Best PA Mid-Sized Urban Renaissance? (Pittsburgh, Erie: apartment, loft, neighborhoods)

[SteelCityRising]

Hello everyone! I've been doing a lot of research lately on various urban revitalization projects throughout our beautiful Commonwealth, and I thought a good idea for a new poll question would be to ask you, the voters, what city you think deserves the award for "Best Rust Belt Rebounder?" Please post a reply explaining why you chose the particular city you did and detailing some projects currently underway to transform the city from slum to chic. Thanks, and I look forward to reading your responses!

[SteelCityRising]

I'll get the ball rolling here. I couldn't decide whether Bethlehem or Scranton have done a better job of turning themselves around, especially since 2000, so I chose both.

My uncle and his fiancee currently live in Bethlehem, a community he relocated to years ago to attend Lehigh University. We've been down to visit him on many occasions, and I've never been ceased to be amazed by how walkable and liveable Bethlehem seems to be. We walked around the North Side at Christmastime, and we sauntered in and out of various stores, including the Moravian Book Store and some nice little Irish shop that really won my heart over. The SouthSide was really bouncing back as well with various little art galleries and shops, including something I thought was called the Banana Works? (or Banana Factory?) My family and I also toured the pristine hillside campus of Lehigh University during my college search a few years ago, and we were very impressed by the community, over all.

Then you also have Scranton, which has approximately the same population as Bethlehem (and is in a metropolitan area with roughly the same population as well). Since Mayor Chris Doherty took the helm in 2001, the future of the city has been looking brighter and brighter with each passing day. I've watched announcement after announcement of new loft apartment projects, art galleries, new restaurants, boutiques, new annual festivals, etc., and the excitement swirling around the city's revival now has been unparalleled at any other point in the history of the Electric City. With various other brand new and upcoming attractions (Scranton Medical School, commuter rail connection to NYC, new film office, setting for NBC's "The Office", St. Peter's Square, Jefferson Pointe, the Lackawanna Riverfront improvements, etc.), the city's livability continues to rise.

I voted for Bethlehem and Scranton; what are your votes and why?

[openless]

Harrisburg is my vote, although it still has some rough areas it is improving.

[GuardianSensor]

I'm voting for Erie...not just because I live here, seriously.

Look it's like this, Erie gets forgotten by the rest of the state...yes we get some state money for revitalization, but the eastside of the state has so many dysfunctional municipalities, that when it comes to Erie we get the bare bones of the deal.

We really are making it on our own merits here!

If we got as much attention from the Capitol as other places do...let alone Philly right now!...We'd be absolutely renovated...every neighborhood would be rebuilt and streets would be up kept better.

As it is we do GREAT in those area's, though the winters ruin our streets yearly....we only have a little ways to go before Erie ONCE AGAIN has no "ghetto's" if you can even dare to call that!!!!

Erie has everything the rest of the state has and everything it DOESN'T.

If we didn't get overlooked so much we'd be as big as Pittsburgh.

[danwxman]

Originally Posted by GuardianSensor

I'm voting for Erie...not just because I live here, seriously.

Look it's like this, Erie gets forgotten by the rest of the state...yes we get some state money for revitalization, but the eastside of the state has so many dysfunctional municipalities, that when it comes to Erie we get the bare bones of the deal.

We really are making it on our own merits here!

If we got as much attention from the Capitol as other places do...let alone Philly right now!...We'd be absolutely renovated...every neighborhood would be rebuilt and streets would be up kept better.

As it is we do GREAT in those area's, though the winters ruin our streets yearly....we only have a little ways to go before Erie ONCE AGAIN has no "ghetto's" if you can even dare to call that!!!!

Erie has everything the rest of the state has and everything it DOESN'T.

If we didn't get overlooked so much we'd be as big as Pittsburgh.

I've been to Erie, it has nothing on Harrisburg except its surroundings, sorry. The downtown is dead as a doornail except for a small patch around the downtown park and near the college. Most of the neighborhoods are in decline (sadly). I really wish Erie the best but it needs A LOT more work. I hope they get a good deal out of the stimulus because the city needs a MAJOR cosmetic facelift.

