Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I love The new River Common, I love Farmers Market on Public Square, I love downtown and close proximity to everything, I love the vast entertainment options and venues for such a small area, i love the close proximity to the Jersey Shore, Philly, New York, Wash/Baltimore. Love Abe's Hot Dogs and Philadelphia Subs, love the close proximity to many state parks, love Kirby Park, levee system, Nesbitt park. Good food and restaraunts. I HATE the poor government in Luzerne County, incompetent, criminal leadership, nepotism, lack of vision.
The river common is great, now if only they would turn on the fountain and keep up with the place. Maybe hold some real events there too. Riverfest is a great idea, but there is hardly anything to it.
Farmers Market, meh, I find the square scummy and rarely go.
Vast entertainment options in WB? Besides bars/nightclub, Kirby Center and a movie theater, what else is there in WB? can't claim the arena, that isn't in WB.
Many areas are in a close proximity, even closer, to the places you mentioned.
Abe's sucks.
Kirby Park is filthy, ever use a porta potty there? We were there today, and I swear I was going to die from the smell from the pond. seriously, not making it up.
I agree with the corruption, and you forgot roads that are transplanted from a third world nation.
What do I like about WB, hmmm. For the most part, people are friendly, sometimes a little too friendly. I like Kirby Center. Katana is decent. I love ArtsUniverse and I do love the Y. The library is nice as well.
I don't like the style of many of the homes in WB( I like colonial and victorian homes). Why does it seem every house has aluminum siding? How about we mix it up with some brick. Besides a couple buildings downtown and the Market Street Bridge, most of the arcthetechiture is unremarkable. I think the remnants from mining(like culm banks) are a huge eyesore, and makes the place look worse.
I don't like that the educational system here is a joke. That bubba and all his family run everything, from school board, to teacher, to janitor. It is almost incestuous, the relationship of all of the WBSD employees.
Taxes here, really aren't that cheap. Yes Sheena, compared to Long Island they are. Compared to other PA municipalities, not so much.
One more thing I love about WB, the potato pancakes at Church bazaars, freakin delicious.
I'll claim the arena since it's in the township and literally 60 seconds past the township/city line.
What else do I like about the WB?:
-downtown area (the set up, the architecture and so many things in a small radius of the square)
-Osterhout Library
-Abe's is awesome So is Barney Street Inn, Tasty Chinese Buffet, La Tolteca, Wildflowers and of course Frog Pond
-Riverside Drive and surrounding streets
-high schools' architecture
-movie theater
What I don't like about WB:
-The school district for many, many, many reasons
-Absentee landlords
-Lack of museums and other attractions that other similar sized cities offer
-Lack of a good, clean city park
The river common is great, now if only they would turn on the fountain and keep up with the place. Maybe hold some real events there too. Riverfest is a great idea, but there is hardly anything to it.
Farmers Market, meh, I find the square scummy and rarely go.
Vast entertainment options in WB? Besides bars/nightclub, Kirby Center and a movie theater, what else is there in WB? can't claim the arena, that isn't in WB.
Many areas are in a close proximity, even closer, to the places you mentioned.
Abe's sucks.
Kirby Park is filthy, ever use a porta potty there? We were there today, and I swear I was going to die from the smell from the pond. seriously, not making it up.
I agree with the corruption, and you forgot roads that are transplanted from a third world nation.
What do I like about WB, hmmm. For the most part, people are friendly, sometimes a little too friendly. I like Kirby Center. Katana is decent. I love ArtsUniverse and I do love the Y. The library is nice as well.
I don't like the style of many of the homes in WB( I like colonial and victorian homes). Why does it seem every house has aluminum siding? How about we mix it up with some brick. Besides a couple buildings downtown and the Market Street Bridge, most of the arcthetechiture is unremarkable. I think the remnants from mining(like culm banks) are a huge eyesore, and makes the place look worse.
I don't like that the educational system here is a joke. That bubba and all his family run everything, from school board, to teacher, to janitor. It is almost incestuous, the relationship of all of the WBSD employees.
Taxes here, really aren't that cheap. Yes Sheena, compared to Long Island they are. Compared to other PA municipalities, not so much.
One more thing I love about WB, the potato pancakes at Church bazaars, freakin delicious.
