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Wilkes-Barre would be horrible. Its crime and drug ridden and run down. Shootings, armed robberies, and stabbings in Wilkes-Barre are a staple of the local news reports. W-B makes Scranton look like a utopia. I work in Wilkes-Barre, so I'm familiar with it. Downtown Scranton is mainly filled with white-collar professionals during the day, while downtown Wilkes-Barre is crawling with bums, crackheads, and some scary people even during daylight working hours. We've had drunks get into fistfights outside our office as well as had multiple cars broken into in our parking garage, all in daylight hours. Clarks Summit is OK if you like Stepford Wives suburbia, although the estblished town center of Clarks Summit is not bad....its all of the snooty subdivisions in the areas surrounding Clarks Summit that make the Abingtons undesirable in my opinion.
The negatives you stated about Scranton are true of other towns in this area as well. You stated that Scranton has a drug problem. I don't see any evidence that Scranton has any worse of a drug problem than any other town around here. Unfortunately, drugs have infested everywhere. It appears to me that the worst part of the area as far as drug problems go is Wilkes-Barre. You mentioned corrupt politics in Scranton. That may be true, but once again, corrupt politics is EVERYWHERE in NE PA, and it may be worse in some of the "good ol boy" small towns in the area. Politics is, unfortunately, the downfall of ALL of NE PA, not just Scranton. You mentioned a "low income problem" in Scranton. First of all, I don;t see how people having a low income is necessarily a "problem" in and of itself, and anyways, Scranton has much less in the way of crime and blight and other issues associated with "low incomes" than other comparable cities. Drive through other similar sized cities in PA: Wilkes-Barre, Harrisburg, Allentown, Reading, Lancaster, York, Hazleton, etc, and you'll see that Scranton looks like Beverly Hills compared to any of them. Are there areas of Scranton that you would want to avoid living in? Yes, as there is in just about any town. But those areas are the exception, not the rule.
I find Scranton to be very liveable, friendly, walkable, with great neighborhood schools and low crime. And I grew up in the "suburbs" in the Mid-Valley. I much prefer living in Scranton, specifically the Hyde Park section of West Side.
Last edited by FightinPhils; 11-06-2007 at 11:27 AM..
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I will respond to the ills of Scranton just a bit from your post Kelliot.
Scranton is quite diverse with having low-income homes to having million dollar estates. Scranton has homes on the hill and homes in the valley. Scranton has a beautiful Lake which I run around all summer as well as thousands of others. Scranton has great shopping and many great places to eat. Scranton has trains. Scranton has some very nice people and one really nice Allstate agent (shamless plug).
Like was said to me you have to do the math (taxes) and like you said you have to find your niche and you may find Scranton very nice if you have a good realtor that has good information from you as to what you want and can show you the right house in the right neighborhood.
As for other towns you'll find much of the same with low and high income a mix. As for Wilkes Barre I don't think I'm the right person to ask because I like the Scranton area and work here.
As for the University: Why don't the city officials invest in the kids and make a deal with the U for the price of admission. With kids here at Scranton schools having a high grade point average and finishing maybe at least the last two years of high school in Scranton and being a resident why not give them some help going to school here. Maybe the four schools here could have a program for these kids. It seems like it would benefit them in the end because you’d think the schools would love to have more alumni living here in NEPA anyway.
The University of Scranton isn't the only college in town. A good local option for an affordable college education is Penn State University's Worthington Scranton Campus in Dunmore. They have many bachelor's degrees that offer all 4 years at the local campus, or you can transfer after two years to the main campus. Its just as good of an education at a fraction of the cost, and its a Penn State degree, the same as if you went to the main campus. And anyways, Penn State is much more recognizable out of the area than the University of Scranton. You can go to PSU for 4 years for the price of 1 year at the U of S, and its right here in our backyard.
These are some points of view that I'm glad I saw. I have heard mostly bad things about Scranton but in reading all this I'm glad to see that there are good sides to it as well and that there are people that have faith in their city.
You're right. There are ups and downs to every city in NEPA, well, everywhere for that matter. So, I guess it all comes down to weighing them out and seeing what matters the most. However, just going to a place and seeing a place doesn't give you a great idea of how things will be like when you live there. So, I'm glad I asked questions and got answers from real locals. Thanks guys!
These are some points of view that I'm glad I saw. I have heard mostly bad things about Scranton but in reading all this I'm glad to see that there are good sides to it as well and that there are people that have faith in their city.
You're right. There are ups and downs to every city in NEPA, well, everywhere for that matter. So, I guess it all comes down to weighing them out and seeing what matters the most. However, just going to a place and seeing a place doesn't give you a great idea of how things will be like when you live there. So, I'm glad I asked questions and got answers from real locals. Thanks guys!
You're quite welcome! Are you still trying to decide between Scranton or Ithaca? As I mentioned to you in the past, Ithaca has a much more walkable and socially-progressive atmosphere, but it is also a much more expensive place to live in comparison to Scranton. One bad thing I see about Ithaca is its relative isolation. It's quite a hike along windy country roads to get to Syracuse, Rochester, Binghamton, or Elmira if you wish to partake in some sort of cultural/shopping option that Ithaca doesn't offer. Scranton is only 25 minutes or so from Wilkes-Barre and roughly two hours from New York City and Philadelphia, which gives it an edge in "convenience" in my opinion. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has its own minor-league sports teams, Philharmonic, news stations, etc., while Ithacans have to commute for all of these. My friends and I in the past have enjoyed day-trips to the Franklin Institute and to see RENT on Broadway, all the while knowing that we'd be able to return home to a community with a fraction of the cost-of-living, congestion, and crime.
