Chomp Chomp headed to Herschel

[Tacachale]

^Walkup traffic is great in places with enough people in walkup distance. Downtown doesn't have enough of them. People who would bike or drive a short distance also have access to an increasing number of options in Riverside, Brooklyn, Springfield, and San Marco. Destination type places that draw people from all over will do better, but as has been known for years, downtown businesses will always struggle until there are more residents (and connectivity).

[Steve]

If you have a space that requires walk up traffic, you struggle.

Beaches establishments seem to debunk this idea. Lots of walkup or bike traffic. Just have to fit the demographic.

And btw. there is a giant residential base next to downtown. Springfield, and the East side.  But dating back to the 1980s, there are structural barriers that make it somewhat a pain to get from those neighborhoods to downtown.  Im a Springfield resident, and its actually quicker for me to hop on over to five points than it is to go through the incompetently administered downtown loop system stoplights. 

Why can't you bike from Springfield into downtown? Why is a car the only means of accessing downtown?

With no traffic on the streets whatsoever, it can still take 20 minutes to drive through downtown if the lights are against you.  It literally takes seven minutes to drive over and drop down into brooklyn or five points.

Isn't a slower more ped friendly downtown one of the goals of MJ? Two-way streets, closing of some streets, more ped friendly with more places to bike in and around downtown are great, but then, yeah, its going to take longer to get around downtown, but then again, that is what makes it unique or could make it more unique.

I'm not sure I've ever heard closing streets. Personally, I don't know if I can see that as a positive.

I don't know if it's ever taken me 20 minutes to traverse downtown by car. I would agree that the walk isn't amazing from Springfield. Down main Street, you walk by Confederate park (which while an asset it does create a bit of a distance between), cross State and Union (which is not the most comfortable thing to do), then once you're past that it's not bad.

[acme54321]

Yeah we went a couple of Fridays ago and I was shocked at how busy it was.  I was a little skeptical of the location but it looks like this was the right move. Much more diversified clientele too.

[Spitfire]

They've added to their menu, both entrees and sides. They serve beer and wine, now, and there's ample seating. I'm so stoked for them.

[mtraininjax]

Plus, it is breathing life into that strip, which desperately needs it. 

That's a bit of a stretch there.....the fact that are few eateries along there does not mean that the entire strip was in need of help. The Cleaners has leased all the additional space and the nursery seems to be doing well despite the pop-up nursery that comes and goes at the old gas station. Even JW Culinary seems to be making it. HH was an eyesore, but everyone who rides by knew that the space would get consumed.