Northeastern Pennsylvania Photo Tour: PART ONE (Allentown, Scranton: for sale, to rent, homes)

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by klarkinn

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?

Unfortunately, I can't help you there, as the Jermyn Hotel is now home to Fidelity Bank on the first floor with Lord knows what occupying the uppermost stories (offices? apartments? vacancies? storage space?) However, I was snooping around the Lackawanna County Visitors' Center two weeks ago and fell in love with a book at the gift shop that detailed the history behind many of Scranton's ornate downtown buildings, including the Hotel Jermyn. I spent nearly 45 minutes just standing in one spot poring over its pages, but, being a frugal college student, I decided not to spend the money to buy it. Perhaps I'll ask for it for my birthday present? I plan to head back there soon at some point (they seem to be one of the few venues that ever has my favorite local arts/cultural magazine, Happenings, in stock), so I'll see if there's a photo of the room in that book. If not, I can do some poking around at the Lackawanna County Historical Society for you; I'm pretty sure they're based in a historic home in the Lower Hill.

[I LOVE PA!]

I also had seen some nice books, one on Scranton and one on The Lake Ariel area, Borders were selling them for $20.00, they were available at Amazon for 12. and change. Amazon give free shipping for orders of $25. or more in most cases...
Just a thought!

[weluvpa]

good luck,its a shame that sooo many of the art decco buildings have either been torn down or the facades have been covered up like the original Ritz theatre.....Try historical books on the county and possibly the library.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by weluvpa

good luck,its a shame that sooo many of the art decco buildings have either been torn down or the facades have been covered up like the original Ritz theatre.....Try historical books on the county and possibly the library.

This is somewhere you and I can agree. Our historic facades must be preserved at all costs, as our architecture alone is probably in the "Top 5" categories for reasons why outsiders come to visit Scranton for day-trips. We were standing in front of the 500-block of Lackawanna Avenue at the parade yesterday for the better part of three hours, and during that time I felt oddly drawn to those buildings, no matter how trashy they looked in their current condition. I'll admit that I'm still unsure of this developer's plans---does he plan to raze this entire block for his new ventures, or is he planning on restoring the entire block to house them? If the choice is the latter, then I'm 100% for this developer, as getting individual investors to purchase those condemned buildings one by one, restoring them, and opening up their own businesses, would be nearly impossible. I think the Buona Pizza building in its current condition is an eyesore, and I don't see where the "history" is in that building in particular. I'd be all for someone constructing a historic-looking brick-faced four-story turreted building on that corner and somehow work out a deal that would inconvenience Buona Pizza the least that they can.

If I were the developer, I'd actually be willing to "take a financial hit" on that corner property to get the entire block restored and moving along. I'd purchase the building and temporarily pay to move Buona Pizza into another nearby location, rent-free (Mall @ Steamtown perhaps), and then proceed to raze their building and restore and preserve as much of the neighboring buildings, most of which seemed to have historic appeal, as I possibly could. I'd make the corner building my first and utmost priority, and then I'd sell it back to Buona Pizza for the same amount of money I purchased it for from the family. They could then feel free to move back into the newly-expanded first floor and use the upper-stories however they wished (preferably as living space). The profits I reaped from the restoration of the rest of the block (which looked to be abandoned except for Marc's Tattooing and the AFA Gallery), would help to offset the loss I'd take from the Buona property. Even if I "broke even" more or less, I'd still consider the project to be a success, as the entire restoration of this block would help to further revitalization throughout other downtown areas. In this sense, Buona actually benefits greatly, as they'd now be in a location with a higher market value, larger seating area, and more modern amenities with more visibility and attractiveness towards outsiders without paying a dime. Meanwhile, I'd benefit from seeing a dozen other merchants and a few dozen downtown resiedents (perhaps I'd look into the "ArtSpace" organization), moving in down the block. Isn't this a "win-win" situation for everyone? Why isn't this (or a similar adaptation) proposed, as it would mutually benefit both parties involved---Buona would be laughing all the way to the bank, and I'd be enjoying my dream of restoring one of the last dirty, unsightly city blocks left downtown (there truly isn't much "blight" anymore in Center City, contrary to popular belief). Once the Connell Building is restored as well, there won't be many vacant storefronts remaining.

[weluvpa]

There might not be as much blighted structures but there is still alot of empty reatil space in the city.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by weluvpa

There might not be as much blighted structures but there is still alot of empty reatil space in the city.

