Last Friday night many gathered with Mayor Ireton in a group to walks the entire Downtown Main Street strip to visit each and every business owner to support their businesses.
I had asked the Mayor if he had ever visited one of the small restaurants inside the building in the first picture and he had no idea there was a restaurant in there. Once he glanced at the menu the first thing out of his mouth was, we're coming back here next week for lunch.
When we visited Kuhn's they were so excited to see so many in the store at one time. I had parked behind Parker Place and when we reached the east end of Downtown I excused myself to get back to Parker Place to make sure I visited Dot Truitt and see what the kids had done craft wise. The young lady pictured above had hand crafted those figures out of clay and the detail was just unbelievable.
While I was walking back to my car I had run into two people who had said they had never seen so many people Downtown. Our group was certainly not the only group of people visiting and shopping. Flavors was absolutely packed both in the restaurant and the bar areas.
The Mayor talked about possibly having a band outside the Chamber of Commerce, (should they be willing) the next time they do this. Our group hung out there for three hours visiting and getting to know the shop owners and staff and I truly look forward to the next time they hold this event.
16 comments:
Hey the little girl with the pottery, Those things are great... Did she make them? If so does she sell them?
Yes, she made them. The detail, (especially for her age) was just unbelievable! As far as her selling them, I can't answer that one. Perhaps Dot Truitt can answer that question.
I am a musician and I have been offering for YEARS to play for free downtown and no one has ever called. Look at the Urban Salisbury Website...it hasn't been updated in months! And a year before that. Frankly, the idiots downtown don't deserve our free help. Morons. The whole thing should fall into the river. Update your website...if there are events downtown NO ONE knows about it!
That's my daughter in the picture :) It was really great the feedback she got with her first sculptures and you can bet the encouragement will lead to many more! I've passed on the comments here and she would LOVE to sell her sculptures! It's been a dream of hers for a while to sell her art. Please contact me if you are interested.
Thanks to Dot for her help in getting us started. She has gone above and beyond what I expected.
Thanks for your interest in my daughter's work and for including her in your blog :)
I wish the city would do a better job of advertising these downtown events. I would love to support the downtown area and local business owners but if I don't know I can't attend. This is the first I have heard of this event and the Harry Potter screening you posted last week I could only find on your site. Why is that??
Chuck I see you hiding behind that flag....
This was the first time, I believe, that this Third Friday event has taken place.
If all the businesses, not just restaurants, were to make a point to have something special going on for future such events, it would go a long way to promote them.
All food, retail, and service businesses within a couple of blocks of the GOB were to be CONSPICUOUSLY open Third Friday from 4-8 pm, then people will come to see what's available.
If the media (other than sbynews) would help promote it might help also. If not for Joe's blog I wouldn't have known anything about it.
Downtown is dead and will never return. It is too small for any real development. It would not be able to handle large crowds of people.
They will be wasting our money to try to regain what once was BUT WILL NEVER BE AGAIN!!! FORGET IT COUNCIL!!!!!
Downtown has four things working against it: Rt 50, Rt 13, Riverwalk Park, and Perdue. Nothing can expand past these boundaries. Because of these boundaries, you can not have a viable downtown residential base to live, eat, and shop downtown. Look at other downtowns in the state. People live downtown in real houses, not just condos and apartments. How many people live between Mill, Carroll, 50 and 13? How many want to live so close to Perdue? Plans have been in the works for decades but there is little interest and now that the cinema is gone, what entertainment value is there?
No. Never.
The Downtown cannot come "alive" again if the City closes up businesses. One of the stores that drew so many customers was condemned by the city; as a consequence, fifty or so small business owners were suddenly deprived of income, and hundreds of patrons could no longer shop at Market Street Antiques. That loss is still felt by the Downtown.
Its the Salisbury elite that are invited. The good ol boys telling the good ol boys. If you dont advertise how can anyone make arrangements to attend? BACKWARDS, as usual. Update the website and make others interested and eventually ppl will attend. Why is that so hard to do?
As a business owner downtown, I was very impressed with our first 3rd Friday event downtown. We individually advertised the event, but Urban Salisbury is in charge of promoting it to the masses. I think you all need to stop being so critical and try to join in and support the heart of your city. Thats what is wrong with this area, everyone has such a negative outlook and tries to pull others down when they have a good thing going. Why would you want downtown to diminish? There are still shops and restaurants down here that have something unique to offer you. Why not come out next month on our 3rd Friday and see how hard we have worked to bring it back to life. Positive thoughts bring positive results.
As a property owner Downtown, allow me to add to your statement, or shall I say piggyback it.
The former Mayor and certain current and former City Council Members will do anything to be negative on this matter as it will clearly prove they made no attempt to work with anyone to better the Downtown area.
I agree, everyone needs to step up and participate. I am working on bringing businesses to the Plaza area myself, (without any political help) and so far it's working.
Everyone I have talked to says they just love it Downtown, yet it's easy for the anonymous nay sayers to crush and forward progress. We have to ignore them just as much as we have with Anti Blogs supported by the very same people mentioned above.
We're headed in the right direction. Stay positive, support these events and together we can make Downtown a vibrant place to live, work and shop.
Joe - I appreciate your positive outlook on our downtown...thank you for giving us an outlet to express ourselves.
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