I think Harrisburg has, by quite a margin, seen the biggest urban renaissance of any mid-sized city. Bethlehem has the best downtown of any mid-sized city...but that city never declined as much as Harrisburg did. Thirty years ago, almost the entire downtown district of Harrisburg was vacant and boarded up. Since 1982 (thanks in large part to current Mayor Reed) new office buildings have been built (literally four million square feet of office space has been added) new downtown apartment buildings, tons of restaurants, nightclubs and new businesses.

Now, most of the office and residential growth was pre-2000, but the restaurant/nightlife aspect has all been post 2000.

I really need to get to Scranton before I truely make up my mind, but I don't think it has quite come as far as Harrisburg yet. Wilkes-Barre impressed me on my trip last summer but again, it still has a ways to go.

[W-B proud]

Wilkes-Barre is in a rebuilding phase right now many multi-million dollar projects are under construction right now and slated to open this spring. When all is said and done with W-B, it is gonna be a pretty nice downtown with Public Square, the new Riverfront Project, many new buisnessess have sprung up, and it even has a youthful feel at night because of the two colleges. It does have a ways to go, but in the next two years, I think downtown Wilkes-Barre will have one of the best downtowns in Pa. for a small city. We are lucky to be a riverfront city like Harrisburg.

[W-B proud]

These polls are funny because everyone always votes for the city they live in, or live closest too.

[W-B proud]

Originally Posted by GuardianSensor

I'm voting for Erie...not just because I live here, seriously.

Look it's like this, Erie gets forgotten by the rest of the state...yes we get some state money for revitalization, but the eastside of the state has so many dysfunctional municipalities, that when it comes to Erie we get the bare bones of the deal.

We really are making it on our own merits here!

If we got as much attention from the Capitol as other places do...let alone Philly right now!...We'd be absolutely renovated...every neighborhood would be rebuilt and streets would be up kept better.

As it is we do GREAT in those area's, though the winters ruin our streets yearly....we only have a little ways to go before Erie ONCE AGAIN has no "ghetto's" if you can even dare to call that!!!!

Erie has everything the rest of the state has and everything it DOESN'T.

If we didn't get overlooked so much we'd be as big as Pittsburgh.

Erie is the only decent sized city in Pa. that I've never been to. I'd like to check it out one of these days.

[eastcoasthustla]

It all remains to be seen.

Harrisburg was an absolute dump in the 1980s. Its turnaround downtown has been remarkable. Being the state capital has many benefits. So right now, I'd have to definitely go with Harrisburg.

Erie has the most potential for a wonderful resurgence, but has a long way to go. Much of the city is quite rundown. Even though downtown Erie and the bayfront area has changed dramatically, downtown still has much vacancy and surface parking lots. Many plans are in the works... so we'll see. Eventually, I think Erie, because of its unique location, will see the greatest turnaround. It has assets that no other city in PA has. But it's gonna take time.

Other than those two, the rest of PA's mid-sized cities are similarly boring to me. They all seem like the same old mountain towns. I'm not saying that they're not nice, just nothing that unique about them to truly differentiate them from one another.

[GuardianSensor]

Originally Posted by danwxman

I've been to Erie, it has nothing on Harrisburg except its surroundings, sorry. The downtown is dead as a doornail except for a small patch around the downtown park and near the college. Most of the neighborhoods are in decline (sadly). I really wish Erie the best but it needs A LOT more work. I hope they get a good deal out of the stimulus because the city needs a MAJOR cosmetic facelift.

I think Harrisburg has, by quite a margin, seen the biggest urban renaissance of any mid-sized city. Bethlehem has the best downtown of any mid-sized city...but that city never declined as much as Harrisburg did. Thirty years ago, almost the entire downtown district of Harrisburg was vacant and boarded up. Since 1982 (thanks in large part to current Mayor Reed) new office buildings have been built (literally four million square feet of office space has been added) new downtown apartment buildings, tons of restaurants, nightclubs and new businesses.

Now, most of the office and residential growth was pre-2000, but the restaurant/nightlife aspect has all been post 2000.

I really need to get to Scranton before I truely make up my mind, but I don't think it has quite come as far as Harrisburg yet. Wilkes-Barre impressed me on my trip last summer but again, it still has a ways to go.

You don't know nothing of Erie then! 5 new office buildings have been built in the last 3 yrs...Downtown is bustling with people, MAJOR nightlight scenes and every kind of fine dining you could want!

The only thing Harrisburg has over Erie is STATE MONEY.