Main Street

It’s the essence of hometown, the hub of local buzz, the street of strong opinion. It’s where shoppers vote with their feet — and credit cards — about what’s hot and what’s not.

It’s where lifetime residents linger over breakfast and up-and-comers meet for lunch. It’s where the waitress knows “your usual” and the dry cleaner knows exactly how you like your shirts pressed. It’s the home of hotdog stands, coffee shops, 3rd generation shoe stores and haberdasheries. It’s where you bought your first — and fifth — refrigerator, bicycle, piece of fine art, and pair of expensive earrings.

It’s a trial-by-fire-testing ground for hopeful entrepreneurs, a tried-and-true home base for successful business owners. It’s where mom and pop shops come to live or die. It’s got the sidewalks skateboarders love, and the crosswalks pedestrians and motorists ignore.

It’s where the past, present and future meet. It’s where local history shines and innovation revitalizes. In the winter it sparkles with lights and Christmas trees, and in the summer it’s lush with colorful flowerbeds and banners.

Main Street is all that, and so much more. Especially this summer.

In Canandaigua, it’s also the battleground of “improvement.” It’s where utter chaos reins, where sidewalks are gutted, dust and stones fly, heavy equipment drones, and orange cones and warning tape threaten those who dare to access businesses. It’s where the street vendor says, “would you like gravel with that hot dog?” and where park performers compete with construction workers for the spotlight.

It’s where first-year business owners wonder if they’ll be able to last through the week. It’s where hospitality and tourism professionals try to welcome out of town guests without grimacing. It’s an ongoing, ever-morphing war zone — an undeniable testament to poor planning, passive strategies and bad timing.

It’s where hastily made signs plead with travelers to stop and shop anyway, regardless of the mess. It’s where such signs inevitably point to the bigger problem more than they provide a solution.

I hope business owners don’t end up paying the ultimate price. I hope shoppers and vacationers don’t give up and head to the nearest mall. (I hear you don’t have to choke on dust or jump construction tape in order to spend money.)

Yeah – I love my Main Street and hope it turns out to be truly beautiful. But it would be a real shame if, when it’s finished, there was no one there to see it.


See also at MPNnow.com.