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Where do I start....Generalizations are the problem with those that do not know. First the students at Prep are not predominantly from the Abingtons. Prep has students from allover the area including Wilkes-Barre and as far out as the Hideout or Tunkannock(sp?) and from Forest City and Carbondale. Lets not forget the sizeable population of Prep students right here in Scranton. Second do not think that for one minute that the kids here at Scranton High are free from drug problems, they are affecting children from all walks of life. Children of families with money are no less likely to end up doing drugs as the kids in the public education system here is Scranton. People making comments about a lifestyle or a way of life they are not familiar with are the reason that all these generalizations are flying around. Not everyone in the Abingtons are wealthy and not everyone in Scranton is poor either so lets keep our class and money remarks to ourselves since we are not able to be truthful and accurate and some of us are insulted by your generalizations about money and drugs and The Abingtons and Prep. I forgot all the crackheads in South Scranton must be rich thats how the can afford the drugs right?
Very wise words, and I apologize for my part in the generalizations. I don't begrudge others for having more than I do; I just wish those that did would put their resources to good use by trying to invest in the city. If we were to pick up half the people in Royal Oaks, Country Club Place, Floral Park, Oakford Woods, and all of these other posh subdivisions in the Abingtons and spread them evenly throughout the city limits (some in South Side, some in West Side, some in Green Ridge, etc.), then just think about how much more vibrant these neighborhoods would be---renovated homes, bustling businesses, more foot traffic, more children, etc. I just don't like continually seeing city residents picking themselves up and plopping themselves down on an Abington cul-de-sac and businesses likewise relocating to suburbia when the city just oozes potential.
It isn't my wish to see Scranton become a "mini-SoHo" or anything; I hope it retains its blue-collar roots and never forgets where it came from. However, the city is in need of improvement in several respects. I just can't fathom why those with enough wealth and power (inarguably concentrated in a few well-to-do pockets of the Abingtons) wouldn't want to use it to the best of their ability to improve their communities. Instead of using it to horde luxury sedans or more "toys" for the weekend, why can't some of these people do something to help out the city? Let's not forget that if Scranton were to shrivel up and die economically, places such as the Abingtons would be kaput as well. If I had a six-figure income, I'd be doing everything in my power to improve the city. Wouldn't some of these people rather leave a legacy of philanthropy towards the city behind as opposed to wasting their fortunes on yachts and golf clubs that will serve no use once they pass away?
I don't have anything against people who live in the Abingtons; I just wish they'd make it more of a priority to patronize the city and help it to flourish. Here in Pittston, I'm always bumping into people who are ranting and raving about the ongoing downtown improvements in both Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, and residents of my hometown make an effort to patronize businesses and events in both cities.
We need to start thinking ourselves as a region in order to survive. Provincialism amongst different municipalities MUST stop! A prime example of this was a Moosic councilman who was quoted in a newspaper as saying "I'm tired of people from outside of Moosic trying to tell us how to run OUR town," in reference to opposition to the Shoppes @ Montage project by groups concerned about the effect it may have upon nearby Scranton. All the Moosic council could care about was the $$$ it would be seeing in new tax revenues and the supposedly great, family-sustaining jobs that yet another Hallmark, Starbucks, and American Eagle in an ugly strip mall brought to our region. Now, two businesses have already left downtown Scranton en route to Moosic, and more are likely to follow. If the Steamtown Mall becomes a white elephant, then the ENTIRE momentum behind the downtown renaissance could be history, as the loss in foot traffic to nearby independent merchants and restaurants associated with the mall would be immense. Why on Earth would Moosic council members want to jeopardize that? Greed comes to mind. A lack of a formal education in urban planning, economics, regionalism, etc. also comes to mind, as any lucid person would be able to realize that picking up businesses from an important urban core and transferring them to a once-wooded hillside is NOT progress!
I think the county commissioners are equally as clueless as Moosic's elected officials on these issues; why on Earth would they build the county visitors' center in the suburbs instead of in the heart of our historic county seat? I personally think the former NJ Freight Station on West Lackawanna Avenue would have been a wonderful location for a new downtown visitors' center, but I suppose it's just as good that it's instead being renovated into restaurants and stores. I just don't know why everyone in Lackawanna County clamors for Moosic, Dickson City, or the Abingtons when the city itself has inviting neighborhoods, a great school district, low crime (contrary to what people say, Scranton IS among the state's safest cities), and reasonable housing prices.
