Saturday, December 13, 2014

Andy's Angles: The Globe

It's amazing how a building can make you happy and sad at the same time.

This is the old Globe store on Wyoming Avenue in downtown Scranton.  It was a department store that seemed to have just about everything-- clothes, shoes, furniture, appliances, candy, stationery, books, records, a restaurant, and a lot of other stuff I'm sure I'm missing.

I cannot pass by, any time of year, without thinking of Christmas.  The Globe always had the best decorations outside, the best window displays, and the best Santa inside.  Toyland was really something special.

The Globe closed in 1994.  Suddenly.  Sadly.  Employees were thrown out, and told to return in a few days for the start of the going out of business sale.  Thanks for your service!

Even a bridge to the new Mall at Steamtown couldn't save it.  By the end, the Globe was just a tired, old store that needed help, and no one had the money to give it.  Department stores started becoming less popular, and the decline is still in effect today.

An information technology called the building home for a long time.  It, too, is gone.  The Globe is empty.  The building is for sale.  Unfortunately, I don't see a bright future.  The retail days are done.  Possibilities?  Apartments/condos.  Downtown living seems popular these days.  Government.  Lackawanna County has offices scattered all over the place.  A central location, a big courthouse annex wouldn't be a bad idea, but the cost could kill it.

I took this picture on a recent morning, but I'm frequently in the area before the sun rises.  It's a dark and dismal block.  It's too bad the cash strapped, idea void city can't put something here, like a big tree or some holiday lights to brighten up the area, and help people feel good about Scranton.  It might be time for the downtown business community to step up and make the former downtown hub attractive again.