It kills me to see a huge concentration of traffic go up north to Riverpark and Fig Garden for business rather than in Downtown Fresno. I have lots of hope for Fresno in reinvigorating and giving a breath of fresh air to Fresno by having a thriving downtown one day.
Just last week I took a road trip on my own through the northern part of California just to get away for a little bit. I took a walk through downtown San Jose and thought, it would be real nice to have downtown Fresno look like this. It already has that feel with the city trying its hardest to revitalize it. If people could just see that there are gems hidden downtown, they would not have to be spoonfed where to go.
I read this yesterday morning from someone answering what they like about New York:
I love a lot about New York, but I think my first answer is always the spirit of adventure and exploration. Just by walking down any block in the city one can discover new restaurants, bars, tiny shops, interesting buildings, strange people, intriguing street art; overhear ridiculous conversations, ambient music, industrial musings. The city is always changing and no two trips down the same avenue or up the same street are the same. Scaffolding comes down and new faces emerge. Construction begins and new hustle and bustle are created. I’m always moving and always experiencing the city.
I want that spirit of exploration. I want to be able to walk around downtown feeling like it’s Fresno’s own version of New York. And generations ago, it was. As I recall, I have a friend whose mom owns a Chinese restaurant downtown and she told me that there are a series of tunnels underneath the store: tunnels to put money through for some illegal underground gambling made by the Chinese. There were areas that maintain that sense of pride of ethnicity and some still are standing, stubborn to let that tradition go, and I salute them for staying.
I believe as a community, we can all make this happen and we all are trying. Businesses are trying to keep the commerce flowing, but so far the majority are councilmen, business firm agents, and people on jury duty that make the bulk of keeping shops and restaurants afloat.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with downtown. I want to be here as it grows again and not desert this town, hope it goes well, and come back when it does. I want to see and experience the changes, the slow influx of people and money to rebuild the downtown, and to see downtown Fresno thrive just as it did in the 1920s-1930s. It’s almost been a century and I think it’s long overdue to re-establish some tradition.
I believe in Fresno.
=ryne=
