A former anthracite coal capital, Wilkes-Barre has found a second wind as one of northeastern Pennsylvania's most walkable cities. The compact 7-square-mile downtown core, set along the Susquehanna River, puts daily errands, dining, and green space within easy reach on foot. Public Square anchors civic life at the center, while the revitalized River Common stretches along the riverbank with trails, an amphitheater, and fishing piers. King's College and Wilkes University both sit within the urban fabric, lending the city an active, campus-town energy alongside its historic neighborhoods.
Renters will find a range of housing styles that reflect the city's early 20th-century boom years: Dutch Colonial homes, elaborately detailed rowhouses with ornate stonework, and multi-family buildings converted from period architecture.
