3 Business's closed in Downtown Scranton and soon to be 4 (Easton: fit in, how much)

[scrantonluna]

I disagree on the light show. The venue is perfect at Nay Aug; it's out of the way and won't clog city streets with gawkers, not that you could even use the square it it's current state, plus the lights can be seen from 81, which no doubt draws the attention of thousands of motorists in a week's time. Free advertisement.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by scrantonluna

not that you could even use the square it it's current state

The "revamped" Courthouse Square looks AWFUL. Leave it to Bob Cordaro to mess up something esthetically-appealing.

Originally Posted by scrantonluna

plus the lights can be seen from 81, which no doubt draws the attention of thousands of motorists in a week's time. Free advertisement.

Exactly my sentiments. I was driving out toward Milford to pick up my partner on New Year's Eve when I noticed the "REJOICE" sign in all big letters from I-81. That reminded me the display was there and he and I went to go check it out before heading to a house party in Duryea. It was thanks to the visibility from the highway that I remembered it was there, and it lured us (and I'm sure many others) into the city to scope it out.

[CHS89]

Originally Posted by weluvpa

St. Patricks day and New Years Eve are the two single largest drinking holidays that exist. CHS89 and Paul can comeback all they wwant about what they saw and that they had no problems, wow. Take the booze out of the picture and then see what the turn out will be like.

I enjoyed ringing in the New Year and wwatching the fireworks, over a few cocktails, with my family from a friends house in South Side. Leave me out of your teatotalling wwhining, Dan.

[scrantonluna]

Originally Posted by CHS89

I enjoyed ringing in the New Year and wwatching the fireworks, over a few cocktails, with my family from a friends house in South Side. Leave me out of your teatotalling wwhining, Dan.

There's a difference between a few cocktails and a few 6 packs....

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by scrantonluna

There's a difference between a few cocktails and a few 6 packs....

Yes, six-packs are better!

http://www.randywarren.net/image/12320857_scaled_256x192.jpg (broken link)

Sorry! I just HAD to break the tension in this thread a bit before Dan started getting all of us into headlocks!

[NYRangers 2008]

Now we're really getting away from the intent of the original thread

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by weluvpa

Poochie is now closed. Shenk & Tittle and Cronin's in the mall have closed and Suncoast video is also closing. How many more business's do we have to lose until they realize that there is no incentive for a company to stay?

Well, for one, I would say there just isn't a market for gourmet doggie biscuits here. This is Scranton, not Beverly Hills. The owner should have done some market research before going into that venture. That's pretty much day 1 of Marketing 101.

As for Suncoast video....that's just a sign of the mall at Steamtown being a failing venture. It was a dumb decision to put an indoor suburban-type mall into a downtown area to begin with. Plus, indoor malls are a dinosaur these days. They used to brag that it was the only mall built in America in 1993. The real reason for that is that nobody has been building indoor malls anymore. They're kind of a relic from the 60's and 70's. The only reason the Viewmont Mall will still be successful is its location in a busy shopping area. If they were thinking with the times, they would have turned Lackawanna Ave into an outdoor "lifestyle center" similar to the Shoppes at Montage. That would have had the downtown bustling again. Instead we're stuck with a white elephant that will grow emptier every year.

Although Cronin's closing in the mall is a different story. It was only a seasonal shop set up for the holidays. Cronin's permanent store is still on Keyser Ave.

[weluvpa]

I agree. The full length of lackawanna ave should have been closed to cars and turned into a walking mall. Pearl st in Boulder CO or even the old mill in Wilmington NC are perfect examples of a outdoor walking malls that have been a huge success for their cities.

[pocopc]

I just wanted to add my thoughts to this thread being a local business owner in the poconos. It is harder and harder for 'mom and pop' shops to compete no matter the field they are in. All the big corporations are pulling all the business from the mom and pop shops. Go to Walmart.. what can't you buy at walmart? exactly, that is the kind of one stop shopping people look for. They go to walmart they can get their kids school clothes, a new laptop, and tires for their car. All at one stop and at cheaper prices then what you'd get at a 'dedicated' shop.

Of course there is still a market for the smaller shops being that they are more friendly, provide better service, and usually provide better quality parts since they are specailzing in one field, and not 50. However not everyone cares about these aspects and in this day and age it seems to only be price price price that matters.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by weluvpa

I agree. The full length of lackawanna ave should have been closed to cars and turned into a walking mall. Pearl st in Boulder CO or even the old mill in Wilmington NC are perfect examples of a outdoor walking malls that have been a huge success for their cities.

I had a thread about this very same subject on DohertyDeceit before Mr. Gestapo took the broom out on me and swept me away for being a whippersnapper. I compared the pre-mall scene of Lackawanna Avenue in Downtown Scranton to Downtown Ithaca, New York, which can be seen here:












As you can see here several city blocks were closed to traffic and turned into a pedestrian plaza lined with restored historic buildings that housed specialty shops and restaurants. The interior featured benches, dining tables, vendors, and even a playground. Trees were abundant. THIS could have been Lackawanna Avenue in Downtown Scranton had city officials not latched onto false hopes that an indoor shopping mall would "save" their downtown at a time when those very same shopping areas were becoming stale. Now as we can see with the Shoppes at Montage, consumers want to shop in downtown areas like that again. The Shoppes at Montage could have very easily been housed entirely in Downtown Scranton in restored brick buildings. Instead we have the promotion of urban sprawl while a historic city center continues to decay.