Downtown Broadway

[jf261398]

The people of Lorain need to support the businesses downtown on Broadway. We have a theater, casual and upscale restaraunts, banks, a mortgage company, many government agencies, and much more. Why do Lorain residents shop and dine in Elyria and Avon so much?

[lorainite]

Don't forget, you also have The Creator's Hand Flower Shop, Ted's Floor Coverings, and Fligners Grocery Store. There are many other places too. I don't know why people dont patronize these places more. I don't know why they would rather go to the big box stores abd get spoiled food, bad service for carpet, and ugly flowers. Just to say the least.

[rjmac67]

i think lorain need to get read of all the crime and start a better city so more peolpe will move into lorain isnted of moving OUT!!! i think :LIGHTHOUSE VILLAGE:will be a good start:)

[petitestyles]

The people of Lorain need to support the businesses downtown on Broadway. We have a theater, casual and upscale restaraunts, banks, a mortgage company, many government agencies, and much more. Why do Lorain residents shop and dine in Elyria and Avon so much?
(In response to your Quate about the town) From an Outsider new to the Area looking in)

It’s Called Advertising. Without it no one knows you exist. The people of the community are not in the mind set to frequent the area. From what I, have noticed. Please Bare with me. The things that this city lacks are, 1. Advertisement
2. Available parking not very accessible 3. Lorain cannot get away from the bad rap it has received. 4. Crime is still on a high scale, and the news loves it because they do advertisement! I personally have moved here after researching the area and have fell in love with the area. To be honest though there are a few areas I still will not even attempt to travel. But that is with every City.
~Petite Styles Magazine~ Hoping to bring a little bit of that help to the area

[myra762003]

I agree that the people of Lorain need to support their large and small businesses. I'm from Lorain, but had to move to Columbus because there aren't any jobs. I've always enjoyed shopping in our downtown area, and think that if we continue to support Lorain business, they will be able to do greater advertising and bring more business back into the city.

[christ_jewells11]

How do you advertise a city that isn't a top 10 in population or tourism? It all starts with the people in the city. We need to keep our wealth here in Lorain if we expect it to grow. With more wealth in the businesses, more jobs will open, people will look for higher education to make better competition for the other new job seakers. I've seen firt-hand how ALL of my friends from high school, including myself, joined the military because we felt that there was nothing that could serve us here in the city. Historically, Lorain's been a popular place in spells but we're letting it die because we all go out to Elyria and Amherst and Cleveland to do our shopping when many of the places we go have equivalents and betters right here. I'm not saying we have everything here in Lorain, but isn't that just an opportunity for business to grow in it's self? We don't need another Cleveland... we need a REnewed Lorain, and it starts with our own word of mouth and our own business habits.

Jewells for president...

[rnojonson]

Changing Broadway's name will not do it. Businesses need to really use www.lorain.com and www.loraincounty.com and www.morningjournal.com and Lorain's print media to advertise, post jobs and events. These sites are already here and I hear the costs are reasonable. They may need their own web sites and do online marketing and promotions with printable coupons. Channel 8 had the "Hot Spots" campaign and very few Lorain business participated and that was free advertising! That was a missed opportunity. Every Lorain store should offer calenders with Lorain sights and coupons for Lorain's business. Then the Lorain web sites should become cyber meeting places for all Lorain residents who have computer access. We should engage in discussing all our wants and needs and what might be possible in Lorain. These polls, surveys, blogs and forums should be required reading for our officials. They should encourage and be a part of those conversations. Businesses, gov folks and residents need to get into a "community think tank" mode. Lorain needs to solve Lorain's problems not relying/waiting for something to trickle down from higher government to us. We Lorain folks need to use what we have to re-develop Lorain. Attitude first, bricks later.
The governor has an energy initiative for NE Ohio. I can not wait for that to produce a job for me, that I need today. Why aren't we making wind generator parts and assemblies for purposed wind farms? Why aren't we making hybrid cars and support systems? Why aren't we making solar panels and other energy infrastructure equipment? Why aren't we making energy efficient appliances, gadgets, and other contrivences? Why aren't we turning waste into energy or dollars? We need to talk about what could happen in Lorain and change our attitudes so that things can happen here. If we do things the same with failing results, we should consider doing things differently.

[rnojonson]

I was driving west on Colorado got to Henderson/21st street and decided to keep on going. I haven't been up that way in a year or two. Did you know about the new housing next to the river. It is quite striking to see and imagine that kind of growth bud in Lorain. All we need is for the small biz folk to fill in. All the more need for a cultural/entertainment/education hub in downtown Lorain and surrounding neighborhoods.

[jstme]

I have lived in Lorain all of my life. I too agree more need to shop in our own town. Maybe the local businesses down town would get more business if they would be open when the typical person that works gets off. The shops on Broadway close early and atre not even open on Sundays. If they are not open when most people are out to shop, how can people shop there? The bars are open...and they get the business! Open your eyes business owners and have your stores open if you want people to shop in your establishments!

[rnojonson]

jstme, I agree with you. I have no way of getting service if the stores close the same time I get off work. Shop owners might work a split shift, open a little later and stay open a little later.

Maybe each store could invest in shop/order online websites with their pages posted on sort of a virtual Lorain mall. We could browse/order/pay online and have pickup and/or delivery services. Maybe store owners can't rely on head counts. My wife buys from catalogs and orders over the phone all the time.