I also think that ConorsDad should apologize for his generalizations about the Abingtons as well. We were both out-of-line there. For someone who often complains about not being tolerated for my particular flaw in life, it was very wrong of me to disparage others for having different ideologies on how to spend one's money. I'm truly sorry! There are a lot of nice people in Clarks Summit; I'm just bitter a bit towards the Abingtons because it seems like as the Abingtons continue to grow, it comes at Scranton's expense. Every time I see an advertisement for a new subdivision in the Abingtons, I automatically shudder to think of how many families from Scranton will be snatching up the lots. I just don't like seeing Scranton emptying out like a donut while the woodlands in and around Clarks Summit are deforested for new homes. I suppose I'm just angry at the municipal officials in the Abingtons for always being so quick to rubber-stamp new housing developments at a time when they ought to be more concerned with managing their growth in a more efficient manner (traffic was horrific along Routes 6 & 11, and I was in the area around midday!) Once again, my apologies: My beef isn't with the people who live in the Abingtons, it's with the greedy land developers who are luring them there and eroding Scranton's tax base at a time when it needs all of the new residents it can attract!
Nice photos (nevermind that one with the finger in the corner ... LOL)!! Thank you.
All those lovely light-colored clapboard homes and businesses are so clean-looking, and reminded me of some of the small towns I lived in when I lived in Ohio. A refreshing change from the neverending grungy brick landscape down here in Norristown (including my own house!!).
...... My beef isn't with the people who live in the Abingtons, it's with the greedy land developers who are luring them there and eroding Scranton's tax base at a time when it needs all of the new residents it can attract!
I still think you're missing your calling going into accounting!
This very same thing is happening here. Lake Norman is the largest man-made lake on the East coast and has literally been over-run by developers. This could be written by me: "municipal officials in southern Iredell county for always being so quick to rubber-stamp new housing developments at a time when they ought to be more concerned with managing their growth in a more efficient manner" (((sigh))) So, will there be snow for me this weekend? Thanks for the Abington Heights pics - I'll be scouting for new digs while I'm in the area. Maybe I'll get down to Lowe's!
I still think you're missing your calling going into accounting!
This very same thing is happening here. Lake Norman is the largest man-made lake on the East coast and has literally been over-run by developers. This could be written by me: "municipal officials in southern Iredell county for always being so quick to rubber-stamp new housing developments at a time when they ought to be more concerned with managing their growth in a more efficient manner" (((sigh))) So, will there be snow for me this weekend? Thanks for the Abington Heights pics - I'll be scouting for new digs while I'm in the area. Maybe I'll get down to Lowe's!
Hey there Mary! It's nice to see I'm not alone in thinking that urban sprawl is going much too far in certain areas. Some sprawl in an area can be healthy, but it is NOT necessary for an area to remain vibrant. If anyone doubts this, they should check into Portland, OR, a vibrant riverfront city that's received a boost simply because Oregon has enacted strict "growth boundaries" around its towns and cities to regulate just far out new residents and businesses can sprawl themselves in an effort to preserve as much scenery as possible and to keep downtown areas healthy. I truly think that's the road that PA needs to travel down at some point soon; for a state that has nearly stagnated in growth, we're hacking up thousands of acres of prime agricultural lands and forests annually for new homes, parking lots, strip malls, etc. Why? NC is exploding with new residents, so sprawl there is inevitable. However, what's the excuse for PA, where people aren't flooding into?
Actually, there might be some snow this weekend after all. They're calling for highs in the upper-30s with snow showers through early next week; we might just have a dusting of the white stuff on the ground for when you arrive. I'll be working at the Wilkes-Barre Lowe's garden center on Saturday 2 PM-10:30 PM and from 8 AM-5 PM on Easter Sunday, so you may just bump into me. I don't think we'll have many customers though; you'd have to be insane to want to do yardwork on a breezy, wintry Easter Sunday (then again, we had people wandering around in the rain this past Sunday trying to "think Spring").
