefs everything I own to you, if I'm wrong!
I'll have a go at it. Please, PLEASE do not allow coalcitytrash's total lack of education on our history reflect on our fine historical society. That hurts my heart!
Coalcitytrash,
1. Woolworth's was born in Lancaster, PA.
2. There is NO Sterling Hotel chain. (Honestly with this one you are making me question whether your entire post is satirical!)
3. Wilkes-Barre was NEVER part of Connecticut!
4. HBO began in Manhattan
5. Bell Telephone started in Massachusetts
6. Anthracite coal mining started in Pottsville
7. Oregon City/Wilmette Falls was the first city in the world to have an electric power grid in 1889.
Please give me actual examples of why Wilkes-Barre is, and I quote, "by far one of the most important, influential, historic, & note worthy cities in the entire world". Almost none of your examples hold up to the barest hint of scrutiny.
A lot of what Coal city has said IS grossly exagerated, but everything he mentioned does in fact have a Wilkes-Barre connection... just not as an important roles as he claims. Antracite coal WAS actually first successfully burned in an open crate at the Fell Tavern on the corner of Northampton and S Washington streets, which eventually lead to it being realized as a major fossil fuel of the industrial revolution and home heating industry, also I believe HBO was first broadcast to homes in W-B (not started here), I also think that some major telephone company was started by a W-B native (but not in W-B). Coal city comes off as a little immature, and doesn't have his facts straight, but he does seem to have love, passion, and pride in this city! That is something that is very rare here. I applaud him for this. I hope that someone like this grows up and matures into a leader with pride and a burning desire to see this city succeed. He seems to have a lot more passion and pride in our city than our mayor or city council has.
Yeah, but that is exactly why they built The Shoppes at Montage and The Stadium on that mountain, so it would offer easy access from both Scranton and W-B metro. Scranton alone isn't large enough to sustain a packed stadium or the shoppes at montage, that is why the developers put it somewhat between the two cities and with easy access off of I-81, because they need the populace of both metros, Wayne County and north, W-B and south to support it, and they are all connected by I-81. I honestly believe that rebuilding that stadium in downtown Scranton would have backfired...the residents from outside of the city would not be familiar with the downtown area and would avoid it out of inconvenience, the traffic would be a turn off. I wouldn't want to bother with it, besides, you would need to find a massive lot of land in an already developed downtown, otherwise there would be many many years tied up in burecratic red tape..i.e. buying land and old buildings off of land owners than imploding them and clearing the land etc., iminant domain, rights of way etc. It would be a long and drawn out legal nightmare trying to get all the planets to align. It is much easier for a developer to purchase a large parcel of land on that mountain and develop it, and it offers easy access from all points throughout NEPA not just greater Scranton area
Actually, Mr. Yuk, as usual, is right on the money in regards to the failed opportunity to relocate the stadium to Downtown Scranton instead of spending nearly as much anyways just to retrofit an aging stadium in the suburbs. Similarly I wish the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza (is that what's it's called now?) in Wilkes-Barre Township was instead built at the bottom of Coal Street on the fringe of Downtown Wilkes-Barre---where there's currently a huge underutilized parcel of land. If people in Wilkes-Barre are so provincial that they won't go to Downtown Scranton to see a baseball game, and if people in Scranton are so provincial that they won't go to Downtown Wilkes-Barre to see a hockey game, then the area is truly worse off than I ever imagined.
Pittsburgh has three newer world-class sporting venues right in the heart of the city, and you never hear of suburbanites balking at the notion of going to a Steelers game because they're "too confused" about heading into the city. Contrariwise our local public transit agency actually just opened a new light rail line linking PNC Park (Pirates) and Heinz Field (Steelers) along with adjacent venues like Rivers Casino, Andy Warhol Museum, and Carnegie Science Center, with the Southern suburbs. The new line proved to be so popular that it was overwhelmed recently, and people were left stranded due to overcrowding. My "pollyanna" vision of Downtown Scranton still includes a Downtown stadium and the refurbishment of the Mall at Steamtown into an open-air "lifestyle center" project---the way it should have been built from the start (and the way it still could have been retrofitted had the Shoppes at Montage not undermined it).
