Old main streets

[pwd72s]

How many here were around before main streets were changed by malls & big box stores?

[GH85Carrera]

Downtown Oklahoma City was booming in the 50s and 60s. It died and was horrid when the malls opened up, and urban renewal demolished a lot of cool old buildings. In the late 70s I went down to the area called Bricktown, which is all old brick warehouses, and I remember thinking, never come down here at night.

Then Penn Square Bank failed and the bottom fell out in 1982. The almost rolled up the sidewalks in downtown at night.

Then in the 1990s we hired a great Mayor, Ron Norick. He managed to get a "temporary" one penny sales tax added to the tax code. All the money from that did NOT go to the general fund, it went to MAPPS.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Area_Projects_Plan

After Mapps 1 through 4 Oklahoma City is a totally different place. Olympic training facilities, The Thunder NBA team, dozens of new hotels, a canal, and a downtown city park that is huge. An amazing transformation.

[stevej37]

The video looks a lot like the city near where I grew up. It was still a 25 mile drive to get there from home.
I was in my teens before I saw my first shopping mall.

[Sooner or later]

Downtown Lawton

[cockerpunk]

killed by minimum parking spot codes. shame. walkable cities were awesome.

[matthewb0051]

My hometown (Oak Ridge TN) was developed by the US Army in early 1940s. It had a cool "downtown" that was a circle street with stores in a U shape and parking in middle. The stores always suffered during winter..... so for years there was a movement to make a mall.

In the 90's they made a mall. In a few short years it was empty but for a few stores and some fundy "church" that held services in a former store.

FF to present day: the mall is gone and one of those newly developed "main street" shopping areas has been developed.

Every time I'm back I comment about how they should have just kept the original. Progress, SMH

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by cockerpunk

killed by minimum parking spot codes. shame. walkable cities were awesome.

Old Town Alexandria VA is still like a main street. The only difference is the type of stores. I've seen photos and video of how it was in the 60s, department stores and 5 and Dimes, and the like. Now it is Gap, H&M, Lulu Lemon or whatever. Looks the same but not same.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

[A930Rocket]

The towns in that video were a lot bigger than Westport, Connecticut, where I grew up.

The first mall I went to was Perimeter mall in Atlanta Georgia. I was 17.

Originally Posted by pwd72s

How many here were around before main streets were changed by malls & big box stores?

[Cajundaddy]

There are still some pretty great Main streets around but they are rare. New Orleans, Key West, and Savannah GA come to mind. Claremont CA is a personal favorite and it is packed every night with a lot of life. Having the Claremont college campuses a few blocks away surely kept it alive.

[Evans, Marv]

Fulton Street, downtown Fresno, CA in the late '50s. This brings back memories of "draggin the main" on weekend nights and some week nights. The street would be packed with cars full if kids. It was like right out of American Graffiti - before the movie was made.

[look 171]

Montrose, to be correct, an area in Northern Glendale CA. Grew up down the fwy 10 miles south of there in LA, Echo Park. Discovered that place riding and racing road bikes for Montrose bike shop. Over the years, after getting my azz kick by the grown men in their prime, we spent lots of time in the local pizza joint after training rides. It has the typical American small downtown atmosphere until about 10 years ago. Since then, big money had rolled in investing in high end sushi bars and expensive restaurants driving the smaller business out. Now, it packed on the weekends. No parking is the first sign. My sister lives about 5 blocks from there. Sadly, the people who frequent that place do not live in the community. We no longer want to deal with the crowd and their entitled attitude. Fooking hipsters ruin everything.

[look 171]

There are so many places that are like that still in Socal. People really like that atmosphere and its a guaranty pack house in the weekends even with the expensive date night type restaurants around. We have many outdoor and indoor malls with great and expensive places to eat, but they aren't normally pack up the the eyeballs but those little main streets places are.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by LEAKYSEALS951

I launched my back packing assaults on the Whites from N Conway.

My hometown of Paterson NJ had the best downtown in the area. Macy's, Bambergers Woolworths, Sears , Grants, Libby's all had stores and there were hundreds of small businesses including a real Army Navy surplus and a Five and Dime. I spent a lot of time on Main St with my school mates.

[rcooled]

Our downtown used to have shops that actually supplied locals with stuff that they needed. There were hardware stores, a Woolworths with a lunch counter, real estate offices, shoemakers, food stores, a Western Union office, and even a place to buy fishing licensees.



Now, downtown is full of mostly useless shops catering to tourists and students from the university. If you need anything useful, you'll need to shop somewhere else

[DWBOX2000]

I had Quincy Center (Mass) growing up. I discovered Pittsfield MA a few years back. Must have been something it’s hay day. Run down but you can see the potential. I’m amazed with telecommuting, cheap home prices and in the berkshires, it hasn’t made a comeback.

[GH85Carrera]

Our favorite Italian restaurant in in the very center of downtown Edmond, OK

There address is 1 South Broadway. They are on the southwest corner of the intersection of Main st and Broadway. Not quite like NYC, in fact as far removed as possible from NYC. We have to drive "all the through town" and it is three blocks to get there. They have been working hard to revitalize downtown shopping. They have a great 4th of July parade and it is pure small town America goodness.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

A little something for everyone-

[3rd_gear_Ted]

The Orange Circle became a dump and then got revived big time the last 10 years. Its now the economic heart of the city. The Wednesday evening flag ceremony for Veterans is well attended every week. Highlight of the year is the Chapman College undie run to the Circle and back to the campus. The original Army/Navy store is still where I buy Levi's, first pair was $9.00

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Not quite main street, but one block off main street.

Hinton, West Va.