By the way, I just looked at the Lake Norman area (namely around Cornelius, Davidson, and Mooresville) using satellite imagery from Google Earth, and please don't be offended when I say "YUCK!" I'm seeing a plethora of national chain retailers along Catawba Avenue (Looks to be the South Lake Shopping Center and some other fast-food places and big-box stores). I'm also seeing a host of ugly cul-de-sacs and tract housing along roadways like Bethel Church Road, Henderson Road, Jetton Road, Meta Road, Langtree Road, John Connor Road, etc.) It just looks like endless McMansions as far as the eye can see; not an inch of the lake's shoreline looks to be accessible for public use anymore in and around that town of Cornelius! I also found what looks like a Lowe's store in Mooresville, near the intersection of Williamson Road and Route 150 (am I right?) There also appears to be a Wal-Mart Supercenter a bit further east along Route 150 (perhaps a half-mile) near Norman Station Boulevard (am I right again?!!) There's also what appears to be some SEVERE tract-housing issues near Plantation Ridge Drive---hundreds of homes that look EXACTLY THE SAME! This is all what I fear will happen to the Scranton area if more people don't stop and take a good, hard look at our land usage policies, especially now that Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is growing again in population!
Last edited by SteelCityRising; 04-04-2007 at 05:53 PM..
Reason: Typo
Actually, there might be some snow this weekend after all. They're calling for highs in the upper-30s with snow showers through early next week; we might just have a dusting of the white stuff on the ground for when you arrive. YIIPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEI'll be working at the Wilkes-Barre Lowe's garden center on Saturday 2 PM-10:30 PM and from 8 AM-5 PM on Easter Sunday, so you may just bump into me. I don't think we'll have many customers though; you'd have to be insane to want to do yardwork on a breezy, wintry Easter Sunday (then again, we had people wandering around in the rain this past Sunday trying to "think Spring"). More like "think POLLEN!"
By the way, I just looked at the Lake Norman area (namely around Cornelius, Davidson, and Mooresville) using satellite imagery from Google Earth, and please don't be offended when I say "YUCK!" I'm seeing a plethora of national chain retailers along Catawba Avenue (Looks to be the South Lake Shopping Center and some other fast-food places and big-box stores). I'm also seeing a host of ugly cul-de-sacs and tract housing along roadways like Bethel Church Road, Henderson Road, Jetton Road, Meta Road, Langtree Road, John Connor Road, etc.) this is north Meck area - Huntersville/Cornelius - very short time ago, these towns were ~3000 residentsIt just looks like endless McMansions as far as the eye can see; not an inch of the lake's shoreline1-2Million looks to be accessible for public use anymore in and around that town of Cornelius! I also found what looks like a Lowe's store in Mooresville, near the intersection of Williamson Road and Route 150 (am I right?) There also appears to be a Wal-Mart Supercenter a bit further east along Route 150 (perhaps a half-mile) near Norman Station Boulevard (am I right again?!!) There's also what appears to be some SEVERE tract-housing issues near Plantation Ridge Drive---hundreds of homes that look EXACTLY THE SAME! This is all what I fear will happen to the Scranton area if more people don't stop and take a good, hard look at our land usage policies, especially now that Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is growing again in population!
"Yuck" is waaaaaaaaaaaaay too polite . Lowe's Corporate is off Exit 33, in southern Iredell County and yes, there is a Lowe's there (Williamson Road and Route 150 ) as well as further "up the line" in Statesville (my neck of the woods - sorta). There is some designated Lk. access for the public, but as you can see, pictures don't lie. This "growth" is since 10-15 years big time; the NY/NJ that aren't moving to NEPA are coming here!
We have already went to Twigs, Gays and a few other local shops
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre
Thanks. I shouldn't generalize all people from the Abingtons as being the snooty types, but quite a large margin of them do seem to thumb their noses at people from the city, which I don't appreciate very much. Tunkhannock should remain relatively-safe from large-scale developments for quite some time; it's just a bit too far from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make commuting feasible. The three main suburban areas around here (Abingtons, Back Mountain, and Mountain Top) are each only 15-20 minutes from Downtown Scranton or Downtown Wilkes-Barre. Tunkhannock is just a bit too "far-flung" to get any sort of large growth. However, I could foresee a little more retail growth coming your way. I'm thinking a Home Depot or Lowe's will find its way to Tunkhannock within five years, possibly across the street from the Wal-Mart on Route 29. When that opens, you'll probably see Gay's Hardware go under. I hope you're checking out some of the cute little places in town as well so that the downtown doesn't empty out. Have you been to places like Twigs, Fitze's, the theatre, etc.? That town is truly a treasure to behold, and I hope it stays as a true testament to "small-town America" for many years to come.
