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WILKES-BARRE — What location is to real estate, Larry Newman is to downtown Wilkes-Barre.

He is part of it, living and working there and earnestly promoting it as a place to live, work and play.

He’s a perfect fit for the executive director of the Diamond City Partnership, the downtown revitalization organization.

Let him tell you why and learn something about him in the process.

Where did you go to college?

I received my Bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, and I received my Master’s degree from Harvard University. Thanks to Princeton, there’s a lot of orange and black in my family’s wardrobe: it’s like every day is Halloween.

What was your major?

Both my undergraduate and graduate degrees are in architecture.

What was your first job out of college?

I had a short-term job as a planning coordinator for this part of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, which was still very new. Because I love both architecture and history, it was wonderful to be able to work with so many local landmarks and landscapes. Ironically, today, more than two decades later, the 150-mile D&L Trail – which had been planned as the spine of the Heritage Corridor – has finally reached Mountain Top. Now, we still need to determine the best way to bring the trail to its terminus at the River Common – but we’re almost there. Clearly, if you want to succeed as a planner, two critical qualities are patience and persistence!

What has been the best advice you received in business?

No matter what you do, be self-aware: understand your strengths and build on them. That’s true for people, for organizations, and for cities. Also, you will experience failures: the question is whether you will let those failures stop you, or whether you will learn from them and keep on going. Finally, if you’re planning something, and you want to succeed, you should start by trying to answer the question, “Why are we doing this?”

If your business had a limitless budget, what would be three things you would do differently?

I run a place-management organization in a place whose challenges are rooted in a weak market and a history of sustained disinvestment. Downtown has come such a long way, but there’s still much more to be done. Every day, I’m confronted with this question: “What can we do today, with the tools we have at our disposal, to make downtown Wilkes-Barre better?” So, it’s simple: if DCP had more resources, we’d apply them toward projects and programs that accelerate our existing downtown strategy by investing in the quality of the public environment; restoring historic buildings; continuing to fill in the gaps with new businesses, residents, and functions; building on our existing assets and the things that make us special; and making downtown cleaner, safer, and more inviting – in short, continuing to push our city center forward so that it’s a point of pride for the entire area. You simply cannot have a great city without a vibrant downtown.

What are our area’s biggest strengths and weaknesses?

The Wyoming Valley has a lot to be proud of. We have so many strengths: our people, who came here from across the world to build new lives here, and whose hard work created a tight-knit community that’s been a wonderful place to grow up and reside for so many of us; our natural and built environment, which is of remarkable quality; our rich history; our comparatively high quality of life; and the superb civic investments that we’ve created for ourselves, such as our colleges, our parks and recreational amenities, and our other community institutions.

Our area’s biggest weaknesses emerge from our economic history. They include an apparently bottomless capacity for self-loathing; historically weak educational attainment; intense parochialism; a lack of interest in thoughtful planning or learning from other communities’ successes and mistakes; a willingness to walk away from problems and discard anything from our past – no matter how meaningful – in favor of something “new;” civic conversations dominated by the most negative among us; and a pervasive belief that we somehow don’t deserve anything more, so we shouldn’t strive for the best.

I’ve been fortunate to travel throughout the U.S. and, because I currently chair the board of the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, our statewide advocate for downtown revitalization, I’ve been able to see even more of our own state. The Wyoming Valley has nothing to apologize for: our community can hold its own against anywhere else in this country. However, we must start demanding more of ourselves. There are lots of towns with big problems and difficult economies: those that can shake off the despair, confront their challenges, and reinvent themselves will make it; and those that believe that nothing can ever get better will fail. People choose to invest in places that are willing to invest in themselves.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Kingston, and I’m a proud graduate of Wyoming Valley West High School.

Tell us about your family.

My wife, Marisue, is a remarkable person – not only has she had a very accomplished career in her own right, but she has done that while keeping our household running and putting up with me. She’s also my best friend, which is pretty cool. I proposed to her in Gary, Indiana (don’t ask). We have three kids, who can all tell you heart-rending stories about being dragged somewhere while on vacation because “Dad wants to look at a building.” On the bright side, they all now have a very good sense of direction.

My parents still live in Kingston, and they apparently have no plans to retire – ever. I have one brother, who is a composer – our family gravitated toward unusual career choices – and he and my niece live in Virginia.

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

I retrieve the newspaper from the front porch, start the coffee, turn on NPR’s “Morning Edition,” and attempt to ensure that my daughter’s school lunch makes it into her backpack.

What’s the last thing you do at night before you fall asleep?

I love to read, so that’s how I relax at the end of the evening. It’s not unusual for me to fall asleep with a book.

Where’s your favorite place to go on vacation?

Anywhere that I can get out on the water in my kayak. During the summer, we enjoy going to New England – anywhere from Nantucket to the Berkshires – there’s so much to see and do. And, I am happy exploring any city or town that I’ve never visited before – particularly on foot. If you want to truly get a feel for a place, there’s no substitute for walking around, experiencing it as a pedestrian, and even getting a little lost.

What’s your favorite restaurant and/or meal?

I love eating in my own neighborhood: downtown Wilkes-Barre, which has become our area’s new “restaurant row.” There are so many wonderful options, and there’s nothing like being able to walk from your home to your choice of cuisine! As far as my favorite food: it’s pizza. Thin crust, sweet sauce, Old Forge style, whatever. After all, I’m from Northeastern Pennsylvania – home of the best pizza in America. I also find myself thinking about a good corned beef on rye with lots of mustard and a half-sour kosher pickle – but that’s another topic.

What’s your biggest fear?

That something bad happens to a member of my family.

What do you want to do when you retire?

I’d enjoy the opportunity to write, teach, and explore more of the world. My wife and I fantasize about hitting the open road with an Airstream in tow – but who knows?

Larry Newman, executive director of Diamond City Partnership, stands amid one of downtown Wilkes-Barre’s biggest attractions in the summer and early fall — the Farmers Market on Public Square — last week.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_larrynewman.jpg.optimal.jpgLarry Newman, executive director of Diamond City Partnership, stands amid one of downtown Wilkes-Barre’s biggest attractions in the summer and early fall — the Farmers Market on Public Square — last week. Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader

By Jerry Lynott

[email protected]

Age: 46

Title: Executive Director

Business: Diamond City Partnership, Inc.

Location: Downtown Wilkes-Barre

Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLNews.