I know I'm late to the discussion on this topic. I haven't even had the time to read any opinions on this Carytown idea. Paul Goldman, candidate for mayor, has suggested closing the Carytown area to all traffic including autos, bikes...skateboards, rollerblades, unicycles, segways, probably motorized wheelchairs too. This would enable the area from Boulevard to Thompson to become a "street fair" of sorts.
So, I guess the two bike shops located in Carytown will have to get special permission to allow their customers to test ride bicycles, huh?
More seriously, as fun as it is to have street festivals every once-in-a-while (ie. watermelon fest, NYE, etc.), isn't the once-in-a-while part of that statement why they are so much fun and attract such large crowds? For me, part of the excitement is the change of atmosphere that comes with closing down the streets. Actually, Goldman mentions a more subtle idea of closing Carytown streets just one day a week in the RTD article from June 21. Which may be a more logical and effective plan.
He said he's concerned about store vacancies and missed opportunities in Carytown and added that bold changes are needed to let the area reach its potential. Goldman said he started thinking about the possibilities after talking to someone who suggested closing Cary Street to traffic one day a week, as is done with the annual Carytown Watermelon Festival.
I'm at least somewhat familiar with pedestrian malls - I've lived in Charlottesville (Downtown Mall), and London (Covent Garden). The other area that comes to mind is the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. Covent Garden and the Promenade are miles away from Carytown and that's a good thing. We don't want a Banana Republic to pop up on West Cary, right?
If Richmond truly wanted to support Carytown, it could have started by amending its zoning laws so two enormous surface parking lots wouldn't straddle the west entrance of the district, or maybe regulate sign aesthetics beginning with the 20 foot high "Church of Scientology" sign on the same block. That would have been good enough for me. Maybe then further discussion could take place.
That's all for now. Any thoughts?
Greetings. Well, this is Goldman's M.O. -- throw a hand grenade, get in the papers, and keep your name in the air. This he has done.
That being said, I corduroyed my brow over his proposal to ban bicycles, too. And I think he oversold this street fair concept. I like the Charlottesville promenade. I've never had a bad visit. It seems to civilized to me. The pedestrian shopping districts of Europe seem to do fine. But I know, that's Yurp.
Fact is, auto traffic on Cary Street is getting heavier every passing month, and when tolls on the expressway rise this fall, expect more. None of it will help Carytown businesses.
Well, the surface lots have been there for many years because there've grocery stores of one kind of another at that end of C-town since the 1950s. To me, the most appalling and egregious zoning inappropriate sections are all along Ellwood there, with the Wallgreen's, 7-11 and First Market Bank, which just looks like a hunk of suburbia fell into our neighborhood.
There's a Ben & Jerry's in the middle of Haight-Ashbury, and that replaced a GAP.
Posted by: Harry | 27 June 2008 at 08:16 PM
Greetings. Well, this is Goldman's M.O. -- throw a hand grenade, get in the papers, and keep your name in the air. This he has done.
That being said, I corduroyed my brow over his proposal to ban bicycles, too. And I think he oversold this street fair concept. I like the Charlottesville promenade. I've never had a bad visit. It seems to civilized to me. The pedestrian shopping districts of Europe seem to do fine. But I know, that's Yurp.
Fact is, auto traffic on Cary Street is getting heavier every passing month, and when tolls on the expressway rise this fall, expect more. None of it will help Carytown businesses.
Well, the surface lots have been there for many years because there've grocery stores of one kind of another at that end of C-town since the 1950s. To me, the most appalling and egregious zoning inappropriate sections are all along Ellwood there, with the Wallgreen's, 7-11 and First Market Bank, which just looks like a hunk of suburbia fell into our neighborhood.
There's a Ben & Jerry's in the middle of Haight-Ashbury, and that replaced a GAP.
Posted by: Harry | 27 June 2008 at 08:17 PM
Greetings. Well, this is Goldman's M.O. -- throw a hand grenade, get in the papers, and keep your name in the air. This he has done.
That being said, I corduroyed my brow over his proposal to ban bicycles, too. And I think he oversold this street fair concept. I like the Charlottesville promenade. I've never had a bad visit. It seems to civilized to me. The pedestrian shopping districts of Europe seem to do fine. But I know, that's Yurp.
Fact is, auto traffic on Cary Street is getting heavier every passing month, and when tolls on the expressway rise this fall, expect more. None of it will help Carytown businesses.
Well, the surface lots have been there for many years because there've grocery stores of one kind of another at that end of C-town since the 1950s. To me, the most appalling and egregious zoning inappropriate sections are all along Ellwood there, with the Wallgreen's, 7-11 and First Market Bank, which just looks like a hunk of suburbia fell into our neighborhood.
There's a Ben & Jerry's in the middle of Haight-Ashbury, and that replaced a GAP.
Posted by: Harry | 27 June 2008 at 08:17 PM
I wish Goldman's other proposals would get as much notice- mainly stopping the City from subsidizing the downtown arts center/Center Stage project that has already cost taxpayers millions and millions of dollars. His opponents don't seem to have problem with this waste.
Posted by: Scott Burger | 28 June 2008 at 07:40 AM