ypsi~dixit

thank you for making it a main topic.
It's a good debate.

I don't know if it's a DDA project or not, but coming back to town on Huron, heading north, I was a bit bemused by the big brick sign "DOWNTOWN YPSILANTI".

The "Downtown" seemed odd and extraneous. I still can't figure out why that was on there.

You are most welcome, Anon.

Incidentally, can I plug my favorite downtown business? World of Rocks. My trilobite connection! Jewelry, too. Near the new Slinky Cat or Shifty Cat or whatever the new topless (?) bar is called.

The problem is parking lots being dug up and buisness's suffering, not to mention the road dug up the year before.
Ace Hardware stating thousands of dollars lost, Haabs lots thousands, Sundays Restraunts thousands.
And the prior DDA head, nhow resigned claimed the dug up parking lots didn't play a major rule in revenues lost."That's FANTASY LAND, thinking."
The first 2 business's have been in Downtown Ypsi for half a century. I think; they know their numbers.
It's just the DDA is on a completly different page; than the business owners downtown Ypsilanti.
It comes back to how long can a business hold out while the DDA continues and tries to finish it's vision?
A little help would be okay.

Shaking my head

Of course the ripped up parking lots made a huge difference in downtown shopping; I don't see how anyone could think elsewise.

I love Congdon's. Despite their size, they *always* have just the thing I need, no matter how arcane, ranging from furnace filters to lawn patch-o-matic.

Go back to the Ann Arbor News lastyear when Ingrid Ault was quoted. It's Fantasy Land.

How about the Ypsilanti Courier with the Owner Of Terry Bakery stating; that the DDA was keeping secret the remaining finalists to head the DDA?
I mean, come on. This is fantasy land.
What's the secret?

Anon., what would you and your colleagues downtown like to see change? How can the situation be improved? What would you like to see happen?

Just a momentary beef that I haven't been able to express in person yet to the appropriate party, since Anon made a complaint on their behalf, above -

Dear Ace Hardware, and all other downtown businesses with ridiculous hours:

Gosh darn it, Ace Hardware, why won't you let me give you my money?! I'm a new homeowner within walking distance! I need to drop cash on things! Last Wednesday, I go to the house after work, walk to Ace Hardware - uh, closed. I drove to Lowe's. Sunday, Cara wants to go to Ace Hardware - uh, closed. She drove to Target.

Studies show 75% of retail business happens after 6pm and on weekends. Why are you closing at 5:30 on weekdays and closing on Sundays? You're not losing my business because the DDA tore up your parking lot - you're losing my business because you're not open at reasonable hours. The time I was able to give you money, you seemed like a very high quality hardware store. Why don't you want more of my money? Why do you force me to give it to national chains, instead?

Not only are you not getting my money, you are making me resentful for the half hour I spent walking to your store, finding you closed at a perfectly reasonable time to expect you open, being disappointed, and going home empty handed. Nevertheless, I will persevere, and continue to visit you at reasonable purchasing times, in hopes that, someday, you will be open at such times.

Sincerely,
Murph.
Patron of Downtown Businesses that are Willing to be Patronized.

Open meetings 100% of the time.
DDA members giving their 100% views of what they are trying to do are think?
Business owners imput actually have weight.
Nothing new, just reality, NO BS.

A huge I SECOND THAT to Murph's post!

I get off the bus tonight. Would love to stop off at Congdon's for paint remover for my floor. Nope. Outta luck. If Congdon't were open till 7,--for just one night a week--I bet you I'd stop there *at least* once a week and spend at least $15-$20 each time. And end up buying almost all of my house stuff there!

Instead I'll probably pick up the stuff at Meijers. When I'd MUCH rather patronize a local business!

For Heaven's sakes, people do work all day! We need more evening hours. How about a once a week "Late Nite in the Downtown," with participating businesses staying open till 8 or 9? Do it on Friday and make it like a mini Midnight Madness. Combine it with the ongoing Friday concert series.

Anonymous, that sounds most reasonable to me, for what little that's worth.