Call me old-fashioned, but I yearn for the era in which the region's urban cities all had bustling Downtowns. I used to eat at Savo's in my hometown of Pittston Township, and they had a large interior mural showing what Downtown Pittston looked like in its heyday---movie theaters, department stores, and even a Flatiron Building, amongst other uniquities. All are gone now. I could imagine my grandmother getting dressed up in the 1940s as a young girl to "head into town" and hit up the five-and-dime, Woolworth's, JCPenney, etc. Now people just plop their big rear-ends into their SUVs and sit in traffic in Dickson City driving from big-box retailer to big-box retailer while blasting Kelly Clarkson. Sprawl is NOT good for an area that has had, at best, population stagnation in recent years. All this means is we're picking up a dwindling population base and spreading it further and further away from established infrastructure and services; it costs money for new utility lines, new roads, new bridges, new public services, new schools, etc., and those expenses shouldn't be occurring when housing vacancy rates in most of our "core" communities exceed 10%. If the "miner's homes" in places like Wilkes-Barre in Pittston are too small or derelict for today's needs, then perhaps it's time for these vacant and aging properties to be razed with adjacent lots consolidated for purposes of larger new construction infill?
I don't mean to sound like a know-it-all. I don't profess to know all the answers. All I know for certain is that each and every time I return to NEPA it looks worse and worse---more unchecked sprawl coupled with more urban decay---at a time when nationwide more people are actually flooding back INTO cities to help reinvigorate them. Speaking of flooding, did the thought ever occur to anyone that the reason why flooding has been occuring more recently and with more ferocity could be at least partially attributed to the continued deforestation, paving, and overdevelopment of higher-elevated newer suburban areas that drain into the river basins? All of that water rushing into those parking lot storm drains has to go somewhere. I don't think West Pittston will ever truly bounce back again, and since I can GUARANTEE a catastrophic flood like that WILL occur again I'm not even sure if it should at this point.
Theatergypsy, I'm not anti-suburb. I'm anti-irresponsibly-designed suburb (if that makes sense?!) Suburbs like Kingston and your own Forty Fort were designed with vision and integrity. They were designed with sidewalks, curbs, streetlights, tree lawns, and a focus on the pedestrian first with vehicles generally coming second. They were designed so that young families could easily walk to schools, churches (or synagogues), playgrounds, friends' homes, small businesses, etc. They were designed so neighbors could really get to truly know their neighbors. The vast majority of the newer suburban development in the region is entirely car-dependent, and the more of this that occurs the worse traffic congestion the area will be experiencing in the coming years as all of those new commuters all funnel onto the same roadways. There's a reason why Route 309 through the Back Mountain, Routes 6 & 11 through Chinchilla, and Highway 315 through Pittston Township, amongst other major suburban thoroughfares, are now becoming so congested at rush-hour, and it's not by accident. It's all fine and dandy that we live in a "free country" where people can live where they see fit. It's NOT fine and dandy when the vast majority of those people use that "free country" excuse to cause irreparable environmental damage.
“Emerging evidence points to a preference for mixed-use, compact, amenity-rich, transit-accessible neighborhoods or walkable places,” the report says. “According to the National Association of Realtors, 58 percent of homebuyers surveyed prefer mixed-use neighborhoods where one can easily walk to stores and other businesses. Further, 56 percent expressed a preference for communities with amenities such as a mix of housing types, various destinations within walking distance, public transportation options, and less parking.
“The trend is swinging away from neighborhoods that contain primarily large-lot single-family housing, few sidewalks, ample parking, and where driving is the primary means of transportation. Sixty percent of those swinging toward newer amenities do so for the convenience of being within walking distance to shops and restaurants and two-thirds of buyers factor walkability into their home purchase decision.”
