What is new or great about this? Certainly it's not "new" because the city has used this idea in the past, nor is it unique, because just about every city has used this idea to promote their downtown. If this is the best this group can come up with, they aught to be ashamed of thewmselves.
http://wkbn.com/2015/04/21/signs-are-key-to-downtown-youngstown-plan/ (http://wkbn.com/2015/04/21/signs-are-key-to-downtown-youngstown-plan/)
Tired old focus only on downtown. Why not take a city wide approach?
Couldn't agree with you more Rick, and a personal welcome to my facebook page. Feel free to post tons of stuff about you museum there with pictures.
Furthermore, the idea IS NOT NEW, the idea is as old as Abe's sweaty shorts, and just as useless.
With a whole city and numerous neighborhoods in dire straights and desperately in need of help... I AM SICK AND TIRED OF ALL THE FOCUS ON DOWNTOWN.
I couldn't agree with you more Peggy. It's criminal what is happening here in Youngstown. The neighborhoods are crumbling down all around us, but the swines running revitalization are wallowing in rot gut whiskey downtown.
If you look at streetscape it is pretty much just downtown
Don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge the downtowners anything, BUT the fact of the matter is that ALL that effort is being done at the expense of the 3rd; 4th; 5th and 7th Wards, where by the way a huge chunk of the city's revinue is coming from so that a few saloon keepers can peddle their rot gut whiskey and bar food.
The Rocky Ridge and Garden Districts will be doing StreetScape plantings on the west side.
That's the 4th and 5th Wards, but what about the 3rd; and the 7th Wards ... are we not a part of Youngstown ... don't our working families pay their fair share of Income Taxes? Or is it a case of the 4th and 5th being the only areas worth saving? We shouldn't need to get on our knees and plead for a few left over crumbs after the downtown; Rockey Ridge; and the Garden District have gobbled up most of the resources.
StreetScape plantings are privately funded. I would like to know just how many donations came from citizens on each side of the city.
I'm for full disclosure as to: [1] Who is donating; [2] Their full address; [3] How much they donated; [4] How much was spent; [5] How much reserve cash do they have; [6] The names and addresses of all the officers of Streetscape; [7] How many paid employees; [8] Their annual wages.
You can get the names and addresses of Cityscape officers off of their website. Youngstown CityScape hosts StreetScape every year, and encourages every neighborhood to do cleanups and plantings that day. Sometimes there are plants and flowers left over after planting downtown and they give these to the neighborhoods.
Youngstowncityscape.org (http://www.youngstowncityscape.org/)
Also, just because Rocky Ridge and the Garden District are planting on Streetscape day, does not mean that they're getting their materials from CityScape.
We are planting in our neighborhood as well, on Streetscape day, but we plant our own stuff and do not ask for help from CityScape.
TT, for information on CityScape and where their money comes from, a trip to their website would be beneficial. There is a wealth of information there.
Here is one informational flyer.
http://www.youngstowncityscape.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015-Streetscape-History-1.pdf
I agree with the rest of you regarding the "non-new-idea" approach to downtown.
New street signs are not going to do much ..... and Youngstown's downtown is just
too damned SMALL to get LOST in, so way-finder signs are really unnecessary.
They definitely need to direct more focus at the residential areas of the city.
Businesses are going to look at more than just the downtown if and when they
consider starting up in, or expanding to, Youngstown. They're gonna want to see the
kind of neighborhoods their employees would be living in, what the schools are like,
available neighborhood parks, etc
The mayor and city council, chamber of commerce, etc should be shamelessy and
endlessly promoting the city to every business out there looking for a possible new
location that will listen to them.
I guess my beef is that all we hear about around here are the wonderful things that are happening on the West Side ... Not I don't object to that if it's balanced by what's happening on the other sides of town besides the occasional fish dinners. If I were 15 years younger and could drive I would get out there and promote the 7th Ward, but unfortunately not only can't I drive, but my health is not the best, not that that seems to matter to some around here.
We use to have several people around here who did promote the 7th Ward, but they have stopped visiting here for their own reasons, but we still have one active person who recently found themself in another Ward, but they still have many good contacts who could fill the void, yet they seem to not care, so what can I say?
