$800,000 RIVERWALK!!!!

[Guest Guest]

I think it's pretty strange that anyone's comparing Binghamton to San Antonio.

 

 

I must have missed that analogy.

I've been to the SA Riverwalk. It is awesome.

 

Comparing that to ours is like comparing DELETED to Shinola.

[2pelo Honey]

I must have missed that analogy.

I've been to the SA Riverwalk. It is awesome.

 

Comparing that to ours is like comparing DELETED to Shinola.

 

 

Look on the previous page of this thread.

[Cat's Eye]

Correct. Not only is there no place to put business ventures on the Riverwalk, there is no affluent market anywhere near the area to support such a commerce.

There isn't a sane businessman in America who will invest his own $ in a business that has no potential customer base.

 

Even First Friday is nothing more than a tiny smattering of business for downtown.

 

You're in for a big surprise. Something's coming. I can't say what because it's still in the planning stages, but I know something good is coming!

[Whitey Bulger]

I think we should get a group of small investors together and open up some shops on the river walk. If you get people to put in a few thousand each, it wouldnt be long before you would have a great line up of stores and choices. The more people who use the riverwalk, the more it will grow

[Guest Guest]

I think we should get a group of small investors together and open up some shops on the river walk. If you get people to put in a few thousand each, it wouldnt be long before you would have a great line up of stores and choices. The more people who use the riverwalk, the more it will grow

 

 

I sure wish I could share your optimism. However, the realities are that market economics will tell you that for any business you need a customer base to support the business. The "build it and they will come" theory only works when you have a substantial sized potential number of customers. Downtown Bing. simply does not possess that.

 

It used to, back when I, too, was a younger man. Times have changed and so has our city.

 

I think you're also a little naive about what it takes to fund and make a business prosper.

[Cat's Eye]

I sure wish I could share your optimism. However, the realities are that market economics will tell you that for any business you need a customer base to support the business. The "build it and they will come" theory only works when you have a substantial sized potential number of customers. Downtown Bing. simply does not possess that.

 

It used to, back when I, too, was a younger man. Times have changed and so has our city.

 

I think you're also a little naive about what it takes to fund and make a business prosper.

 

Now wait a minute! If I found a business downtown that I liked and had to travel to get there say from someplace like Vestal or other areas of Greater Binghamton, I would make the effort to go there. The Vestal Parkway had to start somewhere. People probably thought new business owners were crazy for going on a parkway away from malls and downtowns back in the 70's and 80's.

 

Times have changed again and people are more interested in bringing back and supporting downtowns. I drive from Binghamton to Endwell for one gift shop- The Pelican, because I really like what they sell. I don't care too much for what surrounds it, but I'll still shop there. Same goes for Tom's Gift Shop on Main St. Their shoppers are from all over!

 

It sounds like you don't know the philosophy of most female shoppers. If you build it and they like it, they will travel from near and far.

[Guest Guest]

Now wait a minute! If I found a business downtown that I liked and had to travel to get there say from someplace like Vestal or other areas of Greater Binghamton, I would make the effort to go there. The Vestal Parkway had to start somewhere. People probably thought new business owners were crazy for going on a parkway away from malls and downtowns back in the 70's and 80's.

 

Times have changed again and people are more interested in bringing back and supporting downtowns. I drive from Binghamton to Endwell for one gift shop- The Pelican, because I really like what they sell. I don't care too much for what surrounds it, but I'll still shop there. Same goes for Tom's Gift Shop on Main St. Their shoppers are from all over!

 

It sounds like you don't know the philosophy of most female shoppers. If you build it and they like it, they will travel from near and far.

 

Vestal used to be a sleepy bedroom community with a four lane road running through it with a fair amount of businesses. There was, and still is, a good sized residential community there. That was, and still is, the main customer base for the Parkway.

Now lots of other people go there because, as you pointed out, there are stores there that you can't find elsewhere.

 

You'd have to find a few dozen one-of-a-kind stores to open in downtown Bing., the people with a lot of time and money on their hands who are willing to sweat out 10+ years to work those businesses in order to make something of downtown.

