What is stopping us?
Riverside Info » About Riverside
America's Coolest Small Towns
(57 posts)-
Posted Saturday Oct 3, 2009 15:49 #
-
The people who live here.
1. There is a predisposition to closing Riverside to non residents.
2. There is risk aversion that results in an unwillingness to fund anything that does not have a guaranteed payoff.
3. I think residents don't want the traffic and likely won't support redevelopment that would improve traffic flow or parking.Posted Saturday Oct 3, 2009 16:51 # -
1) The "Riverside for Riversiders" mentality.
2) The fact that there is not a terribly large market for landscape architecture tourism.
3) A lack of shops, restaurants and other amenities.
Riverside is never going to be a tourist attraction, except to a small amount of people. What it could be is a small-scale dining or shopping destination for the surrounding area. The tax revenue will never be huge, but it could fund CBD improvements and landscaping, freeing up property tax dollars for other expenditures. But this won't happen until the administration starts supporting our business owners.
Posted Saturday Oct 3, 2009 17:06 # -
Our lack of support for our existing business owners and our purposeful lack of traffic flow. Our reluctance to try anything new as it might jeopardize our Landmark Status or our current pastoral, some say idyllic, way of life. Our overall abhorrence to anything flashy or ostentatious. see also JohnM and mr.
Posted Saturday Oct 3, 2009 17:14 # -
Riverside is never going to be a tourist attraction, except to a small amount of people
"Never say never" A lack of exposure or publicity might also be a factor in not getting people here. I literally stumbled accidently into town after living in Oak Park - Berwyn for 30 years (!) But when I did stumble into town, the town's landscape and character with the gaslights, distinctive windy streets, abundance of (green) space in the form of large frontages along the streets and the triangular parks that surprise you across the town, and charming downtown that is anchored by THE RIVER and then the library, all made a sufficient enough impression on me that I knew immediately that I wanted to live here.
Riverside is kinda off the beaten track. So more exposure in the form of internet exposure, bikeways, hosting (various) events could attract some publicity. Here is a post on this subject.
I like it when I see new people to town, and see their excitement in the town. I am curious what drove them - and anyone - to find Riverside and to live here. Maybe that might be a germ of what can get others to come here as a 'tourist', too?
On the parking reference, I noticed in one of the small towns of the subject link had angled parking.
http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-srv/gallery/0910_CoolestSmallTowns/index.html?jumpToPic=9
I mentioned this in another thread as I was wondering how our cbd was more fully utilized in the older days (before the big box / malls) even tho the cbd was always about the same size and the population was about the same size. I thihk I saw pictures of riverside's cbd then, and the cars had angled parking, thus allowing more cars in, I guess.
Here is a link showing some angled parking in Riverside in days of yore when the cbd was humming. NOTICE the oldtimey (wooden) bikerack with the big balloon tire bikes next to the Henningers (which is now R Plumbing). Note that big tire cruiser type of bikes are making a comeback in society; hey bikes seem to be resurgent, too, as people understand the cardiovascular and economic benefits of bikes.
http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/riverside-for-sale-on-ebay#post-555
hey, maybe as people sour on big boxes and godawful traffic jams to get anywhere, maybe small will be "COOL". We small - as hawk harrelson might have said. so this could be a start.
Yes, riverside and all small towns have been having troubles since the advent of the big boxes-malls and car-car ethos (70s - 80s); instead of riverside changing to be like those places, we should stay the same - just advertise and make ourselves even more charming (no huge out of scale developments, eg) and green (plant more trees, eg).
we'll got that guy who did the voiceover of reagan's 80s campaign ("it's morning in america")...
"come to riverside. come home - again" - cut to video of kids playing ball in the park or skating at big ball park.
fyi,here is another thread on this subject.
http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/good-bye-small-town-america#post-4170Posted Saturday Oct 3, 2009 17:19 # -
I think Uphues was right, it would take political will:
Revitalizing Riverside's central business district has been a time-honored talking point. In November 1985, in the first issue ever published by the Landmark, the top story on the front page bore the headline "Local businesses need community support." On page 2 was a photo of the Arcade Building with a caption reading, "Arcade Building - local embarrassment with great potential."
Folks, that was almost 24 years ago - a generation.
When exactly will Riverside get the political will to address real revitalization for its downtown? It gets talked about a lot, but nothing much ever seems to happen.
http://www.rblandmark.com/main.asp?SectionID=3&SubSectionID=3&ArticleID=5333&TM=66097.91
Posted Saturday Oct 3, 2009 17:22 # -
Kelly, what is this concern about jeapording our Landmark Status? Surely, that can be worked out with a plan and coordination with preservation experts. Is this a concern that is voiced often? Gee, what did we do before we were granted the status?
Posted Saturday Oct 3, 2009 17:23 # -
mr - Of course it could be worked out, if one was so inclined.
Posted Saturday Oct 3, 2009 17:26 # -
The old chestnut about "jeopardizing our landmark status" is dragged out anytime anyone anywhere makes a suggestion that certain groups in this town don't agree with.
The turtle in Turtle Park? Jeopardizing our landmark status.
A bike path? Jeopardizing our landmark status.
A $5,000 donation to plant trees? Jeopardizing our landmark status.
It would be interesting to know if any NHL ever had its status taken away. My guess would be no.
Posted Saturday Oct 3, 2009 17:33 # -
I think that Riverside could be a destination town as well. I don't know if you ever knew anyone that said they were going to spend the day in Long Grove. I am not a Long Grove fan. Riverside could be so much more interesting - it already is. Still, people around here used to make that long ride to Long Grove.
Posted Saturday Oct 3, 2009 17:35 #
Reply »
You must log in to post.