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And I'll be looking, SWB! Thing is, there's just not a great deal of turnover in the library field. People tend to have good job security, decent benefits, good working environment and you are a professional without working for a corporation. Starting salaries aren't always terribly exceptional, but there is some room for advancement and it's a great and expanding line of work overall...I just have to find a good job in it. I agree colleges and universities are probably where I'll have the best luck.
The good news is a significant portion of librarians are "graying" and nearing retirement. The employment outlook is going to be very positive, especially in the next 5-10 years.
Even if we have to make a pitstop in another locale, we're gonna bygod at least find a job/place somewhere in PA and try to make a go of it. Of all the states we have considered, it just seems to have the best combination of so many things.
As I sit here in my campus library, glancing over at the "gray-hairs" behind the reference desk, I'm in full agreement with you. I'd have to guess that most local librarians I've seen have an average age of, per se, 58 or so. In a few more years, we're likely to see a mass retirement, creating various openings.
Would just like to bump this and add some historical prospective on my hometown. Great pictures by the way!
As a side note, I'd like to take a minute to tout the Scranton School District. I think you will find it rare that a city school district is wildly successful. I graduated from Scranton High School in 1999 after attending South Scranton Junior High and Whittier Elementary, all public city schools. In Fall of 2001 my school moved to a brand new facility off Providence Road near Memorial Stadium. While this does things for some, my school was built in two pieces in 1905 and 1931!!!
Does a building make the students? Our valedictorian went to Penn, our salutatorian to Harvard. Our #3 went to Yale. A student in my class attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute in Florida, and I, only 25th in a class of 270 (wasn't a big fan of homework ) went to Rochester Institute of Technology and earned both my B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering in five years.
Don't be afraid to move there with kids. Little league baseball and basketball, the boy scouts, and church youth organizations are quite popular.
Without further adieu, here are my comments on these great photos. More to come in subsequent posts!
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Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre
New Lackawanna Avenue Parking Garage, Including Upcoming "Molly Brannigan's Pub"
This garage stands on the site of the former Hotel Casey (http://www.rootsweb.com/~scwhite/kennedy/casey-hotel.html). Built in 1910, it was the flagship hotel of Scranton before closing in 1982. The only building remaining from the complex is the five-story Casey Laundry Building, completely refurbished with an art gallery, coffeeshop, and high-end loft apartments on the upper floors.
Excellent website with pictures taken by Pete Ventura of Coney Island Texas Lunch on Lackawanna Ave. here: http://www.texas-wiener.com/artgallery.htm
It chronicles the entire restoration process.
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New "Medallion Parking Garage" Adjacent to the Scranton Hilton on Adams Avenue
This was the original parking garage built in tandem with the Hotel Casey.
This is what the original structure looked like:
It was torn down, but the Relief Medallions were saved and transferred to the new structure. Again, Pete is the man. Here's his chronicle:
http://www.texas-wiener.com/medallionparkinggarage.htm
If you are ever downtown, park under the mall for free and go across the street to Coney Island!
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Law Office on SE Corner of Adams & Spruce
I believe there's also a travel agent in this building in the office to the left.
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Another Law Office on Adams Avenue (Scrantonians Love Lawyers!)
This was completely redone sometime between April and November of 2006. Immediately to the left is the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind (my father was blind and he received materials such as books on record, yes record )
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Osaka Japanese Restaurant; Adams Avenue
Was 'Robata of Tokyo' until about 2002. Chefs used to put on a greta show there. Haven't been since around '98.
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Washington Statue; SE Corner of Linden & North Washington
Courthouse Square is beautiful and has many statues including one dedicated to Polish General Kasimir Pulaski who assisted the colonies in the Revolutionary War against England. The dominant ethnic ancestries in Scranton are Irish (St. Patrick's Day parade to rival any other in the country), Italian (La Festa Italiana closes downtown for Labor Day weekend), and Polish. Another monument is dedicated to the great United Mine Workers' John Mitchell: http://www.cr.nps.gov/nR/travel/delaware/crt.htm
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Lackawanna County Courthouse
Undergoing an extensive remodeling. Downtown office space becoming scarce as a result of county office demand. Will be tearing down an annex built in the 50's that obstructs the original entrance and takes away from the architectural appeal.
Great picture by my friend Justin Jackson, who accompanied me home in April to take still photography for a 10-minute documentary-style film entitled "Scranton, Pennsylvania: A Pictoral History." I produced this film to show decay in the first act, potential realized in historic architecture in the second, and new development in the 3rd. If demand exists, I can try to compress a version more internet-friendly. Paul, if you really want, I can either mail you a copy of the DVD or drop one off next time I go home.