 

You'd have to get extremely lucky to find those few dozen businesses.

 

Take downtown Ithaca as an example. They have two substantial Ivy League colleges to support the Commons area. Even then, from year to year, there is a fair amount of store turnover there.

 

I just don't buy the "build it and they will come" philosophy as the only thing you'll need to revitalize downtown Bing.

If that were the case, you'd see a handful of energetic businesspeople already opening their new businesses and working hard.

 

The reason you don't see that is that most businesspeople can see that there is no potential market downtown for higher end products.

 

That's why you won't see an Old Navy deep in the woods in Idaho. No market.

[Cat's Eye]

Vestal used to be a sleepy bedroom community with a four lane road running through it with a fair amount of businesses. There was, and still is, a good sized residential community there. That was, and still is, the main customer base for the Parkway.

Now lots of other people go there because, as you pointed out, there are stores there that you can't find elsewhere.

 

You'd have to find a few dozen one-of-a-kind stores to open in downtown Bing., the people with a lot of time and money on their hands who are willing to sweat out 10+ years to work those businesses in order to make something of downtown.

 

You'd have to get extremely lucky to find those few dozen businesses.

 

Take downtown Ithaca as an example. They have two substantial Ivy League colleges to support the Commons area. Even then, from year to year, there is a fair amount of store turnover there.

 

I just don't buy the "build it and they will come" philosophy as the only thing you'll need to revitalize downtown Bing.

If that were the case, you'd see a handful of energetic businesspeople already opening their new businesses and working hard.

 

The reason you don't see that is that most businesspeople can see that there is no potential market downtown for higher end products.

 

That's why you won't see an Old Navy deep in the woods in Idaho. No market.

 

 

Look, it can be done. Stop being such a naysayer and have a little faith. The downtown can and will attract talented business owners and do well. Some will fail, that's the downside and the reality of any new business, but at least some will try and succeed.

[Guest Guest]

You're in for a big surprise. Something's coming. I can't say what because it's still in the planning stages, but I know something good is coming!

 

Yeah...there's something we've never heard before.

 

 

 

[Cat's Eye]

Post Deleted

 

Gimme a break. There's scum in every city.

[Guest Guest]

Look, it can be done. Stop being such a naysayer and have a little faith. The downtown can and will attract talented business owners and do well. Some will fail, that's the downside and the reality of any new business, but at least some will try and succeed.

 

 

Where are they going to pull a steady flow of affluent from? How will they make these customers feel safe in a city with a rising crime rate?

 

I'm not being "negative" just to be negative. I'm being realistic. Retailing is about market economics. I do know that you need a market in order to sell something.

 

Take a drive downtown once each day and again once each night for a week.

 

You'll see exactly what I'm talking about. The place is a ghost town. The people who are there are scary looking.

[Cat's Eye]

Where are they going to pull a steady flow of affluent from? How will they make these customers feel safe in a city with a rising crime rate?

 

I'm not being "negative" just to be negative. I'm being realistic. Retailing is about market economics. I do know that you need a market in order to sell something.

 

Take a drive downtown once each day and again once each night for a week.

 

You'll see exactly what I'm talking about. The place is a ghost town. The people who are there are scary looking.

 

Read The Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida. You'll find most answers to your questions there. It's all about what it takes to make a sustainable and successful urban core in a community.

[Guest Guest]

Just another author tossing around buzzwords.

 

If you remember correctly, we put up with 12 years of Bucci tossing around words like "creative", "innovative" and "dynamic"...look what that got us.

 

 

[Cat's Eye]

Just another author tossing around buzzwords.

 

If you remember correctly, we put up with 12 years of Bucci tossing around words like "creative", "innovative" and "dynamic"...look what that got us.

 

 

Have you read it? It practically supplies formulas, not buzzwords! Take a look at it before you judge.

