Scranton, PA
 

Hi. I'm moving to the Scranton area from Alabama for a job at Tobyhanna. I have rented a house and plan to move up there in about 2 weeks. However, the house is located
on Orchard Street in Southside Scranton near Cedar Street. According to an article I read in the Times Tribune, that area is over run with crime! Please help. Is that true? Should I get my deposit money back from the
gentleman and look elsewhere? I just don't want to move there and be in the middle of the "hood" and get shot or mugged. You can email me directly at [email protected] if you'd like. Thanks in advance for your response.

The best way to resolve this is to contact the Scranton police and get crime statistics.

I have family in that area who just sold a rental house close to that address and they said they were glad to get rid of it because the neighborhood has gotten pretty nasty.

Tobyhanna is a bit of a drive from Scranton, and there are some nice, if more rural (not that Scranton is exactly urbane) places that would be a lot closer to work.

I'm from that area and was there last weekend. From what I remember Orchard Street is not really in the best of an area. Did you see the house and view it with a realtor?

My biggest question is "Why don't you attempt to find something closer to Tobyhanna?" Gasoline costs a lot more now and you'd probably have a 35-40 miles trip up to the Depot.

I wish I could sasy something really good about the neighborhood but I can't - I can only imagine that you got a super good rental price.

I just spoke with a good Scranton friend and the word is that area around Cedar Ave has deteriorated and there's a good bit of drug trafficking as well as thefts going on.

It's not up to me, but if it were, I'd get my money back and look more in Moscow to Tobyhanna area. Dunmore might even be closer and better.

I live in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area and I travel throughout Scranton on a regular basis for work. I would avoid living in that section of Scranton at all costs and try someplace like Moscow, or directly in Tobyhanna. If you don't want to be so rural you can also try Pittston Township (close to the highways) or Old Forge is also very safe.

My sister and her husband work at the depot and there are a lot of carpools that run to the depot daily so you would not necessarily be driving everyday.

I know this is late, but I hope it helps!

Nancy

And if you look in Old Forge you'll be in the pizza capitol of the USA!! There really is NO better pizza anywhere than Old Forge pizza. Revellos, Ghigarelli, Bruticos, Arcaro and gennells - it's got me hungry again!!

LN--you missed my favorite Old Forge pizza--Salernos! I'll have to get some over the weekend....My hubby is from Old Forge:)

Nancy

You know Nancy I'm not sure where Salernos is. Can you refresh my memory please?

I've even picked up pizza crust at Agostinis to bring back to Md and make some fresh pizza.

Another OF question - what kind of cheeses do you suspect they use? Some of us think three different cheeses.

Hi LN,

Salernos is on Moosic Road which is just off Main Street by the light by Cherry's Store.

My husband says its definately a mixture of American and Mozzarella Cheeses. He said they used to mixed Munster Cheese with the other two years ago, but he's not sure if they still do.

I think there maybe some Old Forge pizza on my table for dinner tonight!

Nancy

AAaaagghhhh - one of the precious few things I miss about that area! Never have found another place that equals it - nor where they understand what one means by a "tray" or a "cut" of pizza.

OK, the sidetrack of pizza got to me. Here in Tucson even I have had Ghigarelli's pizza from Old Forge. Their white pizza was so good!! My brother lives in Clarks Summit and I love getting pizza from Old Forge when we visit.

Oh this is such a good thread. I'm envious already about that pizza Nancy. I know you enjoyed it!!

People here in the Maryland/DC area do not know what good pizza is until we give them a taste of what we've brought back. Now everyone wants us to bring back a tray whenever we go up.

Such nice crispy crust - such a light pizza and no not stringy cheese. It's got my mouth watering again.

You know you are from Scranton when you ..

can name every town between Wilkes-Barre and Carbondale(in order!).
have a church and favorite "beer garden" conveniently located on the same corner.
know the difference between halushki and halupki.
know "up the line" from "down the line".
think driving to your brother-in-law's in Wilkes-Barre constitutes going out of town for Thanksgiving.
are on the local funeral director's Christmas card list And you have one of his calendars hanging in the kitchen.
take a good three minutes to read the Sunday paper.
are one of the few Americans who cares where Hillary's father is buried.
can tell the difference between an "Irish" church and an "Italian" church just by the name.
when giving directions you always mention at least one bar or funeral home.
know what a "corpse house" is.
tell everyone from out of town that the reason u live here is because "It's the best place in the world to raise a family," and then complain because there's nothing for the kids to do, no jobs except minimum wage.
have at least one immediate family member who "works" at Tobyhanna or "The Depot".
have ever ridden a bus to Atlantic City, " 'Cause it only costs 12 bucks and they give you 10 in quarters".
plan your summer vacation "to the shore" around the fireman's and/or Church picnic.
would never walk down Mulberry Street at night.
as far as you're concerned it's "Rude 81" because U think Jersey drivers are the worst in the world.
pronounce the following correctly: chimbly, li-bary, sangwich, and brudder.
your chuchi lives next door to your noni.
Kill-bossy is the main course at Christmas dinner.
They're HOAGIES dammit!
have someone in your family who "went tudda U"
order a "tray of pizza"
miss Sugerman's
know what a "smidgen" is
remember the Globe store
know who Tilly and Tony the elephants are
have a mom makes the world's best piggies and smashed pa-tay-das
are connected to everyone through at most 3 people
have carried a keg in the woods to party
spend at least two nights of Italian Festival week walking around in a circle

