The Susquehanna River has long been a defining characteristic of Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County and now, more than ever, it's a symbol of the city's rebirth. The $23 million River Common project, which opened to the public in 2009 on either side of the Market Street Bridge, provides city residents with an amphitheater, common areas and designated parklands for entertainment, recreation and various other public uses.

In fact, aside from its well-preserved historic architecture, downtown Wilkes-Barre bears little resemblance to the city to which coal drew thousands of immigrant workers a century earlier and was ravaged by the Agnes Flood in 1972. It has rapidly become a walkable college downtown community with a burgeoning technology sector.

The redevelopment project at Northampton and Main Streets has also played a major role, drawing 500,000 movie-goers annually to its R/C Theaters, spawning 23 new businesses and selling two-thirds of its 21 condo units in a down economy. The nation's first jointly run Barnes & Noble is evidence of the city's higher education institutions-King's and Wilkes-playing an increased role in Wilkes-Barre's development. A city once yearning for a new feel has also become the home of separate business incubators that have become highly skilled in seeding and building successful technology companies.