[Guest Guest]

In effort to support and show solidarity for Mayor Matt Ryan's $1,600,000 plan to extend the Riverwalk into the North Side, a rally is being planned on the existing section of the Riverwalk tonight.

 

Mary Clark and all her Citizen Action members are invited down to the Riverwalk to attend the rally. Bring all your friends.

 

The more Citizen Action people that come out to stand with thier mayor and Mary Clark, the better.

 

Let's keep the change happening.

 

The best place to access the Riverwalk is the staircase just north of the Court Street Bridge behind Boscov's, shown here:

 

 

Have a good time

 

 

[Guest Guest_The Mad Russian_*]

Many years ago there lived an Emperor who was so exceedingly fond of fine new clothes that he spent vast sums of money on dress. To him clothes meant more than anything else in the world. He took no interest in his army, nor did he care to go to the theatre, or to drive about in his state coach, unless it was to display his new clothes. He had different robes for every single hour of the day.

 

In the great city where he lived life was gay and strangers were always coming and going. Everyone knew about the Emperor's passion for clothes.

 

Now one fine day two swindlers, calling themselves weavers, arrived. They declared that they could make the most magnificent cloth that one could imagine; cloth of most beautiful colours and elaborate patterns. Not only was the material so beautiful, but the clothes made from it had the special power of being invisible to everyone who was stupid or not fit. for his post.

 

"What a splendid idea," thought the Emperor. "What useful clothes to have. If I had such a suit of clothes I could know at once which of my people is stupid or unfit for his post."

 

So the Emperor gave the swindlers large sums of money and the two weavers set up their looms in the palace. They demanded the finest thread of the best silk and the finest gold and they pretended to work at their looms. But they put nothing on the looms. The frames stood empty. The silk and gold thread they stuffed into their bags. So they sat pretending to weave, and continued to work at the empty loom till late into the night. Night after night they went home with their money and their bags full of the finest silk and gold thread. Day after day they pretended to work.

 

Now the Emperor was eager to know how much of the cloth was finished, and would have loved to see for himself. He was, however, somewhat uneasy. "Suppose," he thought secretly, "suppose I am unable to see the cloth. That would mean I am either stupid or unfit for my post. That cannot be," he thought, but all the same he decided to send for his faithful old minister to go and see. "He will best be able to see how the cloth looks. He is far from stupid and splendid at his work."

 

So the faithful old minister went into the hall where the two weavers sat beside the empty looms pretending to work with all their might.

 

The Emperor's minister opened his eyes wide. "Upon my life!" he thought. "I see nothing at all, nothing." But he did not say so.

 

The two swindlers begged him to come nearer and asked him how he liked it. "Are not the colors exquisite, and see how intricate are the patterns," they said. The poor old minister stared and stared. Still he could see nothing, for there was nothing. But he did not dare to say he saw nothing. "Nobody must find out,"' thought he. "I must never confess that I could not see the stuff."

 

"Well," said one of the rascals. "You do not say whether it pleases you."

 

"Oh, it is beautiful-most excellent, to be sure. Such a beautiful design, such exquisite colors. I shall tell the Emperor how enchanted) I am with the cloth."

 

"We are very glad to hear that," said the weavers, and they started to describe the colors and patterns in great detail. The old minister listened very carefully so that he could repeat the description to the Emperor. They also demanded more money and more gold thread, saying that they needed it to finish the cloth. But, of course, they put all they were given into their bags and pockets and kept on working at their empty looms.

 

Soon after this the Emperor sent another official to see how the men were ,getting on and to ask whether the cloth would soon be ready. Exactly the same happened with him as with the minister. He stood and stared, but as there was nothing to be seen, he could see nothing.

 

"Is not the material beautiful?" said the swindlers, and again they talked of 'the patterns and the exquisite colors. "Stupid I certainly am not," thought the official. "Then I must be unfit for my post. But nobody shall know that I could not see the material." Then he praised the material he did not see and declared that he was delighted with the colors and the marvelous patterns.

 

To the Emperor he said when he returned, "The cloth the weavers are preparing is truly magnificent."

