Village Bread Cafe opening in the Landing

[copperfiend]

once.  maybe twice.  Not enough to survive.

I agree. However, Hooter's seems to have success at the Landing.  They've been there forever.

I can think of two reasons why.

[tufsu1]

Stephen...I live downtown...and often park my car when going to the Landing....and other than when there's a festival, I've never had a problem finding a free space....

The parking problem is perception, not reality.

Now, go ask the folks at the Landing how their weekday business is....and then ask about nights and weekends.

[sheclown]

I'm sorta scared to ask....what's a "French Novelty shop?"

[Wacca Pilatka]

Wasn't French Novelty at the Landing for a while too?

What does everyone suppose explains the success of the other longer-tenured business at the Landing besides Hooters?  Apple A Day and a couple of other kiosks have been there since the beginning or close to it.  The Body Shop, I suppose, has some loyalty to the location since the chain began in Jacksonville if I remember right.  That jewelry store, Hana & Her Sister, has been there for quite a while.

[BridgeTroll]

During the day M-F... until 5:00 or 5:30 (officially 6:00) most metered parking is one or two hours max.  If you run out and put another two hours in you are likely to get a ticket.

[nestliving]

I think it's funny how most of the new residents think parking in this city is a breeze while the locals think it's a cancer. It's s shame.

[urbanlibertarian]

The reality of downtown parking enforcement is a problem.  Perception of downtown parking availability is also a problem.  As a downtown resident I know there is a metered parking space available somewhere within 3 blocks of where I'm going even though I can't see it until I get close to it.  In a big box store or mall parking lot I know there will likely be a space in the lot and I will be able to see it from a distance.  People who don't park downtown often tend to be uncomfortable about finding a convenient space though they really shouldn't be.

[DavidWilliams]

I'm sorta scared to ask....what's a "French Novelty shop?"

sheclown...I just spit my drink out on that one. That was funny! If you are younger and or aren't originally from here it does kind of sound like a "novelty" shop one might find in the "less desirable" parts of town near the pawns and check cashing joints  .

Stephen, wasn't there also a French Novelty in Normandy Mall back in the day (70's-early 80's)? 

[DavidWilliams]

There was, as well as the one in regency and san jose

Now I am really testing my memory...the old Cedar Hills shopping center as well?

And what was the jingle back then? It is now bouncing around my head ("French Novelty where fashion is first"...) can't remember the rest. Think it was both radio and TV.

[tufsu1]

TUFSU.  Ive lived downtown since 1987, owned nine businesses down there, and have watched more than 50 friends open up  and close establishments.

Before me, my grandmother ran the French Novelty shop for 20 years.  Downtown.

Ive also owned places in five points, san marco and springfield.

I have a point of reference on this.

While you live at 11 east, you have a paid parking space, and only have to drive if you want to.

However, man does not live by bread alone, and the downtown shops cannot survive off of five residential buildings.

In order to survive they need outside customers.  And they won't come because of the decades of penalties and hassle of parking.

fine...a few questions

1. Did your businesses outside of downtown do better than the ones in downtown...if so, why are they not open anymore?
2. I paid $20 to park in a garage in downtown Baltimore the other night....and it didn't seem to deter folks from visiting the Inner Harbor...why not?
3. Who ever said anything about living in 11E?

[Seraphs]

There was, as well as the one in regency and san jose

Don't forget Gateway, back in the day.

[thekillingwax]

I hope they do well, the location Philips is probably my favorite breakfast stop in town- they serve these huge omelets with a side and either toast (giant slices) or one of their bagels for something like $6.50. Their lunch and whole loaves of bread are great too.

[ChriswUfGator]

Stephen is 100% spot-on about parking being the main thing stifling growth downtown.

It's a !@#$%&* hassle. Who wants to keep running back to their car and putting in quarters, and still risk getting a ticket anyway because there's a max time-limit (that usually isn't posted)? And yeah I can park in a garage and walk 8 blocks, but that costs money too, not to mention it's Florida, so that only really works for most people during the 1/3 of the year that it's not 100 degrees out.

The fact that the Landing is such a rip-off for flat-rate parking ($5 or $10, when they know you're only going to be there an hour) should tell you there's a parking problem downtown. Supply & Demand, right? I don't know what the problem is with just going to a time-limit by itself and eliminating the meters.

The other thing that really stifles downtown is the nonsensical and confusing one-way street setup. There are only 2 streets that should actually be one-way, State and Union. There is just no reason for the rest of them to be one-way. The point of that kind of structure is to handle an amount of traffic that downtown hasn't seen in 50 years, and likely won't again. In the meantime, why do I have to drive an extra 2 miles and double back to get where I'm going?

Eliminate the one-ways except for State and Union, and get rid of parking meters, and I think things would be much easier. Ease of use = more customers. And while we're at it, getting rid of the subjective signage standards that allow mega-corps to put up as many 20ft high lighted signs as they want downtown, while a mom & pop can barely get approval to put out a sandwich board on the sidewalk, and things will get even better.

[tufsu1]

The fact that the Landing is such a rip-off for flat-rate parking ($5 or $10, when they know you're only going to be there an hour) should tell you there's a parking problem downtown. Supply & Demand, right? I don't know what the problem is with just going to a time-limit by itself and eliminating the meters.

um...the Landing charges $1 per hour for parking...except on special event evenings...and as I've p[osted many times, on-street parking is free at night...so the people who pay the flat rate are doing so for convenience or security...or they're just suckers!

[Overstreet]

I don't find parking to be a real problem. True the city still has not provided the 800 space parking garage they said they would for the Landing,  but I've always found a street space or parked in the Omni Parking garage. Street spaces are free after 6pm.

At trade shows or trips to other cities I've paid around $25 to $40 per day to park at the hotel.  Event parking at the Omni garage seems to be $5 to $10.

Like many places downtown breakfast and lunch are the busy times.  I think several of the food court venders are orignal. For example Flamers and the cajun place.  Hooters were one of the orignals. The American Cafe seems to be a long timer.  When it opened the Rouse and Associates folks said that turn over would be high. They were correct.  Hooters is a destination place for many of the boaters that tie up on the weekends.

The reason I don't go to The Landing is that I have to drive past too many places to get there.  I can travel 12 miles to The Landing or two miles to a dozen places.