Quote from: AllanY2525 on April 26, 2015, 02:19:44 AM
I agree with the rest of you regarding the "non-new-idea" approach to downtown.
New street signs are not going to do much ..... and Youngstown's downtown is just
too damned SMALL to get LOST in, so way-finder signs are really unnecessary.
They definitely need to direct more focus at the residential areas of the city.
Businesses are going to look at more than just the downtown if and when they
consider starting up in, or expanding to, Youngstown. They're gonna want to see the
kind of neighborhoods their employees would be living in, what the schools are like,
available neighborhood parks, etc
The mayor and city council, chamber of commerce, etc should be shamelessy and
endlessly promoting the city to every business out there looking for a possible new
location that will listen to them.
Agree,
Agree,
AGREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you have a Facebook account PLEASE post this on there too.
If something wonderful is happening in your ward or on your side of town then please tell us about it.
Peggy, I have a facebook account and a number of local media people post on it, and you are very welcome to join in on the conversations, and start some as is Allan.
What is the problem with West Side residents promoting their side of town? If they are proud of their efforts and want to promote them....go for it.
One can't help that the other sides of town are not pro-active and do not promote their efforts and successes....Clean up your ends of town and tell us about it!
You can't fault the west side for probably being the most attractive side of town.....and working hard to keeping it that way!
Who is "falting" the West Side? I'm falting those in my own ward who are not as proactive as Jay. One of the former 7th Ward leaders has let us down. He knows all the right people and he still has his thumb on the 7th Ward neighborhood groups yet saddly he is not using that knowledge for the benefit of both his neighborhood group or the neighboring groups. Jay on the other hand champions both the 4th and 5th Wards to his everlasting credit. Come to think about it, he even tosses in the 6th Ward to boot. As to the 3rd Ward, Peggy does a good job, and come to think of it, I promote events in the 1st and 3rd wards even though I moved to the 7th a year ago.
SIDEBAR: I try to listen to WKTL but it is drowned out by other stations ... I wanted to try to listen to it on line but all I seem to get is the Akron station. I don't live that far from the WKTL transmitter, but I might just as well live in New York. What's the deal?
Quote from: Irishbobcat on April 26, 2015, 11:02:08 AM
What is the problem with West Side residents promoting their side of town? If they are proud of their efforts and want to promote them....go for it.
One can't help that the other sides of town are not pro-active and do not promote their efforts and successes....Clean up your ends of town and tell us about it!
You can't fault the west side for probably being the most attractive side of town.....and working hard to keeping it that way!
pfffttt the north side is just as attractive as the west side. Most of the north side is VERY pro-active and we do promote our efforts and successes. :)
TT, I did not know that you have a FB account. Hook me up.
That's great Peggy! I hope you will continue to be a cheerleader for the NS.....We should be pro-active and positive instead of being negative and critical of west siders
who are being pro-active and positive as well!
Again, I'm NOT falting the West Side ... I AM FALTING THOSE IN MY OWN WARD ... GET IT ... THOSE IN MY OWN WARD ... I'M ALSO FAULTING THE SWCC OR WHATEVER IT'S NAME IS ... IT'S WEB SITE IS NON EXISTENT. ONE OF IT'S LEADERS WANTS TO BE OUR NEXT 7th WARD COUNCILMAN.
OK....I get it!!!!! :laugh:
Each side of town shouldn't have to promote themselves. We all pay taxes to the city, and then the city uses that tax money to hire a full time position just to promote downtown, and then uses its money for signage to only promote downtown, etc. We are asking for equal representation, thats all.
Youngstown is not huge. It is a city of 60,000 people, so it should be easy enough for a full time employee to promote the entire city. It also should not be difficult to add the amount of signage needed to promote all places worthwhile to go to in the city.
Its time to think of ALL of Youngstown.
AGREE again!
What did you think of the FB site?
Very nice. Your posts are quite informative.
Would signage along 680 coming from Poland and Austintown be what they are thinking?
Quote from: Youngstownshrimp on April 26, 2015, 07:12:34 PM
Would signage along 680 coming from Poland and Austintown be what they are thinking?
Nope. The signage they're talking about will be installed in downtown Youngstown.
