The Rise of the Forever Renters
The Scranton Lace factory closed in 2002 and sat abandoned for about two decades—a relic of the industrial Pennsylvania city’s glory days when its workers churned out more Nottingham lace curtains, tablecloths and napkins than anywhere else in the world.
Today, about 1,000 people have said they’d like to rent 32 luxury apartments built inside the factory’s original walls for $950 to $3,600 a month, said project property manager Michael Basalyga, who collected sign-ups in an online registration form. As of December, about two-thirds of the units were preleased. Renters get granite countertops, at least 12-foot ceilings, high-end stainless-steel appliances as well as access to a hot yoga studio, a spa, a dog park, pickleball courts and room service via an on-site restaurant.