I love Gay's Hardware. It's so neat to walk into an old store with the wood floors. They have tons of stuff to buy in there.
Twigs is wonderful. The food and service are great. We haven't been to the Deitrich yet but will go soon. Once the weather warms up, I will stroll up and down the streets of town and go into Fitze's and all the little antique stores.
We ended up going into Dickson City today. Went to the mall which is great.
We took 307 as you suggested and it was much nicer and quicker than taking Rt. 6. We left the mall and came out onto rt. 6 then took that into Clarks Summit and took a left onto Grove St. that took us back to 307 N.
Is there an easier way to get to 307 N. directly from the mall? What if we go out where Lowe's is? Would that get us to 307 N. instead of taking 6 to Grove Street?
It's not a bad ride to Lowe's and HD in Dickson City. If they build them here it would probably put the small business' under.
Good afternoon, everyone! I received a surprise phone call this morning offering me off the day from work (our Lowe's has been trying to cut back its payroll tremendously), so I gladly obliged and headed on up to the Abingtons for my latest photo tour. Within the next hour, I'll be posting over 120 images of only a few select areas of the Abingtons; just as with Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, and the Back Mountain, this region is simply too massive to have been able to cover adequately in just one photo tour. Featured today will be the sleepy hamlet of Waverly, the town proper of Clarks Summit, and a few other points of interest in South Abington and Newton Townships.
The Abingtons refers to the following eleven communities of northwestern Lackawanna County that generally comprise the Abington Heights School District:
Abington Township (Including Waverly)
North Abington Township
West Abington Township
South Abington Township (Including Chinchilla)
Newton Township
Ransom Township
Glenburn Township
LaPlume Township (Including Keystone College)
Clarks Summit
Clarks Green
Dalton
This region is arguably the most affluent part of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area; BMW SUVs and Volvo station wagons are the common methods of transport, and neighbors in many subdivisions seem to be in a quest to "outdo" one another with the most stylish driveway entry columns. The school district was rated a few years back as being among the top 100 in the nation, but I tend to think that any area where over half the children are the offspring of surgeons, attorneys, research scientists, engineers, architects, politicians, etc. will correspondingly have better test scores; this is reflective of one's social class, not necessarily of the caliber of the cirriculum.
"The Abingtons" have drawn my ire for quite some time. As Scranton continues to try to reinvent itself as a nightlife hot spot and cultural mecca, residents of the city proper continue to bleed out into newer subdivisions in the Abington Heights School District. I read the property transfers in the Scranton Times-Tribune on a daily basis, and it seems as if there's at least one lot in the Abingtons sold per week to a Scranton family. As the city's tax base continues to erode, it becomes exponentially more difficult to revitalization to continue. I wouldn't mind promoting the Abingtons to others as being a nice place to live if people moving there would make a concerted effort to at least try to patronize city businesses, attend city festivals, etc., but most people in the Abingtons shop at the Dickson City chain stores and thumb their noses at the city for some reason or other. (Even though Clarks Summit would wither up and die if Scranton were to collapse).
I hope that you'll all enjoy touring the Abingtons online as much as I enjoyed snapping the photos! As always, feel free to vote in my poll thread for what area you'd like to see next (I'll probably "bump" that thread back to the first page to make it easier to find). I'd also like to know if you're all even still interested in seeing these photo tours or not? I'm not the type of person who needs "atta boys" at every corner, but I seem to be noticing the number of views and replies to my photo tours progressively decreasing from set to set. If this trend continues, this may be my last photo tour---I don't spend a half-day at a clip and four batteries at a time just for my health; I'm only doing so if I think it can be of any sort of guidance to those pondering relocating to the region. If it's not a help, then please let me know!
