Middletown's Formula for Downtown Success??

Historic House Guy wrote: Stop you're whining and claims of being a victim of times gone bye.Grow a pair or get in the back of the line and let the next generation decide what is cool or not.

Son, what in the hell is wrong with you? No mention of whining in my posts. No "victim of times gone by" whatever that is suppose to mean. Not a victim. Just a person who loves his hometown who is mad as hell at what they have done to it. More with an anger/in your face approach comparing the successful Middletown with what we have now. Grow a pair you say? Got a pair son. Was in a war.....remember? And you? Put up with life's bullsh*t for 70 years now. Can you make the same claim? What's your claim to fame in growing your pair? Let the next generation decide? Hell, the next generation is already doing that and screwing up most of what they touch while not considering what has worked in the past. The next generation contains heroin addicts, people with no goals in life and people who refuse to take responsibility for their actions. And they are the kind of people you want to rely on for your future? And this kinder/gentler/everyone gets a trophy for participation/politically correct crap has got to go. It has ruined society. Some younger people are insolent, spoiled brats who want the credit all for themselves, are rude and who disrespect the older generations all while having their noses stuck to a cell phone screen. Think I want them to run things now? Way too much growing up for them to do before they take the controls. Going new with "new ideas" doesn't necessarily work. What is thought to be new at times is really old ideas reinvented by younger people who thought they came up with the idea to begin with. Hell, that's why Hollywood is pathetically trying to redo old movie classics. They are out of original ideas for entertainment so they pirate redos of the classics they know were a success at the box office. Never works on the redo. The next generation doesn't have a clue what is "cool or not". Hell, they don't have a clue what common sense and learning from the past is all about either. You have to acknowledge the past to know where you want to go in the future. What worked then may not work now but you still have to investigate past history to help navigate future events.

Stop you're whining and claims of being a victim of times gone bye.Grow a pair or get in the back of the line and let the next generation decide what is cool or not.

Love your attitude itsamee! Positive people are hard to find on this forum. 

My glass is half full because I moved here during the recession. This place was a ghost town. Downtown there was a Cricket Wireless store, the Red Cross (or was it the CDC) and Bucks. That was it. We had no reason to go down there unless we were passing through. Since then there have been a ton of things going on. Broad Street Bash, the parades (I know, those are pretty weak, but I am sure the crowdes spend money), the above mentioned shops and places to eat. A lot of buildings have had work done to make them look better. There are reasons to go there that were not there 12 years ago.  

itsamee wrote: THree things? OK. AK Steel and their new research building, Kettering Health Center, the new River Center down by the bike path (oh, wait, I forgot, since you don't use any of these things they are worthless to you).  Smith Park, year after year doing Light Up Middletown, the new High School / Middle School campus, Blast Furnace Pizza is good food, Rolling Mill and Fig Leaf Breweries, White Dog Saloon, The Windemere.   I mean, if you open your eyes and quit trying to join the sadness around here, you will see a lot of positives.

itsamee, thought the subject was the downtown, not the East End. Kettering, AK Research, the new high school campus are not in the discussion. Yes, Blast Furnace Pizza was decent. Don't know about the breweries. Have not visited the River Center as yet. I will make a prediction though. Here goes....within five years, it will become a drug user, crime haven for those around the bike path corridor.It will be a hot spot for police and EMT calls for crime and drug overdoses. The crime and drug use will not be published for all to see as that would contribute yet more negative activity close to the S. Main St. residents. It will be hushed. Don't know about the Windemere as well. Not interested in what it has to offer. Smith Park is a nice city fixture, especially at this time of year. Nice display and a great effort by the Grandpa Gang every year. Been there a few times myself. I will give credit where credit is due and earned. Some businesses/owners in the downtown area have yet to earn any cudos so far. The empty storefronts which have been around for decades don't help the downtown cause as well. A measurable turnover in failed businesses over time tells all of us something about downtown opportunities as well. Downtown choices and interest points are limited at best. The Bash is as good as it gets as to crowd size and downtown offering interest. Not so sure whether the DORA provides enough of a boost to gain recognition either. I see some positives on occasion but wouldn't use the term "alot of positives" as you have done. The city takes some baby steps forward and some giant leaps backward at times in the planning. We all know the situation here. Some of us have a hard time admitting it. Difference in being an optimist and pessimist I guess. You and folks like middiemom are "glass is half full" people. I have seen enough city destruction to have a "glass is half empty" kind of opinion. Who's to say who is correct? Time and success (or failure) will teach us all. We are far from being the kind of city we should be after all the attempts that have been made over the decades. I still say the focus should be on the ENTIRE city, not just the downtown. If the downtown was near perfect as to operation, choices, citizen majority interest and importance, the rest of the city would still look like a reclamation project lacking in focus and development. It will be interesting to see where the city turns it's focus once the downtown has been satisfactorily completed. (if it ever gets there that is). Will they concentrate on the older neighborhoods or will they find some friends of the city/pet project that encompasses and benefits a small percentage of city residents like they seem to constantly do? Will stay tuned for the new focus.