 

Everybody in the city had heard of the secret cloth and were talking about the splendid material.

 

And now the Emperor was curious to see the costly stuff for himself while it was still upon the looms. Accompanied by a number of selected ministers, among whom were the two poor ministers who had already been before, the Emperor went to the weavers. There they sat in front of the empty looms, weaving more diligently than ever, yet without a single thread upon the looms.

 

"Is not the cloth magnificent?" said the two ministers. "See here, the splendid pattern, the glorious colors." Each pointed to the empty loom. Each thought that the other could see the material.

 

"What can this mean?" said the Emperor to himself. "This is terrible. Am I so stupid? Am I not fit to be Emperor? This is disastrous," he thought. But aloud he said, "Oh, the cloth is perfectly wonderful. It has a splendid pattern and such charming colors." And he nodded his approval and smiled appreciatively and stared at the empty looms. He would not, he could not, admit he saw nothing, when his two ministers had praised the material so highly. And all his men looked and looked at the empty looms. Not one of them saw anything there at all. Nevertheless, they all said, "Oh, the cloth is magnificent."

 

They advised the Emperor to have some new clothes made from this splendid material to wear in the great procession the following day.

 

"Magnificent." "Excellent." "Exquisite," went from mouth to mouth and everyone was pleased. Each of the swindlers was given a decoration to wear in his button-hole and the title of "Knight of the Loom".

 

The rascals sat up all that night and worked, burning more than sixteen candles, so that everyone could see how busy they were making the suit of clothes ready for the procession. Each of them had a great big pair of scissors and they cut in the air, pretending to cut the cloth with them, and sewed with needles without any thread.

 

There was great excitement in the palace and the Emperor's clothes were the talk of the town. At last the weavers declared that the clothes were ready. Then the Emperor, with the most distinguished gentlemen of the court, came to the weavers. Each of the swindlers lifted up an arm as if he were holding something. "Here are Your Majesty's trousers," said one. "This is Your Majesty's mantle," said the other. "The whole suit is as light as a spider's web. Why, you might almost feel as if you had nothing on, but that is just the beauty of it."

 

"Magnificent," cried the ministers, but they could see nothing at all. Indeed there was nothing to be seen.

 

"Now if Your Imperial Majesty would graciously consent to take off your clothes," said the weavers, "we could fit on the new ones." So the Emperor laid aside his clothes and the swindlers pretended to help him piece by piece into the new ones they were supposed to have made.

 

The Emperor turned from side to side in front of the long glass as if admiring himself.

 

"How well they fit. How splendid Your Majesty's robes look: What gorgeous colors!" they all said.

 

"The canopy which is to be held over Your Majesty in the procession is waiting," announced the Lord High Chamberlain.

 

"I am quite ready," announced the Emperor, and he looked at himself again in the mirror, turning from side to side as if carefully examining his handsome attire.

 

The courtiers who were to carry the train felt about on the ground pretending to lift it: they walked on solemnly pretending to be carrying it. Nothing would have persuaded them to admit they could not see the clothes, for fear they would be thought stupid or unfit for their posts.

 

And so the Emperor set off under the high canopy, at the head of the great procession. It was a great success. All the people standing by and at the windows cheered and cried, "Oh, how splendid are the Emperor's new clothes. What a magnificent train! How well the clothes fit!" No one dared to admit that he couldn't see anything, for who would want it to be known that he was either stupid or unfit for his post?

 

None of the Emperor's clothes had ever met with such success.

 

But among the crowds a little child suddenly gasped out, "But he hasn't got anything on." And the people began to whisper to one another what the child had said. "He hasn't got anything on." "There's a little child saying he hasn't got anything on." Till everyone was saying, "But he hasn't got anything on." The Emperor himself had the uncomfortable feeling that what they were whispering was only too true. "But I will have to go through with the procession," he said to himself.

 

So he drew himself up and walked boldly on holding his head higher than before, and the courtiers held on to the train that wasn't there at all.

