‘Walk-to-everything’ lifestyle in downtown Wilkes Barre (Scranton, Wilkes-Barre: cul-de-sac, hotel)

[Magritte25]

Originally Posted by go phillies

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.

That's a shame. You're really missing out on some cool stuff. I live 4-6 blocks from the square. I am telling you that the crap that people say about WB is FTMP wrong.

[Magritte25]

Originally Posted by go phillies

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.

The element that hangs around down town?

Are you talking about the college students that frequent Bart and Urby's?

Are you talking about the professionals that go to Rodano's after work for a beer?

Are you talking about the families that go to Barnes and Noble for playtime?

Perhaps you are talking about the upper middle class that attend shows at the Kirby Center?

Or maybe you are talking about the young mid-level professionals that have lunch at Thai Thai?

Yes, I can see why you'd want to stay away from that kind of an element.

[W-B proud]

Originally Posted by Magritte25

The element that hangs around down town?

Are you talking about the college students that frequent Bart and Urby's?

Are you talking about the professionals that go to Rodano's after work for a beer?

Are you talking about the families that go to Barnes and Noble for playtime?

Perhaps you are talking about the upper middle class that attend shows at the Kirby Center?

Or maybe you are talking about the young mid-level professionals that have lunch at Thai Thai?

Yes, I can see why you'd want to stay away from that kind of an element.

I usually don't agree with you Magritte, but I do on this one. While, W-B was definatly a scary, dangerous place after dark a few years ago crawling with dealers and prostitutes, it has really done a complete 360...IMO. The rift raft, and undesirables that used to "own" the downtown, have been replaced with college kids, couples going out for dinner, and families going to the movies ect.. The police have also really stepped up there downtown patrols probably 3 times what it used to be. The outskirts of downtown (down by Academy and Ross sts.) is still pretty shady, but the first few blocks around Public Square (the main buisness district) has really cleaned up and turned from a desolate, empty, scary place into one of the most thriving areas of the city. Downtown used to be one of the most dangerous sections of the city, now it is probably the safest section of the city.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by Magritte25

The element that hangs around down town?

Are you talking about the college students that frequent Bart and Urby's?

Are you talking about the professionals that go to Rodano's after work for a beer?

Are you talking about the families that go to Barnes and Noble for playtime?

Perhaps you are talking about the upper middle class that attend shows at the Kirby Center?

Or maybe you are talking about the young mid-level professionals that have lunch at Thai Thai?

Yes, I can see why you'd want to stay away from that kind of an element.

No, I'm talking about the pants-hanging-off-the-arse people, the dirty people, etc, that hang around the square and outisde the Anthracite smoking, yelling obscenities to each other, etc etc. The ones that walk up to you trying to bum cigarettes (even if you're not a smoker). Trust me, I know what I'm talking about, I work in downtown W-B and take walks around here every day.

And those young professionals high tail it out of downtown W-B by 5 pm, and I can imagine there's not much left other than the same yahoos hanging around the square, and college kids stumbling to the bars.

[W-B proud]

Well it does say alot about the direction the city is going in when a local millionaire sells his beautiful west side mansion, and opts to live in downtown Wilkes-Barre of all places. Five years ago the thought of a millionaire moving from a wealthy west side neighborhood to downtown Wilkes-Barre would have been laughable, but now it is actually starting to happen. I hope this convinces more people to move downtown. I would like to live downtown someday myself, after my kids are grown.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by W-B proud

I usually don't agree with you Magritte, but I do on this one. While, W-B was definatly a scary, dangerous place after dark a few years ago crawling with dealers and prostitutes, it has really done a complete 360...IMO. The rift raft, and undesirables that used to "own" the downtown, have been replaced with college kids, couples going out for dinner, and families going to the movies ect.. The police have also really stepped up there downtown patrols probably 3 times what it used to be. The outskirts of downtown (down by Academy and Ross sts.) is still pretty shady, but the first few blocks around Public Square (the main buisness district) has really cleaned up and turned from a desolate, empty, scary place into one of the most thriving areas of the city. Downtown used to be one of the most dangerous sections of the city, now it is probably the safest section of the city.