Paul, thanks much for the great photo tour. I know the Lehigh Valley isn't very close to where you live, so don't kill yourself trying to get down there to take pictures. If you happen to get the chance, that would be great. Otherwise, don't worry about it. My husband and I are planning a trip in June, so we'll get to see it first-hand at that time.
We really enjoy your photo tours though. They are very much appreciated and so, so informative.
If you were in Charlotte, you'd be arrested - happened to a tourist a few years ago (who then turned out to be illegal - his visitor visa expired!)
You forgot to include the Waffle House (up from Rave, under the turnpike) with your eateries - I about died when I saw it! Bright and cheery A hostess!! Not like the Waffle Houses I know and love .....
You also forgot Vince Vince the Pizza Prince! ::roffle:: Btw, I'm sorta from the area, and have been reading posts here and looking at your wonderful photo tours for some time now. Keep it up!
I actually grew up in Wayne County, to the north of Honesdale, but I went to school in Hancock, NY since we had a choice for being so close to the border (Hancock = 10 mins, Honesdale = 45 mins). It was strange growing up there because we had a mix of people whose allegiances ran deep with NYC/Binghamton, and others who were closely linked to the Scranton/W-B area. Nonetheless, for all its problems, it was quaint, and there are actually efforts underway to revitalize the village of Hancock. If you ever want to venture a bit further from the valley, you should head up that way sometime for a photo tour. Start in Hancock, then work your way down the Delaware River on the NY side, hitting Callicoon, Cochecton/Damascus PA, and Narrowsburg along the way. And if you're very adventurous try driving the heart-pounding stretch of NY Route 97 just north of Port Jervis known as "Hawk's Nest" (been used in car commercials because it's so windy and it looks like you are going to hit the cliffs on one side or drop into the Delaware on the other).
Speaking of Vince the Pizza Prince, there's another branch of that establishment located in South Side along Pittston Ave. I believe...I always laugh when I see it though because it reminds me of the Pizzaland restaurant shown in the opening credits of The Sopranos.
As for the city, I'm glad your optimistic about its future. Scranton definitely does need more folks like you around rather than the usual gang of curmudgeons. I understand that the city is in great debt at the moment, but they should really look at other ways to clear the debt rather than raising taxes. In fact, I'd argue that they should abolish or severely reduce that silly resident's tax, as the only way to stop the hemorrhaging of $$$ is to draw in new residents and businesses, not scare them all away. Anyway, I know it's much more complicated than this, but as an outsider it seems like they need to make some radical changes to their policy to reverse the current trend.
The city I live in is actually a good model for urban planning. Do some searching for "urban villages" and "smart growth" and you'll likely see mention of Arlington. Maybe Scranton could take a few lessons?
Cheers, and "Hello!",
Jeff
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I don't begrudge others for having more than I do; I just wish those that did would put their resources to good use by trying to invest in the city. 
If we were to pick up half the people in Royal Oaks, Country Club Place, Floral Park, Oakford Woods, and all of these other posh subdivisions in the Abingtons and spread them evenly throughout the city limits (some in South Side, some in West Side, some in Green Ridge, etc.), then just think about how much more vibrant these neighborhoods would be---renovated homes, bustling businesses, more foot traffic, more children, etc. 
Here in Pittston, I'm always bumping into people who are ranting and raving about the ongoing downtown improvements in both Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, and residents of my hometown make an effort to patronize businesses and events in both cities. 
Now, two businesses have already left downtown Scranton en route to Moosic, and more are likely to follow. If the Steamtown Mall becomes a white elephant, then the ENTIRE momentum behind the downtown renaissance could be history, as the loss in foot traffic to nearby independent merchants and restaurants associated with the mall would be immense. 
Why on Earth would Moosic council members want to jeopardize that? Greed comes to mind. 
A lack of a formal education in urban planning, economics, regionalism, etc. also comes to mind, as any lucid person would be able to realize that picking up businesses from an important urban core and transferring them to a once-wooded hillside is NOT progress! 
Once again, my apologies: My beef isn't with the people who live in the Abingtons, it's with the greedy land developers who are luring them there and eroding Scranton's tax base at a time when it needs all of the new residents it can attract! 
We have already went to Twigs, Gays and a few other local shops
