‘Walk-to-everything’ lifestyle in W-B

WILKES-BARRE – When you think about it, living in the city’s downtown makes perfect sense.

The list of reasons is long – restaurants, nightlife, safety, movies, Barnes and Noble, Boscov’s, the F.M. Kirby Center, the River Common and two colleges with extensive community programming, to name some.

Larry Newman, vice president for community and economic development at the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry, said downtown living is one of the less-noticed trends in Wilkes-Barre, but one of the most exciting trends.

“Very quietly in the last 10 years, there has been a resurgence in downtown living,” Newman said. “And not necessarily apartment dwelling; people are purchasing and rehabilitating buildings and moving in.”

Newman said there can’t be a truly successful and vibrant city without having a downtown that also serves as a healthy residential neighborhood.

Newman named all of the attractions mentioned above and said all of them have contributed heavily to the decision-making process of people who have chosen to live in the city.

“If you want to live a walk-to-everything lifestyle in Northeastern Pennsylvania, downtown Wilkes-Barre is rapidly becoming your neighborhood of choice,” Newman said. “Again, urban living is not for everyone. But that’s why they make vanilla and chocolate.”

Newman said there are a growing percentage of people who want a “walk-to-everything” lifestyle. He said there are 4,000 people residing within the limits of what is considered downtown Wilkes-Barre; another 14,000 working downtown every day; and 6,000-plus college students for 10 months out of the year.

“Residents are critical to the success of any downtown,” Newman said. “Retail always follows rooftops.”

Newman said downtown Wilkes-Barre is no longer the department-store laden, trolley riding bustling place it was 40 years ago. Times and people have changed.

“If you get enough people living someplace, eventually somebody will show up to try to sell them something,” Newman said.

Newman said he is always amazed how Greater Wilkes-Barre has become a bright spot in what is otherwise a fairly dismal real estate market.

“Housing prices have held their value here,” he said. “Actually, it’s amazing that there’s any real estate activity at all during these economic times. But in Wilkes-Barre, people are putting down money in the face of a generally slow economic climate.”

Newman said the decision of Judd and Susan Shoval to move to the downtown means much more than what appears on the surface.

“It tells you the direction Wilkes-Barre is headed,” Newman said. “The city’s time has come – again.”

Newman said when households who are fortunate enough to have choices are choosing to live in downtown Wilkes-Barre, it sends a very clear message about the downtown’s resurgence.

“It’s a bold statement that downtown Wilkes-Barre has become a residential neighborhood of choice,” Newman said.

But there are many more people other than the Shovals who have already moved to the city. The historical district – River and Franklin streets primarily – has attracted many people who, as Newman said, can choose to live anywhere.

“We moved here from San Diego and we were intrigued with the idea of having an old house in an area where you could walk to everywhere,” said Pat Parks, coordinator of the Downtown Residents Association. “We walk to church, to the Kirby Center, to the park, to restaurants – everywhere.”

Parks said there are several families living near her and her husband, Wes, who share their feelings about downtown living.

“There are people with young children moving here,” she said. “Two families have or are expecting twins. People are beginning to realize it’s safer; I’m sure more will come.”

Parks said there is a convenience in living downtown. She said as more people move into the city, the better it will be.

“Having more residents brings positive change,” Parks said. “You have to use common sense when you live downtown; you can’t leave your purse on the front seat of your parked car.”

Parks said the Downtown Residents Association meets every fourth Monday of the month. She said meetings are not held in December, June, July or August. The group is growing – averaging about 30 people per meeting.

“We’re becoming an advocacy group and we act as a historic review board,” she said. “We offer presentations of community interest and we hold social gatherings. We want everyone to meet and get to know their neighbors.”

Parks said the group wants to develop “welcome bags” to give to prospective residents and new neighbors. She said the bags would contain things like voter registration cards, library cards, Boscov discounts and a calendar of city activities.

Mike and Tish Last moved to 291 S. Franklin St. six years ago from Forty Fort. They live in a home that was rehabilitated by City Vest, a nonprofit community redevelopment company. The Lasts put their personal touches to the place and they have never looked back.

“We fell in love with the home,” Tish Last said. We saw it at its worst – the structural bones. It was dilapidated; homeless people had used it. Yet we saw the potential it had and said let’s go for it.”

Mayor Tom Leighton couldn’t be happier with the influx of residents to the downtown.

“We’re seeing good, hardworking people moving in,” Leighton said. “They could live anywhere in Wyoming Valley and they are locating to the city.”

Leighton said a lot of people and organizations have helped to make the city an attractive place to live, work and play.

“This is exactly what we set out to do when I took office six years ago,” Leighton said. “I just drove through the downtown (Wednesday late afternoon) and there wasn’t a parking space available. People were walking around; the city was busy.”

Leighton said he sees positive signs everywhere he looks. He said more and more people are starting to believe in the city.

“Maybe we should change the city’s slogan from ‘I believe’ to ‘We believe,’” Leighton said.

Last said she and her husband walk to restaurants and the movies. She said they enjoy being “urban pioneers.”

“We walked to see Johnny Mathis at the Kirby Center and Elie Wiesel at Wilkes University,” she said. “And the county built a nice multi-million dollar riverfront park around the corner. Wilkes-Barre really is a beautiful town that has gone through some hard times.