Why don’t more people shop the wonderful little stores in our downtown? I have been pondering this question for some time.

When you ask people why they do not shop our business district, a common response is “the parking.” Even if you dislike parallel parking, you may want to re-think this reason for not shopping in our historic business district.

For those of us who are “parallel parking challenged” and opt not park on Main Street, there is plenty of off-street parking.

The perception of parking in a city parking lot is that it involves a lot of walking. I think this may be a common and inaccurate belief based on the simple fact that most of our businesses are out of the line of sight from parking lots. In other words, at the large retailers and malls your car may be a heck of a long way from a store, but you can see the store or its sign.

I decided to try my own not-so-scientific experiment. The last three times my husband and I went to Walmart I counted my footsteps from my car to Walmart’s door.

We parked as close as we could each time, and the number of steps it took was between 150 and 200 steps, or about 300 feet. It took that many steps to get to the outer door, and I didn’t even count my steps to get to the inner door or a particular department.

Recently, I walked Main from Second to Third Street (approximately from the Nuggett Downtown Grill to Veni’s Sweet Shop) and it took 135 footsteps. I was surprised that the distance of the entire block was less than a walk into Walmart.

There are parking lots on Front, Sycamore and Cedar streets. According to Lisa Croteau, Niles Main Street/DDA Program Manager, “There is all-day parking located within 750 feet of every business in the district.”

To me this translates to about 500 steps even if I park in a lot at the furthest possible point from my destination.

Our downtown merchants offer desirable and unique products, with very good prices and a welcoming atmosphere. If parking is keeping you from shopping in our local historic district, please try your own “walking experiment.”

 

Jeanne Watson is a sixth generation Niles resident who wants to see the downtown strong once again. Jeanne has volunteered her time with the Niles Main Street/DDA for nearly 15 years. She can be reached at jeanne0503@comcast.net.