Scranton, in my opinion, is one of the cities in the Northeastern U.S. with the MOST potential to make a rapid comeback. Pike and Monroe Counties, both of which are adjacent to the metro area, are the two fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania, and in about a decade this growth will be spilling across the county line into the North Pocono region of Lackawanna County, which is just outside the city limits. It's then only a matter of time before more people from NJ and NY start taking a look at Scranton as a potential site for relocation.
Yes, I believe I have decided to stick with NEPA. I have heard a ton of great things about Ithica and I believe I would like living there because I'm a nature person but my family lives in Lake Ariel, PA and it would be pointless to move to Ithica and have to drive the two hours to be close to them. While 2 hours isn't a long drive, let's face it, we won't be doing it that often because we do work and we get busy.
We are considering Scranton because I don't want to live way out in the middle of nowhere (Lake Ariel, which is beautiful but still out in the middle of nowhere) and it is close enough to be a short drive from family. I also thought of the fact that it does have better proximity to NY and Philly which I plan on visiting a lot. I even considered Brooklyn or somewhere in NYC because of it's obvious walkability and culture. But, once again it would be a two hour drive from family. We are living across the country right now and we'd like to have our daughter be more familiar with having family around unlike where we are now with no family at all.
By the way, does anyone know where there are any good Mexican Restaurants in Scranton? I LOVE authentic Mexican food. I know there are a TON of great Italian places. And, sushi at Osaka is amazing. Or how about Thai, Indian, etc? Any ideas?? You have to have good restaurants nearby!
By the way, does anyone know where there are any good Mexican Restaurants in Scranton? I LOVE authentic Mexican food. I know there are a TON of great Italian places. And, sushi at Osaka is amazing. Or how about Thai, Indian, etc? Any ideas?? You have to have good restaurants nearby!
There is a new Mexican restaurant opening up soon on Business Route 6 by the Viewmont Mall (in the building vacated by Lone Star Steakhouse) called La Tonalteca. Its the same owners as an existing Mexican restaurant in Wilkes-Barre called La Tolteca. Absolutely, hands-down the best Mexican food I've had in this area. Appears to actually be run by Mexicans.
There is also a small Mexican takeout place right near me on Main Ave in West Scranton called Taco Bandido. Very good as well, but its more of a takeout, fast food Mexican than a sit down place, although they do have tables. The Hacienda in Moosic is OK, but nothing special. The rest of the Mexican places in the area that I know of are chain places, like Don Pablo's. I hate Don Pablo's....you may as well go to Taco Bell over Don Pablo's, at least it will be cheaper.
By the way, does anyone know where there are any good Mexican Restaurants in Scranton? I LOVE authentic Mexican food. I know there are a TON of great Italian places. And, sushi at Osaka is amazing. Or how about Thai, Indian, etc? Any ideas?? You have to have good restaurants nearby!
I'll agree with ConorsDad and second the vote for La Tolteca in Wilkes-Barre Township, just outside of the Wyoming Valley Mall. I've eaten a number of meals there, and I've never ceased to be impressed. On certain evenings they have a mariach bands that goes from table to table playing Mexican songs, and in the warmer months it's nice to eat on the outdoor patio. It certainly beats Taco Bell! LOL!
With that being said, it's also nice to hear that they are opening a second location near Scranton. Just as the owners of popular Thai Rak Thai in Downtown Scranton are soon opening a second Thai restaurant in Downtown Wilkes-Barre to be nearer to a lot of their customers who make the long hike for the good ethnic food, the owners of La Tolteca must have realized that a lot of Scranton area residents were making the trek down to Wilkes-Barre to enjoy their cuisine. It's really neat to see Scranton's Thai restaurant reaching out to Wilkes-Barre and Wilkes-Barre's Mexican restaurant reaching out to Scranton---perhaps this is a simplistic sign that the long-held rivalry between both cities is beginning to fade?
I've heard nothing but great things about the Ipanema Grille near Providence Square along North Main Avenue in Scranton if you like Brazilian food. I've also heard that Vidas downtown has the best tapas around. The only local Indian restaurant I'm aware of is the Amber Indian Restaurant in Moosic. I've recently become a fan of Indian cuisine after eating some while visiting friends in State College, so I hope to scope this place out soon as well. As far as Japanese places go, there are four in the area that I'm aware of. The Kyoto is in South Abington Township (near Clarks Summit), the Mirakuya and Katana are in Wilkes-Barre, and Osaka is in Downtown Scranton. I've heard that the Katana has begun to go downhill recently and that a lot of their once-faithful patrons are warming up to the newer Mirakuya. I haven't eaten at Kyoto in years, so I really can't comment there. As far as Chinese is concerned, I'm a big fan of both the House of China along Moosic Street in Scranton, as well as the Peking Chef in the Back Mountain (Wilkes-Barre 'burbs).
Last edited by SteelCityRising; 11-07-2007 at 09:19 AM..
Reason: Typo
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As far as Japanese places go, there are four in the area that I'm aware of. The Kyoto is in South Abington Township (near Clarks Summit), the Mirakuya and Katana are in Wilkes-Barre, and Osaka is in Downtown Scranton. I've heard that the Katana has begun to go downhill recently and that a lot of their once-faithful patrons are warming up to the newer Mirakuya. I haven't eaten at Kyoto in years, so I really can't comment there. As far as Chinese is concerned, I'm a big fan of both the House of China along Moosic Street in Scranton, as well as the Peking Chef in the Back Mountain (Wilkes-Barre 'burbs).