Your comparing Mass merchants with Billions of dollars and pretty much every politician in their back pocket to struggling downtown mom and pop business types?
"FANTASY LAND"

Local business's don't have that kind of money to be open as much as mass merchants.
My point exactly "SOCIAL DAWANISM BUSINESS."

At least the DDA could understand what is going on.

Would it really be impossible for Congdon's to open at noon on Friday and stay open till 8 p.m.?

I can't see how that would cost more than 9 a.m.-5.

And they'd get a whole lot more of my and Murph's money, that's for sure.

And, while I'm at it, the article about parking in the Depot Town rag had some smarmy comment about "no parking meters here - what's a city planner to do?"

Well, I'll tell you. When this City Planner tried to stop at a Depot Town business on the way home from work to procure for his wife a birthday present, he spent longer looking for a parking spot than he did in the business, and longer still walking to and from that parking space. In the rain.

What's a city planner to do? What this City Planner is to do it to point out that you're lucky that City Planners are the ones devoted enough to waste their time looking for parking because you're too good to have parking meters. Lesser potential customers would have gone somewhere else. There's a reason that parking meters were _invented_ by merchants' associations - they wanted to ensure turnover of on-street parking in order to make life easy for their customers, so that we wouldn't have to spend so long looking for and walking from parking!

It makes me sad and exasperated when local businesses make it hard for me to support them...

Maybe they have to many members showing up late to DDA meetings; because they are at Band Practise?

Murph: (nosy!) what was the present?
If you don't mind my asking.

Wait! Let me guess--one of Quinn's Essentials unique and pretty clothing items.

Sorry. Just curious.

Glad to hear a second, Laura. Really, I'd be interested to see how much business Congdon's does before noon on weekdays. It wouldn't cost anything extra in payroll to change their hours from 9-5:30 to noon-8:30 on weekdays.

Retail consultant Bob Gibbs, who spoke at the A2 district library last year, is my source of the 75% quote. He commented that the 9-5 mentality is one of the biggest hurdles for small retailers who just don't understand shopping patterns. Now, I imagine contractors probably shop early on weekdays, and may or may not be a big revenue source for this particular hardware store, but it's this sort of behavior change that needs to be considered on the part of businesses.

fascinating, must be your fax from the the RNC or GOP commitees.
"FANTASY LAND"

Still haven't seen a post that gets it?

Heh. It was a cute plush monkey backpack/purse! From Quinn's Essentials, yes. My sister and I had noticed it when I was giving her a tour of town, and thought it'd be excellent for Cara.

Murph: Yes--contractors would still have 4 out of 5 weekdays to pick up their items--and you and I and other folks who work 9-5 could swing by on Friday night for our paint remover and home supplies. I bet they'd make a mint from the flood of folks returning home from AA every day who want to support local businesses yet cannot (and folks who work all week plus 2 weekends a month often just don't have the time for a seperate trip, on a bike, to the hardware store--just a reality).

Murph: Ah. Very nice present! Well, I was way off on that one. At least I got the store right. And it is a fabric item. So that counts a little.

Thank you for satisfying my curiosity. :)

(I can't help but wonder - maybe studying minor but potentially profitable changes in businesses' behavior would be a better use of the DDA's time and money than putting up banners with lamentable slogans on lampposts?)

I would love a weekly mini-Midnight Madness, with Congdon's, World of Rocks, and other downtown businesses open till 9. I could catch the weekly concerts going on, eat dinner downtown, do my shopping, and have a fun time while supporting local businesses.

Might be one way to build foot (bike) traffic in the Mich Ave environs.

not to mention the protesters every Saturday and other days of the week agains abortion.
Do you understand what the business's in Downtown Ypsilanti are up against?
It's brutal.

Anonymous, may I ask what do you think about my and Murph's idea about shifting hours a bit to allow working folks to shop? Maybe opening late one day & staying open till 8 or 9?

We don't make 28 million a year as per Wal-Mart/ Home Depot, Lowes Etc in salary.
Line their pockets;
that's the mentality of the DDA in Ypsi. Like Money grows on trees?.