[PAIDUP]

I GET STR8 PAID UP AT THE RIVER WALK. YOU BETTER CHECK YO SELF.

THANK YOU,

 

[Howard Marcuvitz]

In effort to support and show solidarity for Mayor Matt Ryan's $1,600,000 plan to extend the Riverwalk into the North Side, a rally is being planned on the existing section of the Riverwalk tonight.

 

Mary Clark and all her Citizen Action members are invited down to the Riverwalk to attend the rally. Bring all your friends.

 

The more Citizen Action people that come out to stand with thier mayor and Mary Clark, the better.

 

Let's keep the change happening.

 

The best place to access the Riverwalk is the staircase just north of the Court Street Bridge behind Boscov's, shown here:

 

 

Have a good time

EXACTLY!

 

The mayor should go down first. The city truly would be better off if Ryan were to drown.

 

[Guest Guest]

Have you read it? It practically supplies formulas, not buzzwords! Take a look at it before you judge.

 

Bucci was a big proponent of that book.

 

It's just another passing fad.

 

 

[Whitey Bulger]

i bet those of you who are complaining about the riverwalk, havent even tried to use it. If you are so negative about everything all the time, maybe you should just leave Binghamton, and let those of us who want to live here be here to make it great.

[Guest Guest]

i bet those of you who are complaining about the riverwalk, havent even tried to use it. If you are so negative about everything all the time, maybe you should just leave Binghamton, and let those of us who want to live here be here to make it great.

 

Yeah that's the answer....have more productive taxpaying people leave...that's just what the city needs...that way we can replace them with more sex offenders, mental patients, welfare recipients and homeless people.

 

THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of people have already left the city....the city continues to lose assessed property values and more and more properties come off the tax rolls almost daily as the government funded, non-profit infrastructure expands to accommodate the city's newest arrivals and their every entitlement need.

 

THOUSAND upon THOUSANDS of people didn't leave because we didn't have a riverwalk...they left because the city bonded itself to the point of insolvency and raised taxes in order to pay for useless projects like the riverwalk.

 

Meanwhile, the city's housing stock deteriorates, drug dealing and crime increases, the roads continue to crumble and the trash blows with abandon through our streets.

 

Yeah..if only more people could forget all that, concentrate on parades and fireworks and stroll on the riverwalk while thinking proper, happy thoughts...all would be right in the Parlor City.

 

You really are a fool.

 

 

[Guest Guest]

Right about now would be a really good time to visit the Riverwalk and see what a wonderful project it truly is!!!!

[Guest Guest]

i bet those of you who are complaining about the riverwalk, havent even tried to use it. If you are so negative about everything all the time, maybe you should just leave Binghamton, and let those of us who want to live here be here to make it great.

 

And who will PAY THE TAB??? That's what the whole debate is about. The current regime, headed by Libous, spends millions more each year. And they have to continue to raise property taxes and business taxes to do it. That is DESTROYING us. Don't you get it?

[Guest Guest]

Ryan and Fiala are raising your taxes in Broome County and Binghamton.

 

Spitzer is running things in Albany.

 

You seem confused.

 

Executives set the tax rates not legislators.

 

You need a civics course.

 

About all Senator Tom Libous can do after that is see to it that as much of the money as possible being raised by the Executive branches is sent here.

[Guest Guest]

Ryan and Fiala are raising your taxes in Broome County and Binghamton.

 

Spitzer is running things in Albany.

 

You seem confused.

 

Executives set the tax rates not legislators.

 

You need a civics course.

 

About all Senator Tom Libous can do after that is see to it that as much of the money as possible being raised by the Executive branches is sent here.

 

If you think Libous doesn't run the show around here, you are mistaken. Do you know that all major repub campaigns are run at, through, and by Libous' office? Do you think the major business players like the Maines', Akels, etc... go to Ryan and Fiala when they want something? Come on dude, they deal directly with Boss Twead. Libous is the one who can lobby in Albany for grants, it's his pork barrel spending that funds his pet projects. I can go on and on but it should be obvious by now....