Wow! Some of that was a trip down memory lane. My mom's family is from Throop and my dad's from Scranton and my "brudder" went to "da U!" My mom did make the best piggies and of course, "Killbossy" was Christmas and Easter dinner! Thanks!

Upper Throop (like along George or Dunmore Streets) or Lower Throop (down dere by da litle league field)? :-)

Oh my goodness Seamus! Again, the memories! My grandfather was one of the founders of Little League in Throop and the field is named after him (Frank Lucas). My grandparents house was walking distance to the field. Their house was on Center St. across the street from a really ugly furniture warehouse!

E-mail me offline at [email protected] and we can e-slurp over some pierogie recipes without boring the rest of the group!

I can stand on my head and do all those prerequisites by memory!! I also remember "up the line" and "down the line" but as so many of you seem to be from Throop - I have to admit I'm a Scranton gal - from North Scranton and out of Tech Hi. And I'd never live on Orchard Street!!

My question now is:

Where are you all at now????

LN- hey there, Red Raider!
Now a San Antonio denizen, I can only claim a partial Throop heritage - my Dad hailed from there and we lived there the first couple years of my life, then moved "up the line" a bit. Where are you? Oh, and by the way...
MORE COOL FACTS
**MOVIES
School Ties takes place in Scranton.
KingPin has scenes that involve Scranton.
In Never Been Kissed, Drew Barrymore says she is a transfer student from Scranton.
In Home Alone, Kevin McAllister's mom stops at the Scranton airport.
Jason Miller of Scranton played roles in That Championship Season (coach Rudy and The Exorcist (the priest).
**SONGS
Harry Chapin's "30,000 pounds of bananas" - a Scranton classic!
Pennsylvania Polka - "It started in Old Forge..."
**SHOWS
On the Friends episode where Ross tries to sell his monkey he says, "The Scranton Zoo won't even take him."
Denise Hudson from Peckville was on Star Search 2-22-03.
Chris from Sugarloaf was a bachelor of the Bachelorette.
Charles from Charles in Charge says Scranton is his hometown.
**MISCELLANY
The largest election fraud fine in U.S. history was against Empire Sanitary Landfill, Inc. of Scranton, PA, for funneling $129,000 in illegal corporate money to 10 federal campaigns from 1994 through 1996.
Jermyn is the birthplace of first-aid.
It is believed that an Egyptian treasure is buried in Olyphant.
Scranton used the first electric streetcar in the country.
USS SCRANTON is the 45th submarine in the LOS ANGELES class and the 19th ship of that class built in Newport News, Va.
Gloria Estefan 's tour bus crashed in Carbondale and she was treated at CMC.
Bill and Hillary ate at Coopers.
Babe Ruth used to drink at the Hotel Jermyn.
Jack Palance is from near here.
Larry Holmes fought his first fight here.
Bill Clinton drove through Scranton in a limo for a funeral.
Mike Tyson has been in Olyphant and Jessup.
Joe Montana's father-in-law lived in Jermyn.

We have truly highjacked this thread!! Annapolis Maryland is hometown now. Left Scranton early to work for the fed in DC and later became a contractor.

I loved all the facts and knew of many except the Empire Sanitary Landfill scandal (wonder who was head of THAT company).

Did you also know that Hilary Clinton's father is buried in Washburn Cemetary on Washburn St Scranton and her family has (and still owns) a cottage at Lake Winola (my favorite childhood place)

We get up to Scranton a couple times a year for family and friends and ALWAYS get to Old Forge (and sometimes Winola).

What about the neighborhood surrounding Nay Aug Park - any of the long-term Scrantonites have any input on that area? Seems nice, houses are in good shape, etc.

That area has had a growing problem with drugs in the last several years - I'd be very careful.

I agree with Seamus--definitely a growing drug problem in that area. I personally would avoid Scranton all together and try one of the small cities on the outskirts such as Taylor, Old Forge, Throop, Pittston Township, etc.