^ Not to say "told ya so", but, well, yeah, I did---back in 2006---before this trend really took off on the national radar. Back then I was already pushing for consideration of Downtown housing projects in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre and was met with immense negativity, cynicism, and skepticism by most on this sub-forum. Now in 2012 over HALF of surveyed homebuyers have a preference for living in such an environment. Granted Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will continue to lag behind the rest of the nation on trends such as this, but this shift will come here, too.
You are right about the nuts. Seems appropriate too.
I will also agree with you that the Internet is a vast wealth of knowledge. Just tonight I found this great little tattoo shop, thanks to the internets.
Susquehanna is 2nd on East Coast, 16th in US, so it looks like you're speaking without checking, as usual.
No, you were wrong. You said (post 62):
Quote:
Originally Posted by CoalCityTrash
Although you don't really see boats on the Susquehanna anymore, it was once a high-traffic commercial route (and it's the second largest river in the entire US) & Wilkes-Barre was, with no argument one of it's largest port cities.
Woolworth's website is where I got the information that the company had its start in Wilkes-Barre as FM Kirby & Co. Later, Kirby sold his shares to the Woolworth brothers. Wrong again, ding dong!
I thought your vast knowledge of the history of Wilkes-Barre came from the historical society?
You also said (Post 63):
Quote:
Originally Posted by CoalCityTrash
The world's first Woolworth's
Quote:
Originally Posted by CoalCityTrash
There's a plaque on Public Square that says HBO began in W-B.
Here is a listing of all historical markers in Luzerne County. Where is the HBO one again?
A PA Historical Society Marker near the sight of the Fell House claims anthracite was first burned in Wilkes-Barre by Jesse Fell.
No one is disputing this statement.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CoalCityTrash
I didn't say cable. Perhaps you're thinking of the first electrical grid? Yep, that was true too. Laid out in Wilkes-Barre.
Yes, you did. Again, from post 63:
Quote:
Originally Posted by CoalCityTrash
HBO
And you are still wrong about the first electrical grid.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CoalCityTrash
LEARN TO READ! W-B used to be part of CT! That's the connection to Boston. They're both in New England, which sets all of its cities up the same way. You dony know what you're talking about!!!!
Wilkes-Barre city was never a part of Connecticut, ever.
Pennsylvania is not a New England state. It is a Mid-Atlantic state.
Regardless, all Mid-Atlantic or New England cities are not set up the same way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CoalCityTrash
You can say I'm wrong, but it doesn't make it true. If you want to ACTUALLY prove me wrong, you're gonna have to do some research. Like I said, I've been studying this city for my entire life! Nobody knows more about its history than me. If you really want to prove me wrong, I just told all of you where to find the source of my information. If you want to argue like a rational, intelligent adult, go & check them out to see if I'm right. If you argue without even checking to see if you're wrong, you're just a stubborn idiot. Even though I knew I was right, I double checked everything I just said before I said it because I know I'm dealing with asperger-level nitpickers. You are all well aware that I'm an *** hole for facts & technicalities. Why even bother, if you're not 100% sure?
You guys get mad when I insult your intelligence, but behavior like this reminds me why I like to do it?
I am 100% sure and the facts are very easy to check on Google. Or go ask the librarian at the Historical Society or the director. They'll be happy to set you straight, I'm sure.
I'm quite sure that the people at LCHS know a scoshe more about Wilkes-Barre history than you do.
Type in Sterling Hotel on Google right now! You will get results from cities all over the world. I promise you! In fact, I am willing to sign a legally binding, notarized contract that bequiefs everything I own to you, if I'm wrong!
You do realize that just because businesses share the same name that it doesn't mean they are necessarily the same company, right?
There is a Sterling Hotel in Dallas, TX, which from what I know, is in no way, shape or form related to our Hotel Sterling here in Wilkes-Barre.
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