days when downtown areas are active

[boiker]

I love days like today. Today I had a hard time finding parking. Today I actually had to walk around people on my way to work. Today Peoria's downtown felt alive.

The Illinois State High School Basketball Tourney is being held this weekend at our lovely civic center. When there are all day expos, concerts, or sporting events, Peoria's downtown gives me a glimpse of what the city strives for it to be.

There is daily activity here, but it usually consists of the commute in crowd, the lunch crowd, the commute out crowd, then the (light) bar and restaurant crowd till about 4am. Events always spice it up.

 

[Tranplanner]

I thought at first you were talking about a different downtown

 

[boiker]

I thought at first you were talking about a different downtown

of course i was speaking of the only downtown there is

It's just an unusual thing to see, a high level of pedestrian downtown activity in a small midwest city.

 

[Chet]

March Madness is going to bring a ton of activity to our downtown as well. As much as I like it, I hate having to go down there for business the next few days.

 

[Rumpy Tunanator]

We have the March Madness thing going on, not as crazy as when the Frozen Four was held here last year.

 

[Seabishop]

There is something sad about seeing old pictures of people jamming the streets of even small cities, compared to what they're like now. Of course, just seeing a snap-shot of a crowd full of guys with hats doesn't really give you insight of how their overall quality of life was compared to ours.

In the town I work for, downtown pedestrians are usually the elderly, group home residents, or people already pissed off that they have to come to city hall or the motor vehicle registry. I just saw a guy with tattoo of a scorpion on his neck.

 

[Gedunker]

What are these "active downtowns" of which you speak? ;-)

We have a big redevlopment project that ought to breathe new life in our dt, but right now the walks get rolled up at 5:00pm.

 

[michaelskis]

The more that I learn about things in downtown Kalamazoo, the more that I am going love living here. Another cyburbia resident and I met up for a beer at Bells, and he told me about many cool things in the town. Even introduced me to a Beer that has Coffee in it.

I think that downtown Kalamazoo has tremendous potential, and I have a feeling that during the summer months, it is lit up and alive with activity. I have yet to regret any aspect of moving here!

 

[boiker]

Skis i feel the same way about Peoria. Peoria by no means has a 24 hour downtown. It has a very small retail environment (after having ALL retail as recently as the early 1970s). The framework is in place. A minor league ball park, theater, a civic center, a park/plaza riverfront, unique restaurants a couple chains, loft residences, a new museum and potential IMAX theater. In this no/slow growth metro area these are all positive signs that downtown may find it's niche.

I don't expect sidewalks clogged with pedestrians, but I feel that the retail environment may slowly expand as the new residnetial base builds.