When I mention W-B entertainment, I am refering to the greater W-B area, which indeed has a pretty respectable range of entertainment options...The Mohegan Sun Casino, The Arena, Kirby Center, The Woodlands as well as the blossoming downtown entertainment disrict. you have to admit that that isn't to shabby for a smaller city like W-B. There is alot to love, and alot to hate. I have always seen Wilkes-Barre as a city that has so much unrealized potential...if we only had REAL leadership instead of incompetent buffoons, and the funding to get things done, W-B could be awesome. It has a nice, compact downtown, it is situated on the riverfront, it has a massive park complex when you include Kirby, Nesbitt, River Common, levee system...I believe that they are all in such close proximity and border each other that they should be combined and marketed as one massive park complex (which it really is), and like everyone else mentioned, there is just a lack of events, festivals, and organized effort to "sell" Wilkes-Barre, to invite tourism. Only in W-b would you build a massive $30 million Riverfront Park and then not organize a committee to carry out events? That should of been part of the plan to begin with. There is a small, unfunded group that tries to but it isn't nearly enough. The city doesn't recognize the potential possitive impact that tourism, money, and possitive word of mouth it could generate by merely getting some good, large scale, regional events together. We have the venues...we have an arena, a central Public Square, Mohegan Sun, awesome Park System that rivals major city parks...(yes, when you combine Kirby, Nesbitt, River Common, and the levee system together, that is one massive park complex), we have the venues and places, but nothing going on. No one seems to try or care to get the ball rolling, and it's a shame because W-B suffers from such a bad reputation that it could do so much to dispell if only someone would do something! Could you imagine a massive musicfest that utilizes Kirby Center, Public Square, The Martz Pavillion at Kirby Park, The River Common Amphitheater, Nesbitt Park, and maybe some major headliners @ the arena? Alll of these are in a very short walking distanct from one another (accept the arena). Can you imagine different acts playing at one of those venues, and you could walk to and from whichever you want to see. Think of the financial impact that would have for downtown, every hotel would be filled, It would put W-B on the map, but we have no leadership, no organized effort to launch such a thing. We could use those very same venues to host an X-Games event that draws thousands. It is very frustrating to have all these awesome venues, that sit virtually empty all year because there is know effort to do anything.
If I was single, or childless, I agree that WB would be a pretty decent place to live. It however, IMHO, isn't a family oriented city. Almost everything mentioned, are adult centric activities. Even Riverfest is geared towards adults. Yes, Riverfest has a couple kid themed activities, but none really worth going to. If you want an area to grow and become a great place to live, you need good schools and an area that caters to families. Sadly, in my opinion, these are the two areas where WB fails.
As you mentioned, the WB area has great potential, but it always seems to do everything half arsed. The fireworks show at Kirby for the fourth (last year was the exception) are short and mediocre. The carnival they have there is over priced and the rides are terrible. It is sad when a local church can offer a better carnival than the city.
I have said it before, WB is a city that does not embrace the culture and the arts. It just doesn't. It's a shame, because the River Common could be an area that draws people.
If anyone has been to Musikfest, they know something like that along River Common, Kirby and Nesbitt Parks would be something extraordinary. Maybe some day.
-downtown area (the set up, the architecture and so many things in a small radius of the square)
I'm really impressed with the potential for downtown Wilkes-Barre. It's a shame that the square has spent so long being underdeveloped, but it was never really given a chance to succeed in the first place. I'm guessing that urban flight was well underway before that square was brought to its current condition, and without adjacent high-density residential / retail / entertainment development, it's just a bunch of landscaping.
I'm glad to see development along S Main St, and it looks like the area is still on the upswing.
Are there any plans for high-density residential development in that area? I wonder what the square would look like if there was a 200+ unit apartment hirise within a block or three...
I'm really impressed with the potential for downtown Wilkes-Barre. It's a shame that the square has spent so long being underdeveloped, but it was never really given a chance to succeed in the first place. I'm guessing that urban flight was well underway before that square was brought to its current condition, and without adjacent high-density residential / retail / entertainment development, it's just a bunch of landscaping.
I'm glad to see development along S Main St, and it looks like the area is still on the upswing.
Are there any plans for high-density residential development in that area? I wonder what the square would look like if there was a 200+ unit apartment hirise within a block or three...