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North Washington Avenue Office Complex
No, no. This is the extension of the William J. Nealon Federal Building and United States Court House downtown. The Federal Court House is located in the old downtown Post Office building. Quite imposing in its own right. Another example of fine architecture (Neo-Classical with Art-Deco Motifs!) profiled in our digital film.
This is called the Brooks Building and was built in 1891. According to Emporis (another great site for Northeast PA Buildings), it took its name from the J.H. Brooks brokerage firm, which had offices there for many years. The building's design reflects Chicago Style and Romanesque detailing. The upper floors were added in 1910. I remember Dean Witter being there growing up, I think that is no longer the case.
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Connell Building (Future Site of Downtown Market, Coffeeshop, and Loft Housing); North Washington Avenue
The Connell building is intriguing. That's the first I'd heard of redevelopment plans. It has always been home to temporary offices such as campaign headquarters'. It reminds me very much of the Powers building in Rochester in that it is wider than it is tall.
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Brixx Restaurant (Awesome Burgers!); 130 North Washington Avenue
Also home of professional offices such as a Drug and Alcohol Treatment Specialist. Have not been to Brixx yet, mom loves it!
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Offices of Morgan Stanley & VaxServe (Division of Sanofi-Pasteur Pharmaceuticals)
An original Woolworth's 5 and 10 store!!! It is a great building that has frontage on both North Washington and Lackawanna Avenues. Sat empty for the enitre 1990's. Only filled with a tenant after Chris Doherty took over. One of his bright spots.
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"Electric City" Sign (Recently Restored by "Scranton Tomorrow")
This iconic sign sits on top of the Scranton Electric Building facing Courthouse Square. It references the fact that Scranton had the first commercially viable urban streetcar line in the country, hence it was known as The Electric City. The weekly entertainment newspaper is named Electric City in remembrance.
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St. Peter's Cathedral
I know somebody who is pretty eager to move in just to the left of this picture he took.
The prices on the condos at St. Peter's Square seem a little out of whack with reality. Not sure who in Scranton can afford to live there since the nicest full houses on East Mountain only scrape the 330K range.
My favorite mode of urban living is the townhouse. It is the most efficient use of a footprint to discourage sprawl outside of the high-rise. There are 4 brand new ones on Olive St. in the Hill Section. http://www.3dvirtualvisions.com/olive/
I love them, but they are $269K-$275K and that's just not quite right for 2000 sq. ft. I think the novelty of townhouses in Scranton drives the price up a bit. In Rochester and the surrounding area, you can get a good 1400 sq. footer (finished basement included in that figure) for $90K (like mine ). Maybe in 20 years we'll be neighbors here, Paul. Trust me on this, the walk from Arthur Ave to downtown is not short, and the walk back is pretty steep uphill.
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Advertisement for "The Lofts @ The Mill", and Yet Another "SOLD" Sign
The Lofts @ The Mill are a great idea. And an excellent example of mixed-use development. Unfortunately, unless you work in one of those offices, you are kind of in no-man's land as far as the city goes. They are near East Scranton Little League and the Nay Aug Gorge, but at the bottom of a steep hill (Richter Ave.) from Nay Aug Park and not near any kind of grocery store besides the mini Riccardo's market in Dunmore on Wheeler.
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Another Downtown Pub
I think that's Poor Richards. I don't know, never lived there full time since turning 21.
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One Restored City Block...
...After Another...
After Another! (Banshee Irish Pub)
Penn Ave. Not Pennsylvania Ave, but Penn Ave for William himself.
This theatre DRIPS history!!! It was the Poli Theatre when built in 1907 for $250K as a Vaudeville House! It hosted such stars of the time as W.C. Fields, Harry Houdini (The Harry Houdini Museum is in North Scranton), Fred Astaire, Groucho Marx, Jack Benny, George Burns, and Gracie Allen. In 1927, the theatre became a large one-screen movie house. In the 80's a well-intentioned, but poorly executed revitalization attempt saw the old Comerford/Poli theatre converted into a mall where the balcony of the old theater remained as a smaller movie theater showing 2nd run films for $1. This is the first I've seen of the Blues Cafe. Right next door to the right is a place where kids go have LAN parties and play video games on powerful PCs.
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Semian & Gress Real Estate; Spruce Street
Used to have an Arby's in it to the right at ground level. Arby's is now just North of downtown near Redner's.
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New "Poochie" Dog Bakery
New "Martini Grille" (Plans Call for Rooftop Cafe Overlooking Courthouse Square and the Nighttime Skyline)
Recently-Opened "New Laundry" Upscale Clothier
Pierre's Fine Men's Clothing
These all should be grouped together. I noticed them all on a November trip to Scranton. When did Spruce Street become mini SoHo? It's good to see the storefronts all full.
