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Letter: Moe's in Blacksburg is overrated

by Letter to the Editor

Wednesday, October 3, 2007; 10:01 PM

I think a more appropriate headline for your Sept. 28 issue, instead of "Moe's Opens for Business", would have been "Bland Chain: Only Business that can Afford Downtown Rents."

I'm not a city planner, but it seems like sometimes Tech and downtown realtors are going to have to work something out or downtown Blacksburg is going to end up looking like a Northern Virginia shopping mall instead of a charming and unique university town.

Matt Ames

Ph.D student, Instructional Design and Technology

Related Topics:

Posted by: Jonathan at 10/24/07 Local owners are being squeezed out of Downtown because the cost for space alone, exceeds cost per square-foot at all the major retail venues in Virginia Beach, Richmond Va's Carytown district, and believe it or not Old Towne Alexandria. Revenue is not generated by market approved names and "chain" establishments...if there is anything that has been confirmed by the Wal-Mart, Shopping/Strip Mall, Suburban Sprawl generation is that this kind of culture places extreme strain on local economies, environments, and communities...it pushes out socio-cultural economic variety and increases the gap between the "Have & the Have-Nots". It is very irresponsible growth. Blacksburg should grow and fulfill the requests of its citizens but town planners and we town voters should not sacrifice the long-term good for the short term financial gain. Flag Abuse

Posted by: ht97hokie at 10/06/07 Kyle, thanks for your comment. I swear I hadn't thought about Mish-Mish in the 10 years since I graduated. I actually laughed out loud!! You're right, while these types of stores are typically "small town" they have limited appeal. Successful businesses expand and eventually become chains. Unsuccessful (read: no customers) businesses close. I'm surprised Mish-Mish is still around... Flag Abuse

Posted by: Kyle Minor at 10/04/07 I'm talking about a commercial aspect here, Chuck. I'd like to note also that despite it's 'charming, small town flavor,' it doesn't seem to register as a high-priority vacation spot for too many people. Nonetheless, having retail stores and chain restraunts in town doesn't diminish that atmosphere; I would argue that it enhances it. Flag Abuse

Posted by: Chuck at 10/04/07 Kyle, I'm sorry to say that I am pretty sure that the chain stores are not what brings people to Blacksburg. I'm going to get out on a limb here and say that Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is what brings most people to Blacksburg. Moreover, it has a charming, small town flavor that is hard to find these days. Flag Abuse

Posted by: Kyle Minor at 10/04/07 Unique how? Whole blocks of closed stores with "space for rent" signs in the window? You can't just divorce this town from chain stores and restaurants; they are what bring people to the town in the first place. Nobody in Christiansburg says "I need some colored pencils, I had better go to Mish-Mish". You have to attract customers with things that they already know and like, and then you can introduce them to the uniqueness once you have them here. Flag Abuse

Posted by: Lee Hawkins at 10/04/07 I dont know, i like Moe's. Then again, its new to me. Ive never had moes until this one opened. And ive only been there twice. Sucks for taco bell. Flag Abuse

Posted by: Steve at 10/04/07 The problem is that people tend to love the chain stores as opposed to the local flavor. How many people go to Famous Anthonys for breakfast even when it is probably 10 times better than IHOP? How many go to Texas Roadhouse over Bogens? The list goes on and is sad. I wish more people would realize that chain doesn't allows mean good. Flag Abuse

Posted by: MC at 10/04/07 Well put! It'd be nice to keep Blacksburg unique. Who wants a block full of Starbucks and Moes? Flag Abuse

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