Very true. However, I think we can both agree that if you were to compare retail vacancy rates downtown today vs. a decade ago, the numbers have been steadily improving. The downtown isn't "healthy" by any means, but we should be grateful we're at the point we're at now when I can recall horror stories from others who told me that Lackawanna Avenue used to be so blighted that it was a haven for prostitution. Now, with the exception of the 500-block, much of Lackawanna Avenue is fully-occupied. You have Jefferson Pointe, which is an apartment building that's supposed to start construction later this year. You also have the old Central NJ Freight Station, which is likewise supposed to start being restored and transformed into a few restaurants and stores in 2008. The vacant Southern Union building is a state-of-the-art facility that, mark my words, will not be sitting empty for much longer. (I can actually envision that housing something for this new financial "Wall Street West" initiative coming to NEPA---perhaps a small satellite branch of PricewaterhouseCoopers or Citigroup). The 500-block continues to decay, but I believe that's the only "troubled" part of that entire roadway anymore. Even the unsightly bridge linking Center City to West Side via West Lackawanna Avenue is slated to be replaced in 2007 or 2008, if I'm not mistaken, and I also believe that a new intermodal transportation terminal is slated to be built somewhere near the existing Greyhound terminal. By 2010, all of Lackawanna Avenue should be vibrant again---a far cry from where it was just fifteen years earlier. Then again, I'm also hoping that the Shoppes @ Montage don't hurt the Steamtown Mall as much as I'm fearing they will. Losing Steamtown would CRIPPLE the nearby businesses.

[weluvpa]

They should have never demo'd the buildings along Lackawanna ave for the mall. They should of refaced them and closed the street for a walking mall with shops along it in the old buildings. The mill in Wilmington NC is a great example of what can doen with old structures in a downtown setting.

[ArlynFoma]

I just wanted to chime in and thank everyone who have been writing about Scranton/W-B here. I've sporadically read them since deciding to move to Scranton a few months ago... mostly about the upcoming medical school (I'm a physician) and progress on the high-speed train (several relatives/friends in the NYC area).

I'm actually an original native of the area, growing up in Kingston (WVW grad in the early 90s, parents still live there) and have bounced around the state for my medical training (Philly for 7 years, Pitt for the last 2 1/2). If you asked me even 2 years ago would I want to move back to NEPA, I would have said "Hell no"! Being single and having memories of lots of old women still wearing babushkas didn't really thrill me. In my mind, being close to Philly was the way to go. But things have a way of changing. I met a great girl and we're getting married later this year. Other priorities such as raising a family, cost of living and real estate, and professional opportunities became more important. We initially thought we wanted to be closer to Philly for the culture. But as we interviewed in the eastern PA communities, Scranton stood out. The cost of living and real estate prices below the Lehigh tunnel have skyrocketed and all the farms in the A-town area are being plowed under for cookie-cutter developments. Other areas such as Lancaster, while comparable in cost of living, had much fewer cultural and social opportunities than Scranton. So, lo and behold, we'll be moving to the Scranton area this summer and hope to stay for many, many years!

I truly appreciate the photos and talk of the Scranton areas. Although I grew up in Kingston, I can't recall a time where I went to Scranton prior to graduating high school. My only prior experience with Scranton was a 6-week rotation at Mercy Hospital and passing it on I-81. I'm much more knowledgable about the W-B area (very happy to see some improvement downtown... it was scary each time I visited). Your photos and discussions have given me much more insight which I truly appreciate.

Thanks again!

BTW, I'm a huge hockey fan and have become a rabid Pens fan since coming to Pittsburgh. I'm sorry I'll be missing the new arena (thank god they made a deal) and the Crosby/Malkin/Staal show in person, but I'm psyched to go see the Baby Pens on a regular basis. Does any cable company carry FSN Pittsburgh or will even allow it to be carried for an extra fee?

[lhermey]

Thank you, I loved the tour! You are very informative and we all enjoy your posts and photos of the different areas.

[auntlucy]

The Scranton photos are beautiful. How about showing some home photos that the average person can afford to buy. I am originally from Carbondale, grew up in Buffalo, NY, lived in Chicago, Seattle, and now we live in Ft Worth, TX. The nepa area is the most beautiful area in the country. I enjoy looking at the photos of my hometown (Carbondale) and the surrounding towns. Thank you folks for posting the photos, so that I can see what the area looks like now, and so that other out of state people can see the beauty of nepa. The style of houses vary from state to state and from coast to coast. Your photos give people in other states, and in other parts of the country, a chance to see the beautiful architecture of the nepa area.