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Penn Security Bank Building
The 111 year old Mears Building. Made of Limestone in the Richardsonian Romanesque style characterized by rounded arches and deep set windows.
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More New Spruce Street Shops, Including "Northern Lights Espresso Bar"
Oh there's WAY more to it than that. This is the Scranton Life Insurance Building of Edward Langley. Built in 1916 in the Chicago Style with Gothic Motifs. I hope you all enjoy the detail in this shot!
The proverbial savior. This project led to the refurbushing of other buildings in close proximity and wiped out in one fell swoop the most dilapidated stretch in Scranton, Lackawanna Ave, previously frequented by cheap prostitutes. Not all was peaches for the downtown when the mall was built. A skybridge over the street was built as a concession to connect the mall with the...
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Diversified Building
GLOBE store which had been in business (originally the Cleeland Simpson company) since 1878. Unfortunately, like most other downtown department stores in America, the Globe went under. The bridge became Boscov's furniture department for a time before becoming a STEVE AND BARRY's where you can buy great collegiate-wear for incredible prices. Unfortunately the Charlemont Desert Parlor went down w the Globe Store...
Some of this is referenced in the history of the Mall: http://www.themallatsteamtown.com/mall_history.html (broken link)
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Fidelity Bank
Much more than meets the eye here too. The Hotel Jermyn was the second-most renowned downtown Scranton hotel in the first half of the 20th century. Built before the Casey in 1895, it is now the Jermyn apartments and the 2nd floor is host to the Northeast Theatre in what used to be the private dining rooms and ballroom. Some GREAT before and after photos here: http://www.thenortheasttheatre.us/AttendPhotos.htm
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Scranton Times Headquarters
A very underrated newspaper. Owned by the Lynett family for decades, I'd venture to say they do a better job than the much larger Syracuse Post-Standard and Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle. The Times Tower on the roof is by far the largest structure in Scranton and can be seen for miles during the holidays when decorated for Christmas. Emporis can show you the scope: http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=...cranton-pa-usa
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Wyoming Avenue, Looking South
This is actually Penn Ave, note the diagonal parking. Penn and Franklin have a far less busier feel than Lackawanna, Mulberry, and Wyoming that surround them. The proposed Medical College would be going in North of here between Franklin and Mifflin I believe.
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"Mazza", New Downtown Salon
Not much to say about this. It is directly across from the movie theater and next to the Samter's building which was part of the restoration package that the Mall brought to down. Before that the only tenants were pigeons.
okay, we'll do this one too. Hope this is interesting to somebody.
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Marquee Theater
Opened around '95. Complements the mall nicely. Parking garage on top, or you can park under the mall for free and take the elevator to the exit right across the street from the theatres. GREAT sound in these theatres. They are the perfect side.
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Lackawanna Avenue Office Building
This is the Oppenheim Building. Also part of the 1992 Mall effort, this was the home of Scranton Dry Goods for years. In the 80's it was the epitome of Scranton. All the windows were broken, and it lay cold and empty. Made me sad every time I saw it and I was only 8 years old!
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New "Southern Union" Headquarters; Lackawanna Avenue
Unfortunately things didn't work out w Southern Union. Hopefully they find a solid anchor tenant. It is the most modern office space in town. Stands on the site on CBS Affiliate WYOU-22's old building.
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Everhart Museum; Nay Aug Park
Incredibly underrated museum. About Dr. Isaiah Fawkes Everhart: http://www.everhart-museum.org/About/Everhart.htm
He donated the museum in 1907. It has an extensive Natural History collection and a small planetarium. When I was young it had a working beehive. Recently made news because an alleged Jackson Pollack work was stolen. Not sure how true it was, I don't think the insurance company ever paid up, probably a scam.
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I hope you enjoyed Week One! Let me know what else you'd like to see for Week Two! Good night!
Did I ever!? I heard there was going to be a Tunkhannock pictoral. Can't wait to see it. Was just there on December 22.
I leave you with the Lackawanna Railroad Station, now a Radisson Hotel. This station was built to rival New York's Penn Station at a time when Scranton was a major player in the country's coal and railroad economies!
Would just like to bump this and add some historical prospective on my hometown. Great pictures by the way!
As a side note, I'd like to take a minute to tout the Scranton School District. I think you will find it rare that a city school district is wildly successful. I graduated from Scranton High School in 1999 after attending South Scranton Junior High and Whittier Elementary, all public city schools. In Fall of 2001 my school moved to a brand new facility off Providence Road near Memorial Stadium. While this does things for some, my school was built in two pieces in 1905 and 1931!!!
