Are People in NEPA The Most Negative in the Nation? (Scranton: lofts, condos)

[SteelCityRising]

As "SWB", the self-proclaimed sole whipping boy in the commentary of the articles on the web site of the Scranton Times-Tribune, I have started to notice something. I post on multiple forums here. I post on the web sites of newspapers in numerous communities---large and small---across the nation. Through my experiences those of you living in NEPA are, by far, the most pessimistic and negative people I've ever come across in my many years of Internet contributions.

Today just out of morbid curiosity I decided to read some of the "Progress" articles that the Times-Leader has been doing as of late to try to show the largely negative people in Wilkes-Barre that there are some reasons to have faith that a turnaround is possible. I read with great pleasure to see that the Elevations Lofts in the University Corners mixed-use project at South Main & East Northampton Streets are generating a lot of interest and are selling so quickly that the developer has begun to work with Todd Vonderheid, President of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber, and Tom Leighton, mayor, to locate other potential sites for more lofts to meet the market demand. These lofts are rock-bottom cheap---$120,000-$250,000---for luxurious residences in the growing Diamond City Entertainment District. They are also tax-free for 10 years, and the monthly condo maintenace fee is only $295. One would THINK that a strong demand for downtown housing in Wilkes-Barre would be a good sign, right? Out of 31 comments posted thus far on that article, nearly every single one of them is negative. Here are a few examples:

-"Does that $295 maintenance fee cover the cost of police protection for living in the ghetto?"

-"LOL. There isn't even a reasonable grocery store within walking distance, and the prospect of hosing off my doorstep every morning is not appealing either. Shickshinny has more amenities than Downtown Wilkes-Barre."

-"Mayor Tom Leighton said Wilkes-Barre has come a long way in the last six years since he took office. Down the highway to hell!"

-"The nice part of living anywhere in Wilkes-Barre is that one is never too far from a nice big low-income housing project."

-"So let's see. For $120,000 I can get a 3-bedroom, 1.5-bath in Kingston with a yard and peace and quiet. Or I can live between low-income housing and a shooting gallery of bars that my wife would be afraid to drive through without getting accosted, harassed, and maybe even assaulted."

-"What am I still doing here? Can't afford to stay; can't afford to leave."

-"Would the windows of the new condos overlook Public Square so we can watch the college students peeing on nativity displays? Or would it overlook the gunfights in front of the many new bars on South Main Street?"

-"Wilkes-Barre, you can try and try but you'll never even slightly resemble a metropolitan city so quit trying. You're a deprived, grey, impoverished, crime-ridden, corrupt little town. Plain and simple."



Earlier today I got myself involved in some heated dialogue in regards to the new "Doomer" council in Scranton deciding that the Electric City had no use for a library. I'm aghast that people who chronically whine that there aren't any high-paying white-collar career opportunities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metroplex will turn right around and support council's decision to rule AGAINST an amenity that will help to lead to a more literate population. It just seems very hypocritical to me. A more skilled and educated populace attracts innovation, entrepreneurship, "buzz", and major employers to tap into that creative energy. This is exactly what has made Northern Virginia the wealthiest and most educated part of the nation. If Scranton were to invest in a state-of-the-art library with WiFi accessibility, ample computers for the public, cultural events, etc., then it would be easier to encourage people to further their educations, go to trade school, etc. to make our labor pool more marketable to better employers. As long as only roughly 1 in 6 people in Scranton have a college education you're never going to be able to attract "rewarding careers paying family-sustaining salaries" instead of "dead-end jobs paying slave wages." Scranton has been stuck in a Catch-22 for generations now with no hope of ebbing it. College graduates won't stay here unless they are willing to power-commute daily to NJ/NYC for work (I do know people who do this back in the Pittston Area who'd love for the commuter rail to come to fruition). The better career opportunities won't come until the college graduates stick around. I just find it funny that for a change the mayor actually had a GOOD idea to invest in the long-term educational offerings of the city, and the "Doomers" who dominate Scranton once again succeeded in saying "No way!" (I don't want any of those same people whining about the local job market).

Is Scranton/Wilkes-Barre just a lost cause? Finding someone who is genuinely UPBEAT about its future is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I was burnt out trying to encourage people to look at the glass half-full and only getting spite and nastiness in return, so I left. Will I return someday to open my business? Unless there's a MAJOR attitude adjustment in Luzerne/Lackawanna Counties not likely. For as much as I've personally grown to disdain the suburban wasteland they call Northern Virginia I have to admit the people here are generally HAPPY and OPTIMISTIC about the region overall. Why can't we say the same about Scranton/Wilkes-Barre? What can be done to fix people's attitudes in the area, or should people like me just give up on ever hoping to return and cause a shakedown to try to make things better?