These will be directional signs, showing people how get from point A to point B.
If folks don't know how to navigate Federal Street there is something radically wrong with their mental capacity ... we're talking about a three block stretch. As for the East End Ditto ... this ain't New York or Cleveland don't ya know. This tomfoolery is as crazy as it can possably be. Stupidity to the extreme!
I get the best reception for WKTL on my car radio. I've been able to listen to the station beyond Lake Milton.
Unfortunately I'm surrounded by 12 FM stations some of which are just a couple of blocks away, and all high power and broadcasting in stereo, and some with subchannels.
Quote from: Towntalk on April 26, 2015, 07:54:34 PM
If folks don't know how to navigate Federal Street there is something radically wrong with their mental capacity ... we're talking about a three block stretch. As for the East End Ditto ... this ain't New York or Cleveland don't ya know. This tomfoolery is as crazy as it can possably be. Stupidity to the extreme!
LOL downtown is larger than just Federal Street, but I do agree with everyone. These signs are a colossal waste of money that can be better used elsewhere.
Have you written any editorials for the Sunday Vindicator TT? This would be a good one.
The last Letter From The People I wrote brought the cops and WFMJ to my house to do an interview that appeared on the 6:00 news ;D Since then I have kept a low profile due to my outspoken nature. ;) I tend to get carried away when I address something of great importance, and only Dan Ryan, bless him understood where I was coming from and used my stuff daily.
Everybody seems to be missing the point that the wayfinding signs are mainly for out of towners coming to special events downtown. They are focused on downtown because there is a main stretch of bars and restaurants, a theater, and covelli center. If another part of the city had a consolidated area that had a draw for outside crowds, then this issue would be brought up there too. I can't think of anything outside of downtown that needs this. Maybe the playhouse?
While we all may know the easiest places to park, and how to get to the covelli center, people who do not live here may not.
No one is missing the point but you.
First of all, did you ever consider the fact that Covelli and DeYor provide directions to their venues along with parking information. Did you ever use Google, Yahoo or Map Quest to find directions? Did you ever use GPS to guide to to your destination? Next we're talking about a THREE BLOCK AREA on WEST FEDERAL STREET; a BLOCK AND A HALF ON EAST FEDERAL STREET and aside from Covelli there's nothing more on East Front Street at night.
Those banners constitute advertizments and the venues that they mention should pay going advertizing rates ... not the tax payers.
You're being a bit hostile. I've considered all of those things. Many people don't use GPS, and many GPS units don't provide parking info. And nobody wants to grab their iPhone while driving and try to find parking directions on the website of the venue they're visiting. The lack of cohesive signage in a district that we're trying to promote for entertainment is embarrassing. Take a trip to Pittsburgh or Cleveland and notice how branding and wayfinding ties the points of interest together in an area.
Seems you're damned if you do and damned if you don't in this town.
Nick, you have me all wrong ... completely wrong ... I'm as sweet and gentle as a tiny Hummingbird ... I love good music ... empthesis on "good", I wouldn't harm any animal, and I turn and walk away rather than step on a tiny ant ... I'm as sober as the proverbial judge ... BUT THAT BEING SAID ... I have no control over what others do, but I've been high tech since the Commodore Vic 20 came out ... I am into any sort of high tech tool that makes life easier and am saddened by your assumption that there are many who do not have the capacity to find their way around an 8 block area of Downtown Youngstown ... how sad ... how pathetic on their part.
I lived in Pittsburgh ... ran a wholesale house there and I assure you that downtown Youngstown can not be compared to Pittsburgh ... nor Cleveland. You can set 15 downtown Youngstown in downtown Pittsburgh ... and where is it written that just because a city like Pittsburgh does something that we have to mimic them?
As I said, if the city wants to clutter the downtown area with banners advertizing bars and restaurants then those businesses should pay going advertizing rates. I'm sure that there is a local silk screen printer that would jump at a chance to make up some banners ... BUT NOT ON MY DIME!