Does a building make the students? Our valedictorian went to Penn, our salutatorian to Harvard. Our #3 went to Yale. A student in my class attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute in Florida, and I, only 25th in a class of 270 (wasn't a big fan of homework ) went to Rochester Institute of Technology and earned both my B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering in five years.
Don't be afraid to move there with kids. Little league baseball and basketball, the boy scouts, and church youth organizations are quite popular.
Without further adieu, here are my comments on these great photos. More to come in subsequent posts!
There's a lot to be said for the quality of the public schools in our area. I'm a 2005 product of Pittston Area, which is often the target of critics as being a "sub-par" district. However, many on City-Data compliment me, a 20-year-old, on my proficiency in the English language, yet I was nowhere near the top of our class! We had over a half-dozen valedictorians with perfect GPAs, all of whom are excelling in universities around the nation. There was a great intellectual vibe at our school, especially from our "brainiac" graduating class in particular, and I'm among quite a few who scored 1300 or better on our SATs!
Essentially, the offerings of a public school district are only as beneficial as students are willing to embrace them. I thrived upon our AP offerings, and I'm finding college to be a "breeze" now thanks to the dedication of our wonderful Pittston Area faculty. However, I know of plenty of others at my alma mater who prioritized their glimmering hopes that their athletic prowess would lead them to a dream NFL career, and now they're all suffering as a result of their disdain for academia in high school. If you take an active role in your childrens' education and encourage them to excel, then the sky is truly the limit for their future, even in inner-city schools, such as Scranton, where I'm acquaintances with a number of very intelligent, insightful people. Scranton has a brand new, massive high school with state-of-the-art offerings along Providence Road, along with small, neighborhood elementary schools that permit younger children to grow up going to school together with their childhood friends through the years. I could truly see my own three future children succeeding in life because my partner and I plan to bless them with as many opportunities as we can afford to them in order to make any of their dreams truly attainable. I can't wait to help them with homework, meet with their teachers one-on-one during conferences, attend recitals, walk them to Nay Aug Park to the zoo, pool, waterfall, picnics, etc. I have a dream for a bright future in Scranton for my entire family, and I hope that it will come to fruition!
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Originally Posted by rjw8625
If you are ever downtown, park under the mall for free and go across the street to Coney Island!
I've done this many times. I've turned quite a number of friends on to the joys of a Texas weiner at Coney Island! I can't wait until I'm living at Jefferson Pointe (if the housing prices aren't as outrageous as St. Peter's Square), and only a block away from that artery-clogging goodness! The Scranton Times-Tribue recently interviewed the owner to ask for his opinion about a new hot dog chain moving into the Mall at Steamtown, and the owner had nothing but positive comments to say about the city, citing a 30% spike in sales in recent years thanks to Mayor Doherty's revitalization efforts, and saying that he just sliced his four-millionth bun!
Undergoing an extensive remodeling. Downtown office space becoming scarce as a result of county office demand. Will be tearing down an annex built in the 50's that obstructs the original entrance and takes away from the architectural appeal.
I never was a fan of the annex, and I'm ecstatic that it's coming down; such a historic Courthouse Square shouldn't be marred by such bland "retro" architecture. Unfortunately, there have been recent problems with renovations that could boost the budget considerably, especially if there wasn't enough of a contingency fund available to cover them. It was recently discovered that the Courthouse, built upon an old bog, settled significantly, and engineers are being brought in to determine the best way to "shore up" the foundation. Essentially, laborers tore up the flooring and discovered nothing beneath it for a few feet! (How's that for "walking on air?") LOL! As the rare college student who is also a historic preservationist, I applaud the county commissioners for being such proponents of saving our history! If you want to see true sadness, come to Downtown Pittston sometime, where a wrecking ball and bulldozer to make way for the "progress" of a new CVS, drive-thru bank, or fast-food place always takes precedent over saving our historic buildings. I gave up on my "Pittston 2020" pet project http://www.pittston.org , when I realized that too few of my city's residents truly cared enough about historic preservation to want to transform it into the next artsy, cute Jim Thorpe, New Hope, Cooperstown, Lewisburg, etc., as even those interviewed about the damage to the old Radio City building during this past Fall's freak floods said they hoped it became a parking lot!
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Originally Posted by rjw8625
Next post coming soon!