THree things? OK. AK Steel and their new research building, Kettering Health Center, the new River Center down by the bike path (oh, wait, I forgot, since you don't use any of these things they are worthless to you).  Smith Park, year after year doing Light Up Middletown, the new High School / Middle School campus, Blast Furnace Pizza is good food, Rolling Mill and Fig Leaf Breweries, White Dog Saloon, The Windemere.  

Well, I too apologize for some things I said about your choice to close the business. I get it, the city has become a little rough around the edges. Honestly, it was more of a reaction to all the negative vibes this forum gives off to anyone who dares try and make an improvement.

spiderjohn wrote: Over 10 years of discussion here Didn’t make a difference—at least not much

For me - it's simple - it's my money and it's being wasted.  Why don't I as a citizen have the right to that opinion?

middiemom wrote: Middielover, why are you infatuated with who I am? Why can’t we just celebrate our community and support local businesses and events together? Bickering on a dead web site does no one any good. Instead, I propose that you come to the next first Friday and enjoy our town. Have a drink at the wine bar and then enjoy a nice dinner while leaving plenty of time to shop at our many shops afterward. We need to let go of our petty differences and celebrate our community!

middiemom, if I may reply here.....

"Why can't we just celebrate our community......"

Some of us residents who have been around here since the 50's may not feel like celebrating and don't share your enthusiasm toward the direction and focus of the city plans. We disagree with the overboard focus on the downtown area and feel that ALL areas need attention but have been forgotten by city leaders. It is not wrong to disagree with the downtown vision and people shouldn't be lambasted for showing opposition. It is within our rights to object to what excites the downtown supporters. Some of us do not see the value of downtown development given the other, more important issues facing this city.

"shopping at our many shops afterward"....
Believe it or not, some of us working class people don't like what is offered downtown. You are assuming that most in town, such as yourself, like what downtown people like. Arts, crafts and culture in the form of wine tasting and gourmet sandwiches at overblown prices is not what most like here. Just as we have been accused of not having an open mind during this "downtown renaissance" the people who have worked on downtown development also exhibit a closed mind by insisting that we either enjoy the downtown offerings or be labeled as "malcontents" by those who only see downtown's theme.

Let's face it. The downtown development was orchestrated by a small group of people who convinced city leaders that this is what the city needed for revitalization. In actuality, the downtown resurgence has been but a very small part in helping this city out of it's misery. Not a major impact maker to be truthful. This downtown effort is more of a hobby for the culture crowd. Jobs, meaningful employment, decent roads, decent performing schools, money flow, seeking out what people really want for their city, entertainment, tailored to the city demographics and shopping choices are all much more important IMO. Coffee shops, wine tasting events, crafts, arts and attempts at culture are not going to make any difference toward city progression. Just simply not what we need at this time. All the downtown things happening now comes AFTER the basic needs are in place. JMO

Finally, to some, "celebrating our community" doesn't include "coming downtown and sampling the offerings" as you suggest. Because it is your cup of tea doesn't mean that most feel the same way. Appeasing your idea of a good time is probably not in the cards for most living here. The downtown dreamers have had their time in the sun and have garnered what we see today after millions spent and decades of attempts. Now, it should be time for the majority to see the city leaders appease their wants and wishes for the city. That's probably a fair thing to do, right? Why is the situation totally skewed to one side on this? ....Any thoughts on this?

Middielover, why are you infatuated with who I am? Why can’t we just celebrate our community and support local businesses and events together? Bickering on a dead web site does no one any good. Instead, I propose that you come to the next first Friday and enjoy our town. Have a drink at the wine bar and then enjoy a nice dinner while leaving plenty of time to shop at our many shops afterward. We need to let go of our petty differences and celebrate our community!

If you are an elected official and you have tax liens against you - shouldn't you be on the hook to explain?

middiemom wrote: Spider, so so funny. I just want the negativity to end. Point taken though!