Tell ya what Nick ... lets not only have a big banner on every single light and telephone pole in downtown, but lets hire a dozen people who would guide out of towners to all the venues ... lets also install kiosks on every block ... and large neon signs on every parking lot saying FREE PARKING BETWEEN 7:00 PM and 4:00 AM ... and a FREE WRTA bus going up and down all of the downtown streets ... Oh wait a minute make that along Commerce, Federal, Boardman, and Front streets from 5:00 pm and 3:00 am. Would that make you happy?
Exaggerating ridiculous solutions doesn't get your point across any better. Signs that make downtown look better and make it guest-friendlier isn't something to lose your mind over. If you have an area in mind that deserves signage, then speak up. I already mentioned the playhouse. If you have valid constructive criticism, again, speak up. There are not resources to put pretty signs in every ward of the city, especially when there aren't attractions that actually draw people. This is a city, not your personal corner of your neighborhood. Can't fix everything at once with the snap of your fingers.
And Rocky Ridge has gained its funding from an active neighborhood group and a few dedicated individuals who sit down and write grant proposals. So back away from your keyboard and come up with an idea to raise some money for your own neighborhood if that's what's bothering you so much. Be part of the solution.
As for street signs ... many people have poor vision so the city should triple the size of all the downtown street signs and have them lit up after dark ... many people have problems walking long distances so at every Kiosk downtown there will be scooters that can be rented for a couple of dollars, for the hard of hearing, and the blind there should be people who know sign language, and people who can aid the blind. There could also be porta potties where folks using colostomy bags could take care of them.
Get this streight ... When the people living in the downtown area report that [A] they have started a neighborhood group like Rockey Ridge or the three here on East Midlothian; and When they raise the money to pay for the signs, and [C] when they volunteer to care for the signs with no tax payer dollars, THEN I WILL KEEP MY OPINIONS TO MYSELF, BUT UNTIL THEN, AS LONG AS EVEN A SINGLE PENNY OF TAX DOLLARS IS SPENT THEN IT'S FAIR GAME WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.
Best thread in awhile
Nick: The Neighborhood group I live in is quite active. We sponsor a number of events here in the 7th Ward and we don't expect the folks in the 1-2-3-4-5- and 6th Wards to foot the bill with money they need for their own areas.
Nick:
Here's a list of some of the groups that serve the 7th Ward
1 Brownlee Woods Neighborhood Association
2 Cochran Park Area Association
3 Lansingville Block Watch
4 Seventh Ward Citizens Coalition
What have you personally done for your neighborhood?
Rocky ridge member, active in cleanups, routinely monitoring vacant properties and clearing trash and debris, member of the YNDC Rocky ridge neighborhood action group. That's just in rocky ridge. Etc etc etc. Seems we don't agree on how money like this should be spent. Oh well :)
The Lansingville Block Watch not only does the same but it also has community events such as parades and picnics. The Seventh Ward citizens Coalition covers the whole 7th Ward and has all sorts of events during the year.
Oh, and thanks for a good respectful debate. Have a great day, my friend.
Personally, I feel that Youngstown taxpayer dollars should be spent to improve the WHOLE of Youngstown, NOT just downtown.
If taxpayer dollars are being spent to make and install these signs, I will be protesting. Loudly.
I say let the city divert a few dollars from the Water department (it is financially
self-sufficient and does NOT run on taxpayer dollars) and have the welding shop
at one of the local area vocational schools make the metal framework for some
kiosks of the "You Are Here" variety. Youngstown's downtown is small enough
that it should only take half a dozen or so for the entire area.
Have an insert for the kiosk where the city could post up and coming events,
just by sliding a poster into a frame or something similar. Put some lights
in it for after dark and now you've got something nice that catches the eye.
Put some nice shatterproof, thick acryic sheets up in them with a map of downtown
Youngstown. Something about an inch thick - a sledgehammer could not break it.
Maybe have a section that gives out of towners some suggestions on the best
restaurants and other places to see while they're in town.
That's my $0.02, but with inflation these days it'll probably cost me a quarter....
LOL. I see no reason why the councilperson representing the downtown cannot
chip in some money from their "discretionary fund" since this is money already
allocated to them from the city's budget. Stuff like this is exactly what the
discretionary fund is for, ie: to make improvements in the ward that benefit
the general public.
If there are some young, bright, motivated grant writers out there, then let
them come forward and contribute, by all means.