- As I said last week, I'm not a raging anti-tax guy, and I generally don't begrudge public employees for the benefits they receive, although some are excessive. Perhaps I'm naive or foolish, but I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt. But even I found today's Daily News article on cell phone policy in Amesbury to be a bit startling. If I lived in that town, I'd be upset. I understand why some of these folks need a cell phone, but iPhones and the such seem a bit excessive. Maybe more information will come to light.
- I failed to commend the mayor last week for his tourism initiative, as reported in the Daily News. I think the shuttle bus is a terrific idea, and perhaps we could partner with the Joppa and Refuge Nature centers to include those as stops. And who can argue with the bringing a Tall Ship to the city.
- Speaking of Tall Ships, Jerry Mullins makes a very good point in a letter to the Editor about the arrival of the Black Dog shop in Newburyport. It's a point I glossed over in my quick post when the first was first announced so it's worth revisiting. The Black Dog, apparently, will bring its Tall Ship to Newburyport, which can only bolster the city's tourism.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Catching Up
A few quick items to start a Monday
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11 comments:
I guess that's good, but I don't understand what increased tourism does for the average resident/taxpayer. If we had a local meals/sales tax, we'd get a few bucks, but we don't.
You might say that the tourists support our local retailers, but those are all stores in which I have no interest.
I suppose it helps the restaurants, and I like having a wide choice of them, but that's all I see.
Great post, Tom. I did not know that The Black Dog was going to sail their tall ship into port. I have mentioned on your blog that I think a tall ship is great for the city. In fact, I think I joked that we sneak down and "commandeer" Salem's. They have witches, what do they need a tall ship for?
This would be good for tourism, and in this economy, Newburyport will need every tourism dollar it can get.
Dick,
I think we clearly benefit from not having boarded up storefronts downtown. Let's face it. That's likely what we'd have if we didn't have tourist-oriented businesses.
Or, the lack of demand would cause the rents to drop, in which case we'd have all kinds of shops, some of which might be useful to residents.
I understand that would cause the store property values to drop, which would decrease the tax revenue, but I doubt it would be significant.
I don't know Dick. I'm not convinced there's a conga line of so-called "useful" shops out there just hoping that rents drop.
Dick,
I think what you are proposing is that Newburyport's downtown be filled with hardware stores, bodegas, dry cleaners and pharmacies. Are you living in the 21st century? Have you heard of Wal-Mart, Target and Lowes? They build massive, big-box stores on highly traveled roads. They also have massive buying power, allowing them to sell their goods at prices that no shopkeeper can compete with. With all due respect, you need to wake up. The downtown you're thinking of died many decades ago all across the United States, sorry.
I would like to add that big box retailers are struggling right now, and with the "de-leveraging" process that our economy is going through, coupled with online merchandising, Main Street may see a comeback. This will take time, though, and a lot of the big box retailers will survive but with a smaller footprint.
Chains will still dominate, also (for reasons mentioned in my prior comment), meaning that we're likely to see more national names downtown if we let the mom-and-pops perish for fear of too much tourism.
Bean out.
I can't think of a better place to ask a question I've been dying to know the answer to:
Can someone explain why Gram's ice cream shop is located on State Street if it's closed during so many months of the year?
All this talk about bringing tourists and reinvigorating economic development is great, but when a storefront is not empty, but closed, during a quarter of the year, I question things.
If shops want more locals to be regular buyers, maybe they have to change or add to their product mix to include a few more everyday items.
Richdale seems like its busy all the time and they have an eclectic mix for both local and visiting shoppers.
Why not a kiosk/outpost of Kelly's HW in a downtown store? Why not some spices in one of the vintage furniture stores? Sundae toppings and sprinkles to take home from Gram's.
Walmart vs the little guy is a false choice...Richdale seems to prove that there are ways to compete if you're creative.
Anonymous, I agree that shopkeepers could find some success if they sprinkle in (pardon the pun) certain wares that us townies need. It takes some risk taking, though, and most purveyors are afraid of taking that risk to devote shelf space for everyday items that may make their stores seem, well, bland.
Using the Richdale as an example, however, is flawed for a few reasons:
1. Most locals know that their prices on basic staples are exhorbitant.
2. They feature a Dunkin' Donuts, hardly what I would call a mom-and pop.
3. Richdale itself is a CHAIN, which is exactly the point I made in my previous reply. It's not Wal-Mart, but they do have several stores and thus can lower their buying costs.
I'm all for convenience, and for an eclectic mix of goods, don't get me wrong. If I were opening up a store in Newburyport, though, I don't think I'd bother stocking my shelves with nails, shoe polish or everyday spices that you can buy at the Market Basket at a good price.
Wal-Mart disgusts me, I'm certainly not choosing them over the little guy. I wish our retail landscape was vastly different, trust me. It is the reality, though, and if you're investing money and time into a store, you have to face the facts.
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