And I agree with you...the poster people are not fostering a good business climate. Perhaps Ypsi needs to create a free speech zone behind the Riverside Arts Center.

yah, that 100K with the Cool cities went "POOF" nothing for the business's Downtown.

I have three thoughts.

First, that this entire conversation is grossly unfair to Fantasyland. Although it no longer includes Mr. Toad's Wild Ride or 20,000 Leagues under the sea, classics like "Peter Pan" and "It's a Small World" still maintain a high enough quality level that I don't personally find the comparison entirely warranted. If you want to compare it to, say, Adventureland, then fine. But choose your metaphors with more care.

Secondly, I believe that Murph must be a very slow walker. I live three times the distance from downtown Ypsilanti as he, and it takes me a half hour to walk there- thus if he ambles along at a reasonable clip, he should only have about a ten minute walk to get to the hardware store. Also, on the rare occasions that my wife and I drive to Depot Town (in lieu of walking, which also takes half an hour), we always park in the back of the frog island lot, and happilly so. If we ever do park on Cross Street, we regret the missed opportunity to point at the mcrr gardens, freighthouse, and depot, and make various derisive and witty comments for eachother's amusement.

Finally, I've never gone inside Quinn's Essentials, due to the high level of Annette Funicello content. Getting back to Disneyana, I always felt she was by far the most highly overrated Mouseketeer, a veritable "Jennifer Goulet", if you will.

But the self proclaimed cheerleader of the Riverside Arts 100K grant takes ALL claim for that.

If anybody thinks I'm Quinn Essentials? I'm not, 100%. I don't the people.
I'm just not blind and ignorant.

Sorry, KNOW the people at Quinn Essentials.

My points is SOCIAL DARWINSIM BUSINESS.
Ypsilanit Business will problaby be fine in years.
But the business's now are Fuc&$9.

Self proclamined Cheerleader of the 100K Cheerleader is on her third business and trying to keep it a float. The prior 2 are DEFUNDT.
But you know it all.

Brett - my half hour was a rough estimate for the full round trip, including finding the place based only on the information, "There's a hardware store on Pearl Street, maybe," gleaned by asking another business owner, and a few minutes of shock and dismay that one of the exact items I needed was a mere two feet away, within sight, but that the store was closed. (Dear Congdon's: I apologize for the sad noseprints on the display window near the pruning shears and loppers.)

I'd say it takes me under ten minutes to get to most downtown or depot town locations, once I know where they are. I'm a brisk walker with destination known.

Parking in the Frog Island lot when going to Depot Town is fine, assuming you're familiar with what parking options are where, and the combination of weather and walking time is acceptable. As a general car-hater (would that I had a job in walking/biking/bussing/train distance), I've not driven to Depot Town enough to form a mental map of what parking is where and who it belongs to.

You can't plan access to businesses for the people who know exactly where to park. Gotta make it easy for new customers who aren't loyal, and therefore easily.

I'll also note that my sister and I initially entered Quinn's for the purpose of poking fun.

Murph! I hope it's your lilac you were thinking of pruning because--that's right! It's lilac-prunin' time! Remove rubbing branches! Thin them out! Shape your shrub! Let air and light penetrate the plant!

Lilac-prunin' time! Everybody! Prune your lilacs!

I also love the term "noseprints." :)

Anonymous, I'm having trouble catching your drift - you're a bit too terse for my wordy self. I'm thinking that you're missing my point(s), though I can't really tell.

Simply: Life is rough for small businessowners. They don't have the resources of multinational corporations, and can't shrug off losses. They need to compete for every dollar, and that competitiveness means asking, "What am I doing that's costing me customers? What could I be doing that would win me those customers? What changes could I make that would be cheap but have a high ROI?"

You seem to be saying that Laura and I don't understand the survival of the fittest phenomenon in the marketplace - matter of fact, I do understand, and I'm trying to think of ways to make businesses more fit.

Welcome to George Bush and Dick Cheneys world.
I wish; I had every angle to make millions or billions and have almost half the country back it. Sad, but reality.

