There’s something magical about standing here on Lackawanna Avenue, surrounded by a parade of buildings that refuse to take just one style for an answer. Look around-Late Victorian flair jostles elbows with the proud columns of Classical Revival, while Art Deco flourishes add a glamorous twist. Most of these beauties are three or four stories tall, stretching up with their brick and stone facades, each building telling its own story from a different chapter in Scranton’s fast-paced past. Daydream about shopkeepers in bowler hats hurrying along, customers chattering as they eyed the latest fashions, and the city coming alive as the trains rolled in and out just a few blocks away.
Among these stands the grand Dime Bank Building-so important it’s listed all on its own. Picture folks lining up on payday, maybe even dragging in a squeaky wheelbarrow full of coins, trying to impress the bank teller. In 1983, this entire avenue’s charm was officially recognized by the National Register of Historic Places-clearly, Scranton takes its architecture as seriously as it takes its pizza. Soak it in; you’re not just looking at buildings-you’re in the heart of almost 150 years of ambition, invention, and daily adventure.
