As any Main Street Manager will attest to, we are very adept at managing and adapting to change. We always have a “Plan B” because we know things change constantly. In my humble opinion, Main Street is about change, or more accurately, managing change. This might seem counter to half of our mission of historic preservation, which some translate to “keep things the way they were”. However, I believe that every Main Street should constantly change, it must to survive.

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Some of you might recognize the title as encompassing the lyrics from that 1964 song by Petula Clark, “Downtown”. When I was asked to write this week’s blog, I started thinking about what the focus should be.  Although I was a youngster when this song came out, I remember it well because it was one of the first tunes I could play on my guitar! My point is that I think the song appropriately reflects the importance of downtowns to our communities...

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There seems to be a renewed buzz over the past year regarding pop-up stores. The Great Recession has offered few positive, exciting things in the marketplace, but the media is awash in pop-up stories. They provide consumers and landlords with options that were not previously present, and they generate activity on the street and at the cash registers. 

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If there’s something you want to do, ask a Main Street manager. Really, anything. If you have a desire to say, start a rock band or open a 401(K) or shoot yourself into outer space, but you really want to do this with someone’s validation and support, just Google “Main Street Office” and ask whoever answers the phone.

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