Shaking my head.

Don't have any lilacs. (sigh.) Yet.

I fill a bird bath every morning. The animals love it.

I fill a bird bath every morning. The animals love it.

I have yet to set up my birdbath. Can't decide whether to put it up by my feeders, recreating the One-Stop Bird Center of last year, or putting it out front in the B. J. Memorial Garden (home of dopey cauliflower).

my appoligies for a double post.

facts and reality suck don't they?
Welcome to the GOP AND RNC.

No apologies necessary, I'm sure.

And I shouldn't call it a memorial garden--its namesake is alive and well. More of a commemorative garden. Highlight: strawberry patch, now yielding at least 4 strawberries a day, which I eat upon returning home.

I echo what Murph says: Anon., I'm having trouble catching your drift, too.

To repeat, what are your thoughts, as a local business owner (I presume) on businesses downtown staying open late one night a week?

You say the DDA is not listening to you. We, your customers, are listening, and trying to help by suggesting evening hours so that we can spend our money downtown.

What do you think about evening hours?

that's your remedy evening hours?
You just don't get it.

Anonymous, if a potential customer to my store, money in hand, made a small suggestion for changing hours on one day of the week so that she could come to shop and spend money one evening a week, I would say it might be an idea that merits consideration.

The DDA ain't the only ones who ain't listenin'.

"No thanks, I don't want your money."
"Downtown businesses are struggling."

Cry me a river, baby.

yah, turn off your Fax from the RNC or GOP commitees and Sean Hannity.

if your not a millionaire of a billionaire, your in "FANTASY LAND."

(nibbles Sno-Cone, looks about in wonder at the beauties of *FANTASY LAND*).

This quote is originally from a discussion about parking on a university campus, but also applies well to the discussion about parking in downtown Ypsi last year: "We don't have a parking problem, we have a walking problem."

There was always plenty of parking to be had in Ypsi during the North and South Huron parking lot projects, and there was even signage directing people to alternatives. People just would rather park right next to their destination. Unless of course they are going to MallWart or Briarpatch Mall or that new home furnishings store in Canton.

(cough) I have to say that as the eternal biker, I had no problem during recent parking lot con/destruction. My parking space is two inches wide and six feet long, and I take it with me wherever I go.

MallWart or Briarpatch Mall Cute.

Like I said, I'd prefer any other mode of transportation to driving - 'twas non-car transportation that got me into planning.

But.

"Not a parking problem, but a walking problem" is a dangerous statement. A University can say whatever they want - people specifically come to _that university_ and are willing to make extra effort to get there. A struggling business district is one in a million in the eyes of the customer it hasn't yet snagged. In a case where the customer doesn't NEED to get to that EXACT business district, the district can't afford to place the burden of access on the customer.

Better, "we don't have a parking problem, we have a parking perception problem". It doesn't matter how easy it is to park, it matters how easy people think it is to park. To those of us who know where the parking is, how much it costs (or doesn't), what the hours are, and the best way to enter/exit, it may seem like, oh, those lazy rotten twerps can't walk a measly block!

But to the first-time shopper (or the second), more hand-holding is needed. If they think there's a problem, then there is a problem.

It's not that people want a parking space right at the front door - it's that they want a parking space that's intuitive. They're willing to walk twice as far in a mall parking lot because the distance is line-of-site. They can SEE Best Buy over there, they know where they're going, and they know the terms of their parking spot. Traditional business districts may have more parking than they need (and many do!), but the important factor is not how much there is, but how easy it is for the customer to use.

I think a town's planners and decision-makers might find useful a simple experiment: recruit somebody from out of town, give them a destination, "the hardware store on pearl street, which is a block up from Michigan Ave," and sit silently in the passenger seat and see what they do. See how they look for it. See what they do when they find it. See where they look for parking. Watch them try to figure out whether "customer parking only" is for the place they want to be or the place next door.