[Summering]

I'd focus on the areas that are coming along nicely. The Arena.......a very nice entertainment complex. All the stores that have cropped up that way,by the Arena. A very cute, charming spot with the mountains all surrounding it, like a great big hug.
The Montage Mt. Shoppes, an awesome shopping destination too.
Downtowns are always slow coming back..........What was great for Stroudsburg was a wonderful gift/grant for the downtown facelift. Maybe, perhaps oneday.......Wilkes Barre will have a generous gift given towards its improvement. It only takes one person to bestow that.....
Stroudsburg had the racetrack owner whos father always loved the downtown area and always wanted it to stay.......It was really beautiful there this summer with each old fashioned lamppost embellished with flowers. All the interesting store fronts.......
This too can happen with Wilkes Barre........
Never give up, always have hope...........I think NEPA is happy and optimistic most of the time.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Summering

I'd focus on the areas that are coming along nicely. The Arena.......a very nice entertainment complex. All the stores that have cropped up that way,by the Arena. A very cute, charming spot with the mountains all surrounding it, like a great big hug.
The Montage Mt. Shoppes, an awesome shopping destination too.
Downtowns are always slow coming back..........What was great for Stroudsburg was a wonderful gift/grant for the downtown facelift. Maybe, perhaps oneday.......Wilkes Barre will have a generous gift given towards its improvement. It only takes one person to bestow that.....
Stroudsburg had the racetrack owner whos father always loved the downtown area and always wanted it to stay.......It was really beautiful there this summer with each old fashioned lamppost embellished with flowers. All the interesting store fronts.......
This too can happen with Wilkes Barre........
Never give up, always have hope...........I think NEPA is happy and optimistic most of the time.

I really always admired your spirit, Summering. When I joined this forum back in 2006 I was a die-hard promoter of the region I loved so much. I spent countless hours snapping thousands of photos of the area for my photo tours. I personally convinced several families to move here and met several of them. I had dreams of opening my own business here, restoring my own home here, raising my family here, and potentially running for some sort of town council position someday to help make things better. Sadly, though, I encountered far too many bitter people for my liking, and being around that chronic "this place sucks" aura just got to me after a while. I had to remove myself from it. For the life of me I don't understand why people who hate where they live so much won't just move. "No money to move" is such a dumb thing to say when you can easily pick up a second part-time job temporarily just to help shore up your relocation budget.

There are a TON of reasons to feel grateful to live here. Why is it then that most on this forum, most on Doherty Deceit, most on the web sites of the local newspapers, most on Talkback 16, etc., etc. have such a "this place sucks" mentality? I'm honestly looking for answers here, and I do NOT want them to be "because of da mayor", either, because if you hinge your potential happiness in life upon a politician then you really DO need to get out more and start thinking for yourself! NEPA has so many assets to offer. Why do so few see any of them?

[johnqpublic]

Scranberry, I have read your posts on several different sites, The common thing I see is that you get spanked on most all of them. It is because you come across as an elitist overbearing know-it - all. Sorry , but I have to call it like I see it.

[greentown]

Originally Posted by johnqpublic

Scranberry, I have read your posts on several different sites, The common thing I see is that you get spanked on most all of them. It is because you come across as an elitist overbearing know-it - all. Sorry , but I have to call it like I see it.

Tried to rep you john, but I couldn't.

[EnyaGirl]

Paul....really? Are you trying to "stir the pot" ?

[Magritte25]

Honestly?

I don't think it's only people in this region. I participate on a couple national boards and I see ALOT of negativity over a broad range of topics.

[Magritte25]

Oh and I'd say all of your reasons could be applicable to any number of people from any state or region in this country

[PITTSTON2SARASOTA]

I do not like any of our choices!!!!! They do have a "ring of contempt" to them???

[KarenRice]

People are people. Everywhere. You will have complainers, you will have grumblers, you will have glass-half-full and go-getters. Usually the grumpy people scream the loudest because they have nothing better to do with their time and many of the optimistic people choose not to be around the complainers because it drags them down; so unfortunately, the squeakiest wheels are often the whiners.