I find it interesting to read the postings about how people “wish Downtown was the same as it used to be.” What we seem to forget is that we are one of the biggest reasons that Downtown ceased to exist. Attitudes changed in the 60s – we wanted to be more like the “big cities” – Roanoke, Richmond, Washington, DC – with their big indoor malls. That way we could park our cars, go inside, and shop without having to worry about finding a parking place or the weather. We could shop, eat, sit and visit, do all of the things we used to do Downtown, but without the “inconveniences.” Now we are doing the same thing to the malls. We do not want to be inconvenienced by having to drive to the mall, park our car, walk inside and then shop. We would rather come home from work, have dinner, sit in front of our computer and shop on Amazon or some other on-line entity with Dancing With the Stars, Survivor, or some other mindless TV show in the background. Nope…..Downtown will never be the same, and it is not because entrepreneurs are not interested in opening new stores --- it is because we are not willing to be “inconvenienced.” I am well aware of this phenomenon because I own a small store in a Downtown (although much smaller than Harrisonburg) and constantly hear that it is so much easier to just shop on-line.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 13:34:11 +0000