As a perennial walker/biker/busser, I don't notice parking. A native doesn't notice parking either - they just use it. It's only since recently being forced into a car commute and spending more time in Ypsi that I've noticed just how confusing the one-way streets are the first few times, and gotten frustrated with parking (and once gave up on a place I meant to go, later to find parking just around the corner).

It's all about perception.

And, p.s., Anonymous? You don't seem to be contributing anything constructive. You seem to be attacking people who would be on your side, and not providing anything to back up your attacks.

yah, Murph, have you had a business downtown?
Have you grinded it out day in and day out; while the DDA and other entities make the decisions and have the big overall vision secret.
Give me a break.
Shut your GOP, RNC fax off.

Read a couple posts up where I state the DDA should have 100% open debates or meetings.

If 'anonymous' IS a local small business owner, then perhaps Ypsilanti's economy has more serious problems than the DDA. To wit:

Scenario: I walk into anonymous's store.

me: Sir, I am looking to purchase a widget. Might I inquire as to where such products are located amongst your inventory?

anon:My points is SOCIAL DARWINSIM BUSINESS.

me: Pardon, sir? I asked a simple question. Do you carry said widget?

anon: facts and reality suck don't they?
Welcome to the GOP AND RNC.

me: Yes, well, I suppose I'll go elsewhere, then.

anon: DDA members giving their 100% views of what they are trying to do are think?
Business owners imput actually have weight.

me: Good day, sir.

anon: I wish; I had every angle to make millions or billions and have almost half the country back it. Sad, but reality.

Filipak, don't post your smoke and mirrors GOP, RNC convictions.
Give us all a break.
Turn the channel when O'Reill, Hannity etc are spouting their 20 millon a year salary garbage.
You have reality right in front of you.

What does DDA stand for, said the out-of-towner.

Downtown Development Authority.

Anonymous, your comments about Murph and I receiving faxes from the Republican party make no sense.

Republicans back big business, right? Big box stores. Not the mom and pop stores downtown that we seek to patronize.

Murph drew upon his expertise as a planner to make several thoughtful comments. I invented what I think is a good idea: a weekly mini Midnight Madness.

In return for our civil and good suggestions, I see rude and nonsensical replies. Not to mention a lot of whining.

Is that supposed to encourage potential customers to patronize the downtown? Because as its de facto representative you sure aren't characterizing it as a place I'd feel welcome.

Drop the whining, learn to freakin' spell, look up "Social Darwinism" in the Wikipedia for God's sake and get a clue as to how to accomodate customers eager but unable to shop downtown.

Crikey.

And Murph, just to clarify, I wasn't trying to suggest you were lazy, rotten, or twerpish: it's just that living out here in the boonies, and walking into town many times a week, I find myself often thinking that Ypsilanti actually is quite walkable, especially for downtown residents, with the only caveat being that there aren't a great many 'real' businesses to walk to. I think that the points you and brian raised reallly aren't so far apart from one another, as i agree, to some extent, with both of you.

The issue of one-way streets is probably, in my opinion, the biggest point of confusion for non-locals, and from the business owners I've talked to, they agree that they're responsible for potential patrons passing them by. I am curious, though, what you would suggest about parking otherwise- are you saying we'd need to have parking lots more clearly marked with signage, or are you saying that parking meters would solve the problem? I guess my skepticism comes from similar doubts I have about steps taken by some cities to improve traffic flow, which inevitably allows more cars to pass by, and eventually needs to be redesigned to improve traffic flow yet again (i.e., dirt road, brick road, paved road, stop light, highway, etc). I realize it sounds like Orwellian social engineering, but I'd actually like to see MORE traffic, as any step to make cars less attractive a transportation option is a good one in my opinion.

I love what Gibbs writes. Here is an older piece but still useful. http://www.gibbsplanning.com/docs/What%20Main%20St%20Can%20Learn%20from%20Mall%202.pdf

I have heard his 60 to 75% rule for sales after 5pm. But I have never seen him back it up. I too have done a lot of work for mass market and other retailers, my experience doesn't show that.

