26 January 2008

trying to get a Trader Joe's downtown

Youngstown Moxie describes the steps some are doing to get some two-buck-chuck for the emerging downtown neighborhood.
"There is a movement afoot to convince Trader Joe's that downtown Youngstown should be their next store site."
Follow the link here.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am not sure a Trader Joe's in any real answer, but if they decided to come here, I would not be opposed. It's good that people are thinking in this mode. Maybe it's just me, but I really don't think inviting cultural symbols of progressive forward thinking communites such as Trader Joes or Whole Food and even American Apparel type places breeds anything but a cookie cutter image/appeal on a similar level that having a panera, walmart, or whatever suburban symbol you can thank of do out in boardman.

An idea like that sounds great, but I, and maybe I am alone, desire Youngstown to be so independantly unique that even those trend exploiting stores have a struggle proving themselves worth of our attention and money.

I kind of like that we already favor local economy over anything else. We like our tiny stores and restaurants. We like that you can't get this anywhere else but here.

I do not hate Trader Joes or things of that nature, but I like that its not part of the Youngstown experience and I feel we are better for it. I enjoy that Youngtown has the potential to be something entirely different than anywhere esle in this country. I like the idea that traveling from surrounding areas would feel like stepping through a gateway to a different land full of shops and houses and parks and you know instantaneously you are somewhere entirely unique.

I don't think that Trader Joe's would threaten the uniqueness of the town, but I just wonder what about them do we need?

I don't know if my logic is making any sense.