I will say, however, that the downtown IS in better shape than it was when I started working here about 4 years ago. So hopefully that trend continues. But I still have to say I would be fearful walking down here at night.

[W-B proud]

Originally Posted by go phillies

No, I'm talking about the pants-hanging-off-the-arse people, the dirty people, etc, that hang around the square and outisde the Anthracite smoking, yelling obscenities to each other, etc etc. The ones that walk up to you trying to bum cigarettes (even if you're not a smoker). Trust me, I know what I'm talking about, I work in downtown W-B and take walks around here every day.

And those young professionals high tail it out of downtown W-B by 5 pm, and I can imagine there's not much left other than the same yahoos hanging around the square, and college kids stumbling to the bars.

Nowadays alot of that rift raft leaves the downtown after dark, because alot of them are hanging out downtown because of the busses, the welfare dept, the social security dept, other government services, community counseling, the food banks, soup kitchen, shelters ect. After all those close in the afternoon, most of the undesirables leave for the night. Alot of those bums are gone by nightfall. I do agree with you that it would be much nicer downtown if the city could somehow get rid of the mental/welfare/lazy bum types (the nothing to do but sit on Public Square all day, smoking cigarettes and harassing people crowd). Maybe the Intermodal Transportation Center will help move some of that rift raft of of Public Square..we'll see some enough.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by W-B proud

Well it does say alot about the direction the city is going in when a local millionaire sells his beautiful west side mansion, and opts to live in downtown Wilkes-Barre of all places. Five years ago the thought of a millionaire moving from a wealthy west side neighborhood to downtown Wilkes-Barre would have been laughable, but now it is actually starting to happen. I hope this convinces more people to move downtown. I would like to live downtown someday myself, after my kids are grown.

I saw that article. Kudos to the Shoval family!

[Summering]

Well, I was in that area by Barnes and Nobles about a month or so ago. I expected to see more stores filled up and I didn't. I had heard on here that it was becoming a more hip town. It was a surprise to me to see so many stores empty. I didn't get a warm fuzzy feeling at all, and this was daytime.

People say things about Stroudsburg and yet when I enter that town its always quite charming. It has improved since they got a grant to fix the store fronts. In the summer huge baskets of flowers were on each old fashioned lamp post. Now they have wreaths on each post. Every store is occupied. The local News channel has an office at the end of town. Things are constantly improving in Stroudsburg.
For Wilkes Barre to feel more alive.........Those stores need to be occupied. I have high hopes for the town.
Sometimes these things take years to come about.
Right now that Barnes and Noble street I wouldn't walk on....It was too dark, dreary, and I just felt no comfort driving there at all.
I love the outer areas of Wilkes so I do hope the town begins to grow and prosper.

[Gerania]

My mother, in her 80s (shhh, don't tell her I told you folks) has ushered at the Kirby for years and has never been bothered leaving the theater at night.

After the last slump, she got out of the habit of going to town. She did go to the movie theater, but then left and went home. We've patronized Hottles forever and Katana since it opened. More recently, we've gone to Bart & Urby's, had dinner at Cafe Toscana and been to Rodano's several times as well as the bookstore/Starbucks...and walked to the car after dark.

Over the years, I have hit a rough spot or two in the area. A couple of times I've had certifiable people approach me for help. LOL, I swear, people do this to me wherever I go...I must look lame and safe. I'm the person everyone asks to take their picture at a historic site...whatever.

In the last 20 years, I've only once felt threatened, in danger, in Wilkes-Barre. Expensive Mercedes and BMWs in front of and behind me, blocking me in, way up Franklin St...drivers and passengers and people on the porches speaking, then shouting at each other. It looked a rather poor, run down neighborhood; I knew why the high-end cars were there.