Often times it is a Catch-22. The destination stores like a Hardware store can't stay open late because there is not enough foot traffic. There isn't enough foot traffic becasue no stores are staying open late.

You need a steady stream of after 5pm traffic. Typically they are restaurants, bars, bookstores, coffee shops and art spaces like galleries or related activities. Once there is enough of that business, then more stores that are typically 9-5 (eg a Hardware or Drugstore) will start to stay later.

Drugstores and Hardware stores also need a much larger residential population. It also requires a change in mindset.

You have become used to shopping late night at Lowe's. If you want to support a local business, change your schedule. Go into work early one day so you can leave early to get to the hardware store. They are also open all day Saturday so plan out your projects and make lists so you get your stuff on Saturday.

When I came to Ypsi, I only shopped at Home Depot. Back in 2000 and 2001 H-D used to be open 24 hours. 2am at the HD you can get a lot of shopping done.

But I slowly forced myself to forgo the convenince of long hours and instead shop locally. Now I rarely go to H-D except for things like light fixtures, dry-wall or tile.

I can't say I had anything to do with it, but H-D isn't open 24 hours any more either.

We all talk about wanting to support local business, yet we often times don't support them and the excuse is Target was more convenient.

We have to break that mindset and give the local retailer a chance. What I love about Ace Hardware it is so much easier to find things. Every tried to find a bolt at H-D or Lowes? Congdon's is very price competitive and many times is much cheaper than H-D. And they always have better sales.

I also got an account at the hardware store. So I can walk in and get what I need and they bill me. So I don't have to even carry a wallet.

Closing at 5:30 and on Sunday isn't a barrier to shopping locally, thinking you don't have a choice is.

Cheers!

- Steve Pierce

Your point is well taken, Steve. Some leeway can be made on the shopper's side of things.

But not in my case. I work 55-60 hours a week. Two weekends a month. I'm expected to be there, 9-5 minimum, and late into evening in spring and fall when we have big calendars.

it is not possible for me to slide out early, generally. I just have too much to do. Right now we're working on 3 different publications in the summer rush.

During late summer and dead of winter, yeah, I can slide out of work a tad early. Otherwise, I cannot. In the meantime I still don't think it's unreasonable for a retailer to have one night a week when they're open late, for the working folk who'd like to shop there but simply can't get there 9-5.

Steve, asking potential customers to change their schedules to adapt to the businesses' hours is akin to telling people that they're lazy because they can't find the parking - it works when people are already committed to supporting local businesses. For the customer who doesn't yet understand why he should be supporting local businesses, telling him "it's you who should adjust your hours/transportation habits, rather than the business that wants your patronage," isn't productive.

For my own part, yes, I already am fanatical about small, independant businesses in walking distance. Which is why I even gave Congdon's a second chance after finding it closed the first time. Changing one's schedule to go to the hardware store, though, assumes that you have the power to do that. A great many people don't have that luxury. I suppose I could take sick time to go to the hardware store, but I'd kinda rather save it for when I'm sick. And saving up a shopping list until the hardware store is open would be fine - if it weren't for the fact that we're working as hard as we can to move into our house, and that's not something we want to wait on the hardware store's hours for.

It's the minority of us that understand why small indie businesses are crucial - but even we are limited in the amount of choice we have. Asking people who don't yet have that understanding to make changes in their own behavior that they might find very hard to make, in order to support something they might not believe in, doesn't seem like the best way a local business owner can change things.

Brett - I also find Ypsi very walkable. But when one has been living in Ann Arbor and working in Wayne County, one first has to deal with parking one's car before enjoying Ypsi's walkability. As I was musing - we gung-ho walkers often just plain lack the mindset of drivers, which is something we have to work on in order to get them out of their cars and walking around.

I haven't spent enough time examining Ypsi's parking to say what changes I would recommend. Some things I'd recommend thinking about, though:

* Why are the residential parking areas run until 8 pm, and what about a 2 hour limit instead of an absolute permit required? It annoyed me to have to risk towing in order to visit the house I was trying to buy. (Tenants and the sellers' agent taking up the driveway.) I understand the EMU parking pressure, but unintended consequences can be killer.

