A New Way Of Shopping????

[Band Saw Box]

I sure some of the other members can remember the days before malls when you would go downtown to shop and some may even remember a song my Petula Clark my the same name. Well the malls came along and people didn't go downtown very much any more.
Evelyn and I were out shopping yesterday to a new shopping area here in Hampton call Peninsula Town Center they have lots of shops from small ones to big name department. Many of the shop have apartments over them. There are places to eat and even a move theater of course there is on street parking with meters. On a lot of the building there are big signs that read "A New Way Of Shopping" well for some of the young folks it might be but to Evelyn and I it's shopping downtown. It's nice to walk around there and brings back memorys of growing up. There is another shopping area like it in Newport News called Town Center "A New Way Of Shopping" I dont think Sooooooo.

[Terry Murphy]

Great story. Ah remember when!

[sawdustus]

Remember town center shopping centers well. Still have one where I live; four blocks long, both sides of the street. They only stores we don't have are a clothing store and a shoe store.

george

[wjbclocks1]

Thanks for brining back The Good Days. Before redevloment.

[JimSawyer]

Gee, next thing you know, Americans will hire Americans....

[Band Saw Box]

Thanks for the comments it good to know I brought back some memory's. There was a man who would sing a song at the end of his TV program that would fit this post. I wonder who will guess the name of the song and man's name first.

[jim_mex]

Hi Dan - one of the pleasures I get when going back to the UK every now and then is to walk down the high streets of some of the towns I grew up in and around and browse the shop windows of all the small shops and businesses - btw many of these streets are actually called High Street which is a generic name in the UK meaning the principal business street of a town or village, rather like Main Street in the US.

Luckily, after a period a few years back when these small shops and businesses were disappearing in the wake of fierce competition from supermarkets and malls, they seem to have managed a revival and have found niches were they can offer a specialized and definitely more personalized service not found in the malls.

I personally hate shopping in malls and whilst I often have to use them to buy certain items, especially clothing, the sooner I can get in and out the better. Downtown shopping has some drawbacks, particularly the often lack of availability of a wide range of goods, and often higher prices, but give the choice I prefer shopping that way.

Curiously enough, here in northern Italy where I'm working at the moment, downtown shopping areas don't seem to exist. To find a small grocery store around the corner is practically impossible, almost all seem to have been replaced by large supermarkets or malls and it really irks me to have to go trudging around these places with a shopping trolley just to by a carton of milk or similar - or maybe I'm just getting grumpier with age!

[Band Saw Box]

Oh yes Jim I remember well walking down the high streets when I was stationed in the UK sometime it was for nothing more in some Cod and chips. I also remember the small corner grocery stores you talked about when the ships I was stationed on would visit Naples and a few in Trieste mice places to shop but that was back in the mid 80's and early 90's

[Max]

I think there are no new ideas for shopping so the marketing gurus bring back an experience that most of the population never experienced and rebrand it as a town center or something similar. We have a town center near us and I like the experience. During the summer they have outdoor entertainment.

[ubgoofy2003]

Thanks for the comments it good to know I brought back some memory's. There was a man who would sing a song at the end of his TV program that would fit this post. I wonder who will guess the name of the song and man's name first.

Hey, Dan, was it Bob Hope & " Memories " ?

[weiner9696]

I remember going shopping with my parents every saturday downtown. First of all to the grocery store, then just walking around and looking at the window displays. Oh, so sad that those days are mostly gone. It was a fun time.

George

[journeyman]

Thanks for the memories Dan. Her in the UK we have gone down the super mall route to some extent, but like Jim-mex said you can still find some local shopping streets in most towns. Here in my home town of Rotherham there is a move to improve the town centre and attract people away from the the big shopping centres. We have a market place that is open 4 days a week selling local and fresh produce and there is an indoor market that is open every day. Once a month we have a street market that winds down the main street. This is very popular and people come from all over the area. It has a European theme with stalls selling traditional goods from lots of different European coutries and cultures. It's nice to stroll through and browse and perhaps stop for a coffee at one of the local cafes. Makes me think of the summer. Oh I feel all warm and slushy now-Lol
Mick
Mick

[wjbclocks1]

Could it be Bob Hope and Thanks for the memories

[Band Saw Box]

And the winner is wjbclocks1. Your are right it was Bob Hope "Thanks for the memories"
Mick remember market days when I was stationed in the UK lots of fun.

[Bill Wilson]

Mall developers have taken it one step further. Near Columbus, there's a large mall called Easton Town Center. It's laid out to mimic a classic downtown shopping area, with it's own network of streets. Some even have parking meters. It's kind of interesting, but also sad in a way how far we reach back to try & capture something that was uniquely American, but is now gone.