Bob, I'm probably among the many who are ecstatic to have another NEPA optimist on the forum, and I can't wait to be graced with more of your intelligent insight into the city and its surroundings. I'll be posting an even more extensive photo tour of Downtown Wilkes-Barre soon (as soon as I get a day of decent weather around here), and I think many will be impressed by the architectural gems that the "Diamond City" has as well.
There's a lot to be said for the quality of the public schools in our area. I'm a 2005 product of Pittston Area, which is often the target of critics as being a "sub-par" district. However, many on City-Data compliment me, a 20-year-old, on my proficiency in the English language, yet I was nowhere near the top of our class! We had over a half-dozen valedictorians with perfect GPAs, all of whom are excelling in universities around the nation. There was a great intellectual vibe at our school, especially from our "brainiac" graduating class in particular, and I'm among quite a few who scored 1300 or better on our SATs!
Essentially, the offerings of a public school district are only as beneficial as students are willing to embrace them. I thrived upon our AP offerings, and I'm finding college to be a "breeze" now thanks to the dedication of our wonderful Pittston Area faculty. However, I know of plenty of others at my alma mater who prioritized their glimmering hopes that their athletic prowess would lead them to a dream NFL career, and now they're all suffering as a result of their disdain for academia in high school. If you take an active role in your childrens' education and encourage them to excel, then the sky is truly the limit for their future, even in inner-city schools, such as Scranton, where I'm acquaintances with a number of very intelligent, insightful people. Scranton has a brand new, massive high school with state-of-the-art offerings along Providence Road, along with small, neighborhood elementary schools that permit younger children to grow up going to school together with their childhood friends through the years. I could truly see my own three future children succeeding in life because my partner and I plan to bless them with as many opportunities as we can afford to them in order to make any of their dreams truly attainable. I can't wait to help them with homework, meet with their teachers one-on-one during conferences, attend recitals, walk them to Nay Aug Park to the zoo, pool, waterfall, picnics, etc. I have a dream for a bright future in Scranton for my entire family, and I hope that it will come to fruition!
I've done this many times. I've turned quite a number of friends on to the joys of a Texas weiner at Coney Island! I can't wait until I'm living at Jefferson Pointe (if the housing prices aren't as outrageous as St. Peter's Square), and only a block away from that artery-clogging goodness! The Scranton Times-Tribue recently interviewed the owner to ask for his opinion about a new hot dog chain moving into the Mall at Steamtown, and the owner had nothing but positive comments to say about the city, citing a 30% spike in sales in recent years thanks to Mayor Doherty's revitalization efforts, and saying that he just sliced his four-millionth bun!
Yep, we had all the core cirriculum even before the flashy new building. I took AP English, Calculus, American History, World History. I didn't get into an extremely competitive AP Chemistry class. Class wasn't mt thing as much as standardized tests. Rocked a 1430, must be why I was steered to Engineering. Careful with the Elementary School teachers. They mean well and will certainly get you ready for 6th grade, but they are nitpicky about some of the dumbest stuff!
Have you had the Texas Cheeseburger? Pete Ventura is real cool and runs the best website Chronicling all of the Lackawanna Ave. development of the last 2-3 years. Also, if you are a baseball fan, Scranton is a baseball town! Pete is always glad to talk Major Leagues or AAA with you as he slathers the mustard on those Berks Hot Dogs!
He also told me he's thinking about the most ambitious flip project in the city. Walk around back to the Laundry sometime and look up at the back of Coney Island. He is proposing turning it into a rental unit to go for a little less than the lofts in the laundry. Water drips off that thing when it hasn't rained for days! How would that be for convenience to a necessity like Hot Dogs?!
I resized the pics I posted to half-size. Hope that works better for everyone.
Thanks for recording these great NE PA towns!!
This photo is actually the new (relatively) US Federal Courthouse, designed by an internationally recognized design firm in Wilkes-Barre.
I am looking for interior photo views of the Omar Room, an Artdeco barroom, in the Jermyn Hotel between 1934 and 1948. Can anyone help me?
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) went to Rochester Institute of Technology and earned both my B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering in five years.
Scranton's on the Rise
Scranton has a brand new, massive high school with state-of-the-art offerings along Providence Road, along with small, neighborhood elementary schools that permit younger children to grow up going to school together with their childhood friends through the years. I could truly see my own three future children succeeding in life because my partner and I plan to bless them with as many opportunities as we can afford to them in order to make any of their dreams truly attainable. I can't wait to help them with homework, meet with their teachers one-on-one during conferences, attend recitals, walk them to Nay Aug Park to the zoo, pool, waterfall, picnics, etc. I have a dream for a bright future in Scranton for my entire family, and I hope that it will come to fruition! 
Part Two
I gave up on my "Pittston 2020" pet project 