* Parking that's not in immediate line of sight should be clearly marked. Signage to parking should be impossible for the new customer in a car to miss.

* Look at your on-street parking. Is it full? Then you either need meters or shorter time limits (and strict enforcement). On-street parking's utility is directly proportional to the number of cars it can serve. Shoup's "The High Cost of Free Parking", a 1000 page handbook/manifesto, gives a guideline that no more than 85% of parking in a given area should be occupied at a time. If Depot Town's on-street parking on Cross is full, put in meters to keep some of the best parking open for newbie shoppers who aren't quite sure where they're going, and need hand-holding. And make it clearer where the next-closest parking is.

* One-way streets, yeah, kinda weird. I'm still trying to figure out how to give people directions to our house - I know how to get there, but if you miss the turns, it's hard to recover.

And I'm totally with you on the dubious value of traffic flow. That's what happens when you mistake "traffic engineering" for "urban planning". But I think parking is different from traffic flow. When you're struggling for customers, you want to enable easy _access_. Which means things like making parking clear to customers. "Improving traffic flow" isn't about access, it's about mobility - about getting cars __through_ rather than _to_. Changes that increase access, like adding on-street parking or changing one-way streets to two-way, often decrease mobility, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

And finally (I promise) to Anonymous:

Are you a downtown business owner? If so, I think it'll be pretty understandable when you go out of business, if you interact with all of your potential customers this way.

Maybe you should try engaging in serious conversation, rather than throwing baseless and illegible insults and accusations. Because you're not winning any friends at your current rate.

p.s. I'm not a Republican. I tend to identify Green, and vote Dem when I have to.

p.s. A2News says the DDA Boards will be approving their pick for new Director tonight:

http://www.mlive.com/business/aanews/index.ssf?/base/business-4/114839529832760.xml&coll=2

Think I might go.

For the record, Murph is lazy and rotten, but not twerpish.

Yep. I go "squish" when you poke at me, both from being fat and from decomposing...

For heaven's sake, you're way younger than I am...no decomposing, please.

The flip-side of the residential consumer would be the worker consumer. A lot of people shop where they work since they have that lunch hour free to run errands. The problem with downtown Ypsi is that there doesn't seem to have a high number of office workers. (http://www.mlive.com/business/aanews/index.ssf?/base/business-4/114760167669680.xml&coll=2&thispage=1)

The EMU B-school looks and acts like an enclave. I'm not sure how many workers are in the building across the street from it (which houses the Ypsi Area Chamber of Commerce). There are the banks and the newspapers and the hair dresser/braid places but that's not enough to build retail business.

One plug I have to make is the Korean Market at 412 West Michigan. They are open until 8pm on weeknights and have weekend hours. So if you ever need a container of tofu (non-organic) for only $1.25 they are the place to go. And lots of interesing frozen seafood as well as Asian condiments and ingredients.

Murph,

Remember that many small business owners are working 6 days a week. Even though the open at 8am they often have to get in sometiems as early as 6am to receive freight. And even though the doors close at 5:30, getting out before 6:30p is a rare occassion.

I grew up working inside a family business. We didn't open the doors until 10am and closed at 7pm. Even with those hours we constantly heard that they wished we opened at 9am, 7am, or even earlier so they could shop before they went to work at 6am. Others wanted us to stay open until 9pm.

I understand about working long hours. Think of the hours worked by a small business. They already are open some 55 to 60 hours a week. It is tough to shift hours and open at 11am on Wednesday in order to stay open late Wednesday night. Because you end up losing so much business from the contractors and trades that will shop during the day. ANd that is often times your beread and butter. They are buying supplies every week, not just one project at a time.

Still, I understand the desire to encourage business owners to be open more hours. I just don't want it to be thought that these owners are unthinking or clueless. It is a difficult balance between surviving and working so many hours that you neglect your health or family.

Cheers!

