Yeah, lots of crime ans beat up old properties. There is heavy drug use and dealers from Philly/NY hang out in those area. The bars in Wilkes-Barre are nice to hang out in on the weekends (15ish minutes from Dallas), but I wouldn't live there. And a lot of the surrounding towns are in a flood zone. The creeks flood a lot and '100 year' storms are happening more often than that. The Susquehanna has had a few close calls in the last few years. Of the three cities, Scranton is my favorite. If you have no fear of crime, go visit all of them tosee what vibe you like best!