On November 3 and 4, the Virginia Downtown Development Association (VDDA) hosted their annual conference, this year focusing on sustainability in a traditional downtown environment. The conference was held in Charlottesville, where the 40 participants were able to witness first-hand the benefits of employing “green” development strategies. Charlottesville is committed to having a green downtown … More Greening Your Downtown
The November/December issue of Preservation magazine features a first-hand account from this week’s Main Street Merchant — Old Town Warrenton’s Brian Noyes (“The Truck Stops Here“). Mr. Noyes, a pasty chef (and former Preservation art director) owns the Red Truck Bakery, a rehabilitated 1921 Esso filling station. The pastries have been written up in the New York Times. The … More Main Street Merchant Profile: Red Truck Bakery
The special landing page says it nicely: The classic American Experience is alive and well in Botetourt County. The link http://www.downtownsofbotetourt.com delivers visitors to a special introductory page of the county’s tourism webite, listing upcoming events and links to three historic downtowns: Buchanan and Virginia Main Street affiliates Troutville and Fincastle. The site looks great and functions … More Sense of place marketing: Botetourt historic downtowns
Culpeper, Virginia just received some good press after it unleashed its new shop local campaign, Be a Culpeper Local. The campaign combines educating the nearly 50,000 Culpeper County residents on the value of buying locally with a website, beaculpeperlocal.com that directs visitors to local shopping and dining options, specials, and a way to track how much … More Be a Culpeper Local
One of Virginia Main Street’s most prized relationships is the one we have with Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC). We often plan our strategies to complement theirs and they often ask us what’s going on downtown that they can use to better market Virginia. They believe in Virginia’s historic commercial districts as tourist attractions to the … More Virginia Tourism is way ahead of the pack…again.
Is your economic restructuring committee effective? Challenges like recruiting businesses and interpreting expensive and technical market studies discourage eager volunteers. There’s no immediate result after hours of meetings and planning. Pressure to see results from business owners, local government and the community compounds the frustration. It’s easy for this committee, in particular, to go inactive. Main Street organizations all over America … More Designing a Marketplace
As the television show’s narrator said, “There are eight million stories in The Naked City.” So your downtown district must be good for at least 50, right? Consider the history of your buildings, the successes of your emerging entrepreneurs, and the transitions you’ve seen firsthand in the last decade. You have stories that can inspire action … More Telling your revitalization story
Virginia Main Street blog readers logged on in record number to select their favorite Main Street eateries. In just over a month nearly 59,000 votes were cast for one of 25 restaurants. Nearly half of the votes were for South Boston’s BISTRO 1888. And it’s a worthy top choice. The Bistro demonstrates what first-class food and downtown … More Virginia Main Street foodies pick their favorites
Nestled at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and located on the edge of the Washington, D.C. suburbs, the Town of Purcellville has worked to maintain the small town characteristics that have defined the community for centuries. New downtown construction projects and infill developments fit right into the local, historic charm. This achievement made the town the … More VDDA Hot Topic Luncheon focuses on traditional downtown design
As a Main Street organization, gaining the confidence and support of your local merchants isn’t easy, especially when it comes to downtown events. Closing the street can impede the access of loyal customers to their favorite shops. Hoards of event guests asking to use the shop’s bathroom can frustrate owners. It can add up to strained relations with the … More Before, during, and after-event tips for downtown merchants
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