- Steve

Sure, I understand that there's a tradeoff - any given hours are going to work for some customers and not for others, and a business has to figure out what demand they can serve when. If operating on hours that will serve individual, working customers will cost contractor and trade business, and that tradeoff isn't worth it, then, well, it isn't worth it. And if the choice that a local business makes is to often not be open during the hours that I need to go there, well, I'll do what I can, and when I can't, I'll go somewhere else.

I don't pretend that every business can cater to my beck and whim, and I'll attempt to support my friendly local whatever when possible. But when it's not possible, I'll point it out. I figure it's my duty to provide feedback about _why_ my dollars are leaking.

Eris -

Do they carry Rosewood tofu? Rosewood is (I believe) organic, but more importantly a local company. They have it at the Ypsi Food Coop for around $1.50/lb. (YFC also carries the bulk 10lb case! Whee!)

Sorry, no Rosewood. They have a Korean brand and another one that's my favorite [Hinoichi Premium Tofu] that usually sells for more at Hiller's. From San Francisco. I'd say stop in. They do have "local" kimchi and other assorted Korean side dishes that are prepared in-house and are located in the refrigerated section.

Welcome to Ypsi-- I'm actually a 2004 graduate of the UM-MUP program and have enjoyed the thoughtful comments you've posted on this site and elsewhere.

Eris: I heartily second your recommendation of the Korean Market. I go there once a week--because they have evening hours, as you note. I buy lots of delicious Korean goodies there:

microshrimp
ja jang myun
ja jang myun noodles
ginseng soap (smells wonderful)
gochu jang
rice
Korean shrimp puffs (snack food)
giant jars of kim chi (they offer many varieties)
fish
soup mix
&c.

All reasonably priced despite much of it being imported. Don't forget to pore through the housewares section in the back and the personal-care area at front left. A wonderful, fun, store run by very pleasant folks.

Eris - thanks!

Seems I find MUP connections everywhere I turn around here...

I guess I am jumping into this conversation a little late, but being a small business owner I have had a lot of trouble setting my hours to meet the needs of my customers. In the fall I had a lot of customers tell me I should open earlier so they could get coffee on the way to work. I started opening at 7:00 in October, and for 5 months I kept those hours. Customers kept commenting on how great it was that I started opening at 7:00, but they were telling me this at 9:00. By the time I changed my hours back to 8:30 in February, I had gone almost a month I had sold a total of 2 cups of coffee between the hours of 7:00 and 8:00.



I guess my point is that some of these business my have tried different hours at some time, but if they didnt have enough customers to make it wortwhile, they wouldnt be able to keep doing it.

Jim: That's a good point; just because Murph and I would like late hours at Congdon's, we don't necessarily signify a huge invisible horde of hardware-buyers.

Right - being loud doesn't mean I'm right, and I appreciate knowing that you tried it and it didn't work out so well. My response to that kind of response is, "Oh, okay. Right on." Thanks for not telling me to turn off my RNC fax machine, or some such illegible thing.

Same here. "Okay, thanks for info."

Murph, you're the first person besides my wife and I to actually admit to buying the bulk cases of rosewood tofu at the ypsi co-op. Huzzah. We've often gotten nervous about the idea they might stop carrying it, and would have to procure it elsewhere. We generally have at least half a case frozen at all times, though, and we've only depleted the co-op inventory twice in the past two years (and had to wait a week until they were restocked). I also enjoy, when funds are tight, getting individual blocks in their 'bobbing for tofu' tub.

The co-op also, it should be noted, does precisely what's been suggested here, by staying open 'til 8 most nights and 'til 9 on Wednesdays.

Brett -

I'll admit that I haven't actually bought/used one of the bulk cases of tofu since moving out of the student co-ops, where we could easily use one or two cases in the process of making a meal. (Our kitchens cooked for about 100.)

But that doesn't mean I'm not glad to have the option!

Technically, buying tofu in bulk basically just means you get one block or so (out of ten) free, so it isn't a huge savings, but as we go through a case per week in our home, it saves us a few trips. Rosewood is also an infinitely better product than the gelatinous crap that national brands pass off as tofu, in our opinion.

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