‘Walk-to-everything’ lifestyle in downtown Wilkes Barre (Reading, Scranton: condo, how much)

[PeeAye Native]

The Times Leader has an interesting story today: 'Walk-to-everything' lifestyle in W-B | The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA (http://www.timesleader.com/news/_lsquo_Walk-to-everything_rsquo__lifestyle_in_W-B_11-29-2009.html - broken link)
Subtitled: The city’s downtown is enjoying a resurgence as a residential neighborhood.

I agree with them. Things are on the upswing in W-B's downtown, it was slow at first, but clearly is in the upward direction. Which means it will become more user friendly.

I especially like that you could walk around the riverfront. Thirty, or even 20, years ago, that was not such a nice area to walk. Even across the river into Kingston, with the parks and wide open space on Market Street is a nice pleasant walk.

The only thing missing, is there a full line grocery store within the downtown walking/living zone?

P.S: I like the term they quoted the couple using, 'urban pioneers'. That is an actual demographic description urban planners and sociologists use in cases like this. It's curious that couple used it to describe themselves.

[SteelCityRising]

I'm also not surprised by all of the moronic "Doomer" comments below the article. How are the downtowns of Scranton or Wilkes-Barre ever supposed to become desirable residential neighborhoods if so few are willing to give them a chance to assume such a role? If and when I move back to NEPA I'm interested in purchasing a downtown loft, condo, or rowhome in either city. In Wilkes-Barre you could walk to the YMCA, Kirby Center, King's, Wilkes, Barnes & Noble, Starbuck's, the riverfront park, Kirby Park, library, houses of worship, Boscov's, Cafe Toscana, Thai Thai, Katana, Bart & Urby's, several night clubs, a 14-screen movie theater, several major employers, bus stops, etc., etc. from downtown. Scranton offers less within walking distance but still has potential. Neither city will EVER bounce back if people don't start supporting downtown revitalization efforts, but then again the "Doomers" would rather use grant money to pave potholes than to redevelop brownfield sites into tax-generating properties.

[SteelCityRising]

Wilkes-Barre doesn't yet have a permanent downtown grocer, but it does have the weekly farmers' market that offers quite a bit of fresh food. Ideally a Trader Joe's, Harris-Teeter, or Whole Foods should be pursued by the city to open its doors downtown, as all three of these chains have done a good job of adapting (and gentrifying/rejuvenating) urban areas here near DC. A unique grocer like that would also lure in all of the food yuppies from the Back Mountain and Mountain Top.

[Magritte25]

Funny thing is that most of those commenters don't even live in WB. Muggings? Was one even reported this year? I don't remember.

Wilkes-Barre is NOT as horrible as so many negative Nellies try to make it out to be. Some people are never happy!

[theatergypsy]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Wilkes-Barre doesn't yet have a permanent downtown grocer, but it does have the weekly farmers' market that offers quite a bit of fresh food. Ideally a Trader Joe's, Harris-Teeter, or Whole Foods should be pursued by the city to open its doors downtown, as all three of these chains have done a good job of adapting (and gentrifying/rejuvenating) urban areas here near DC. A unique grocer like that would also lure in all of the food yuppies from the Back Mountain and Mountain Top.

Paul, while any of those three would be prepared to drop into W-B, they still require growth in the demographic that would support their investment. And the growth will come. But first must come enough employment opportunity to encourage our fine young minds to remain here and not go wandering off to VA. And I believe you have found that salaries higher than locally available don't translate to more disposable income, since COL comparison equates to more of that higher salary being spent for necessaries rather than for extras.

No doom-sayer, here. Just one who wishes she were young enough to join the pioneers on the trek east.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

I'm also not surprised by all of the moronic "Doomer" comments below the article.

Aren't you the one who always says that "doomers" only exist in Scranton and that Wilkes-Barre is full of "can-do" people with positive attitudes? I guess you were wrong....it seems W-B has some realists as well. And I guess I was wrong in assuming that W-B is full of people apathetic about their city.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

In Wilkes-Barre you could walk to the YMCA, Kirby Center, King's, Wilkes, Barnes & Noble, Starbuck's, the riverfront park, Kirby Park, library, houses of worship, Boscov's, Cafe Toscana, Thai Thai, Katana, Bart & Urby's, several night clubs, a 14-screen movie theater, several major employers, bus stops, etc., etc. .

Yes, but you also have Carmen's, the pawn shop next door, the Anthracite News Stand and the yahoos who hang around there and the bus stops on the square.....I don't mind downtown W-B during the day, but I don't think you can pay me to walk down there at night. Same goes for downtown Scranton.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Ideally a Trader Joe's, Harris-Teeter, or Whole Foods should be pursued by the city to open its doors downtown, as all three of these chains have done a good job of adapting (and gentrifying/rejuvenating) urban areas here near DC. .

Harris Teeter? What's so special about Harris Teeter? I was in one once in NC, and while it was a nice enough store, it was sort of a run-of-the-mill supermarket. I'd take Wegmans anyday over Harris Teeter. And let's be real here, there is no demographic in and around downtown Wilkes-Barre to support a high-end store like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. This area could support those stores (in somewhere like W-B Twp, Dickson City, Dallas, or Clarks Summit) but not the low-income demographic that walks to their shopping in Wilkes-Barre. The Access card will not go far in one of those stores. With the element that hangs around downtown, I think something more along the lines of a Price Rite or Aldi would do well. No matter how much the city would "pursue" Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, they will not invest money to open up a store without the right demographic.

[W-B proud]

Forget the "run-of -the-mill" supermarket. Downtown W-B should look at building an urban marketplace like this Reading Terminal Market › Home .I used to visit the Reading Terminal Market in Philly everytime I went there, and loved it. Of course I would imagine W-B's to be much smaller, but still, this is definatley the direction the city should be going in. It also allows local farmers, fish mongors, and butchers to sell there goods year round at an indoor market, where as a supermarket brings in most of there goods from out of state and out of country. I think a perfect location for this would be the ground floor of the future Hotel Sterling parkade ( right in between the two colleges, smack dab in ther middle of the downtown office buildings, right across from the River Common park and one block from Public Square). I imagine it could have a direct access tunnel, or walkway that connects directly to the Hotel Sterling itself, so that residents can literally go downstairs and right into the market without even stepping outside. Downtown office workers and college students can grab lunch at one of the many food vendors, downtown residents, and shoppers can buy all there groceries, as well as arts, crafts, spices, flowers ect. all right there.

[Magritte25]

Originally Posted by go phillies

Aren't you the one who always says that "doomers" only exist in Scranton and that Wilkes-Barre is full of "can-do" people with positive attitudes? I guess you were wrong....it seems W-B has some realists as well. And I guess I was wrong in assuming that W-B is full of people apathetic about their city.

Actually I would bet NONE of those nay sayers live in WB. Notice that many of them say they wouldn't ever live here.