There are a few but they all cater to seniors. I believe Provincial Towers has started allow people that aren't senior citizens to reside there, the new condo/lofts at the theater complex also. The secret is getting residential units that aren't solely for seniors and low income people. We need more apartment complexes for average people
I'll give it a shot too:
Minuses:
Property tax too high
3% wage tax
Utilities too high
High crime, fear of walking/bicycling around in some areas
Too much vehicle vandalism
Too much drug use
Blighted properties & eyesores
Bad roads
Lack of decent jobs, low union presence
Dangerous for bicycling
Not enough neighborhood businesses on non main streets
Need a few more food markets & variety of stores
Bus service doesn't seem adequate if I decided I wanted to give up my car
Lack of significant hippy/Age stuff, health foods, etc. like most NE college towns
Corrupt government/cronyism
Pluses:
Nice downtown
River park & other parks
Lots of history & photogenic sights
Friendly people & diversity, melting pot old-time feel
Farmers Market
If you drive, very easy to get to all conveniences
Not far from mountains, NJ/NY metro area
Seems to have plenty of arts & entertainment
If I was single, or childless, I agree that WB would be a pretty decent place to live. It however, IMHO, isn't a family oriented city. Almost everything mentioned, are adult centric activities. Even Riverfest is geared towards adults. Yes, Riverfest has a couple kid themed activities, but none really worth going to. If you want an area to grow and become a great place to live, you need good schools and an area that caters to families. Sadly, in my opinion, these are the two areas where WB fails.
As you mentioned, the WB area has great potential, but it always seems to do everything half arsed. The fireworks show at Kirby for the fourth (last year was the exception) are short and mediocre. The carnival they have there is over priced and the rides are terrible. It is sad when a local church can offer a better carnival than the city.
I have said it before, WB is a city that does not embrace the culture and the arts. It just doesn't. It's a shame, because the River Common could be an area that draws people.
If anyone has been to Musikfest, they know something like that along River Common, Kirby and Nesbitt Parks would be something extraordinary. Maybe some day.
I sadly agree with you. Every event the city tries to get of the ground is poorly planned, underfunded, poorly advertised (if advertised at all) and poorly executed. The annual Cherry Blossum festival is approaching and as usual it will not be advertised well, I remember i was there two days before the festival a few years ago and there were Kingston residents asking me why there were workers setting up rides totally oblivious that it was coming. The city won't even hang a cheap banner at the entrance to Kirby Park where it takes place, or over Market Street Bridge for that manner. The only way that you know that there is a 3 day event even going on is if you happen to stroll through the park or drive by it! There is no attempt to advertise, where Scranton on the otherhand advertises everything very well weeks in advance on WNEP, every local newspaper, TV commercials etc., and it shows in the attendance. Like I said, W-B is blessed with probably the best park complex this side of Philadelphia (Kirby, Nesbitt, River Common, Levee System) all bordering each other. There is so much space and potential to have massive festivals, several venues for live performances etc., but no vision, and to much incompetence. Our leaders simply don't do anything to promote W-B and the Wyoming Valley.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So is Barney Street Inn, Tasty Chinese Buffet, La Tolteca, Wildflowers and of course Frog Pond
? That should of been part of the plan to begin with. There is a small, unfunded group that tries to but it isn't nearly enough. The city doesn't recognize the potential possitive impact that tourism, money, and possitive word of mouth it could generate by merely getting some good, large scale, regional events together. We have the venues...we have an arena, a central Public Square, Mohegan Sun, awesome Park System that rivals major city parks...(yes, when you combine Kirby, Nesbitt, River Common, and the levee system together, that is one massive park complex), we have the venues and places, but nothing going on. No one seems to try or care to get the ball rolling, and it's a shame because W-B suffers from such a bad reputation that it could do so much to dispell if only someone would do something! Could you imagine a massive musicfest that utilizes Kirby Center, Public Square, The Martz Pavillion at Kirby Park, The River Common Amphitheater, Nesbitt Park, and maybe some major headliners @ the arena? Alll of these are in a very short walking distanct from one another (accept the arena). Can you imagine different acts playing at one of those venues, and you could walk to and from whichever you want to see. Think of the financial impact that would have for downtown, every hotel would be filled, It would put W-B on the map, but we have no leadership, no organized effort to launch such a thing. We could use those very same venues to host an X-Games event that draws thousands. It is very frustrating to have all these awesome venues, that sit virtually empty all year because there is know effort to do anything.
totally oblivious that it was coming. The city won't even hang a cheap banner at the entrance to Kirby Park where it takes place, or over Market Street Bridge for that manner. The only way that you know that there is a 3 day event even going on is if you happen to stroll through the park or drive by it! There is no attempt to advertise, where Scranton on the otherhand advertises everything very well weeks in advance on WNEP, every local newspaper, TV commercials etc., and it shows in the attendance. Like I said, W-B is blessed with probably the best park complex this side of Philadelphia (Kirby, Nesbitt, River Common, Levee System) all bordering each other. There is so much space and potential to have massive festivals, several venues for live performances etc., but no vision, and to much incompetence. Our leaders simply don't do anything to promote W-B and the Wyoming Valley.
