OPEN THREAD: What type of business would you like to see coming to old town?
Looks like we are getting three new yogurt shops in old town: Sierra Cup, Pinkberry, and another one in the Von's Pavilions shopping center where the photo store is leaving. What sort of business would you like to see come to Old Town Monrovia?
posted by aw
21 Comments:
Non-chain. I like the eclectic home spun businesses. Those groups tend to be involved in the community and help it grow. I think future business have to be geared into staying open when people are around to be there like evenings and weekends.
The big chains don't really like us, don't want to be a part of us.
Take a look at Citibank...they won't allow even a portion of Palm to be closed for the art festival or any other "festival" that takes place on Palm if there is a potential traffic will be reduced into their lot. Even if Palm is reduced, Myrtle is still open. Even if Palm is reduced they have plenty of customers walking up to use the ATM and charge those not with a citi credit or debit card a service fee. It's the corporate philosphy of themselves first.
The other problem with the big chains is their branding. The stores look the same no matter where you go. Old Town is so unique and in my not so humble opinion something that needs to be preserved. To have big box stores come in with their cooky cutter approach we lose one of our identifying factors. Those stores are in it only for the money not about community.
We've got a great mix of restaurants, now we need some good specialty retail ideas to step in and take hold.
I guess the best way to sum up what I'd like to see is more variety, not so many bakeries, yogurt shops, and duplication in general.
Lets you forget Pinkberry is not yogurt, its frozen dairy product according to the State. Litigation of that false advertising is wending its way through the courts. Sierra rocks for so many reasons. If you haven't gone in yet you should.
Sorry for being so windy on this one but Old Town's unique qualities is what help me decide to move here and stay here. We need to foster that not bring in the ugly corporate stores.
3:38 PM
A book store. Amazon is great, but sometimes it's fun to browse and driving all the way out to Pasadena to go to Vromans is a bit of a schlep. (The mall book stores just don't make it for me.)
9:35 AM
Great question!
I, too, would like to see more retail businesses come in and do really well. It is up to us to support them if we want it to stay without big chains. Of course we are going to get a lot of people coming in to town for Pinkberry (Arcadia residents, for one), but hopefully they'll walk around and spend some more in our old town. I, however, plan to give my money to Sierra Cup. I also LOVE the secret pocket, but my kids have out-grown that stage. I sure hope people find that store, as I've heard they are struggling.
I would really love to see more kid's botiques, definitely eclectic one-of-a-kind shops (like Rockin' Kid Shop in Eagle Rock).
10:59 AM
I second the Bookstore - and a chain would be fine. Barnes and Noble or Borders...places like Vroman's are unique.
And not to sound like a lush - but a bar, or better - a pub - something nicer than the Brass Elephant - but not so expensive I can only get one drink.
9:59 AM
How about a specialty kitchen shop like Sur la Table or Williams Sonoma?
4:57 PM
All good suggestions. My preference is for a specialty kitchen/gourmet shop on the order of
Savor the Flavor in Sierra Madre, a good seafood
restaurant (non-chain), and a bookstore like Vroman's or the one in Santa Barbara.
12:37 AM
Books, Books, Books. Or perhaps art supplies?
10:12 AM
I agree with many of the posts here - A bookstore - Hennessey + Ingalls or Vroman's or even a chain would be fine if done right with good amounts of seating and great magazine selection.
Another art gallery would be nice, especially if it was more varied and have more contemporary installations and shows (Segil Fine Art is lovely but limited in both artists represented and styles). Take a look at Nucleus in Alhambra, it's a little on the hipster side, but it's a very lively atmosphere and great place to see more affordable art.
A pub, what I would give for a nice pub! - The wine bar is nice, but it's only wine and the Aztec, well, isn't exactly the kind of place to order a cosmo. Also, both are on Foothill and not on Myrtle, which makes them stand alone destinations and not really a part of the Old Town foot traffic.
I also agree that many of the stores need to realize that most people work. The fact that so many stores are closed on Sunday and have limited evening hours baffles me from a business perspective. And as a Monrovian that enjoys being a part of the community instead of watching TV every night, it would be nice to have places to go!
10:45 AM
Miranda,
I agree. It would be great to have a place that attracts people on evenings and weekends, and is set up to encourage community. I'd love to see an old style coffee shop (with great food and older waitresses) on the corner of Myrtle and Olive.
I agree with all the other suggestions above, esp. regarding non-chain stores.
Amanda
11:49 PM
Yes, yes, yes, businesses need to stay open later!! It is so frustrating to go out in the evening and nothing is open. However, we were in Old Town Pasadena a couple Friday nights ago and everything was closing at 9pm there too! Craziness, streets are packed and all the stores were locking up.
8:00 PM
The Monday closings are frustrating too!
9:09 PM
Those god awful street lights they have on Myrtle is enough to scare most businesses away. The street at night looks more like an amusement park than a old town business district.You need sun glasses at night. They have to many lamp post for one. They look cheap. The the round globes are plastic ! Who ever signed off on these street lights should be docked one years pay.
Other wise I would like to see a book store but not sure if there are enough book readers in the area to support a book store. And it sure would be nice if there was a place on Myrtle to get a basic, all American hamburger.
A few more mom and pop restaurants are a must to support Myrtle Ave. But back in the late 1990's the city planning commission and the city council made a few bad decisions and Monrovia is known as being a restaurant unfriendly town with most people in the restaurant business in Southern California. :(
10:23 PM
I would like to see another Pawn Shop- one NOT owned by our mayor.
4:59 PM
A combination military-surplus / auto parts/ frozen yogurt /wine tasting gift shop would be good.If that had a laundry-mat/bar next door you would never have to shop anywhere else!
2:15 PM
A bookstore. A clothing store with clothes people over the age of 25 can wear in public. I agree with the comments about too many small businesses (which I would rather support than chain stores) closing at 6 pm and on Sundays.
4:47 PM
wow - military/auto parts/yogurt/wine tasting....with laundry and a bar.....all together. that is the most interesting place, in fact so interesting, i can't even imagine it.
10:38 PM
Books books books!
And an Irish pub. In my view, the best kind for this area... the kind of place that really does become the type of place it so often is in Ireland -- a real community center of sorts, warm and family friendly. When I lived on the North Side of Chicago there was a great family named the Lawless family, from Galway, and they moved the whole family over to Chicago and opened two really classic pubs of this kind. There are none like this in the area -- if you're going to suggest one like Cat & Fiddle or the ones in Santa Monica, the're not even close -- and it would be a dar for miles around, I think. (If anyone's got a pile of money sitting around they're not using, I'm available...:)
Here's one of those Chicago ones:
http://www.thegrafton.com/
8:16 AM
I forgot to mention that there will be a bookstore in the front of the new library...I think it's going to be on the smallish side but it will be open later than the library.
12:57 PM
We need a good bookstore, for sure! Everyone I talk to around town wants to see that happen. I personally would like a children's book store, something like The Blue Chair in Glendora.
10:02 PM
An English pub with decent food! Or a bookstore.
8:05 PM
But there is a pub nearby - in Sierra Madre! British and other European beers as well as US ones and British food. Lucky Baldwins' Delirium Pub & Cafe. It would be great to have a pub like this in Monrovia.
12:13 PM
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