Some Bad News For Mahoning Avenue

[AllanY2525]

That's what was said when businesses started to leave South Avenue.  Many buildings are now boarded up, are vacant or have been demolished.  This started when people from surrounding neighborhoods chose to support suburban businesses and not their own South Avenue stores.

Jay, re-read the second paragraph below .. "As long as these buildings are maintained,
they are not a blight..."  A vacant property is not, in and of itself, a blight on the
neighborhood. 

Put the blame on citizens that live in these neighborhoods, the gangs in the area, etc.
They are the real cause - either by their actions (in the case of gangs, drugs, etc) or
their lack thereof.

The neighborhoods didn't go downhill because the businesses left - the
businesses left because the neighborhood went downhill.   

If the people in a neighborhood care enough to work together they can make
it a nice place to live - whether there are businesses there or not.

Did it occur to you that one of the reasons some of these businesses closed
is that there are just not as many customers as there used to be?  There
are a lot of vacant properties in this part of the South side.  Why?  Because
people have left the area, for multiple reasons - better jobs elsewhere, safer
neighborhoods, some have gotten old and passed on, etc.

Patronizing one business versus another is NOT an obligation on the part
of consumers - it is a choice, to which they are entitled. 

[jay]

Having - or not having - these three businesses in the neighborhood will not
determine whether or not the surrounding neighborhood is blighted, or not
blighted, or will become so.

That's what was said when businesses started to leave South Avenue.  Many buildings are now boarded up, are vacant or have been demolished.  This started when people from surrounding neighborhoods chose to support suburban businesses and not their own South Avenue stores.

[AllanY2525]

The departure of two restaurants and one auto parts store leaves
three vacant buildings on Mahoning Avenue.

In times like these, we have to go out of our way to support our neighborhood
businesses or we risk losing our neighborhoods to further blight.

Having - or not having - these three businesses in the neighborhood will not
determine whether or not the surrounding neighborhood is blighted, or not
blighted, or will become so.

As long as the vacant buildings are maintained, they are not a blight on the
neighborhood.

[Towntalk]

Belmont Avenue from Gypsy Lane to Churchill Commons Plaza is FULL of all sorts of businesses, but look at Youngstown. Union Square Plaza on the North Side and the Mahoning Plaza on the West Side.

[Towntalk]

Jay, I feel the same way as you do about my Ward ... Midlothian Blvd. should be full of businesses from I-680 all the way to Struthers ... especially grocery stores, and a mini plaza wouldn't go amiss. Both large supermarkets - South Ave. Sparkle and Giant Eagle are in Boardman. Now I readily admit that I go out of my way to do my grocery shopping or for that matter all my shopping and banking in Liberty, but I've established a very good relationship at both Giant Eagle and my bank which my family used since 1950, so I will not change now. Also, my friend takes me to do my shopping and banking because he lives on the North Side and does his shopping while I do mine so it is convient.

That puts me in a quandry ... am I being hypocritical be preaching one thing and doing another? That is in the eye of the beholder, but no one here in the 7th has offered to take me shopping and to do my banking, and in fact, no one has offered to take me to any of the 7th Ward events even though they know my situation, so I have no other choice, and any way, my friend has been my friend for over 20 years and is more like my brother than best friend, and that is what is most important to me. Loyality is what matters, and friends like him only come once in a lifetime, and for many, never comes, so I am blessed beyond all measure.

When I was in an auto accident, he was there to look after me; when I had surgery on both eyes, he stayed there the whole time. Each year he takes me back home to plant flowers on my Father's grave - that is a 150 mile trip each way.

[jay]

The departure of two restaurants and one auto parts store leaves three vacant buildings on Mahoning Avenue.

In times like these, we have to go out of our way to support our neighborhood businesses or we risk losing our neighborhoods to further blight.

[jay]

Well, at least I tried!

We have several more restaurants on Mahoning Avenue and other locations in the fourth ward.  The same can no longer be said for South Avenue.

[Towntalk]

My astute friend Allan is right, people cast their vote for or against any business by their dollars, and while you are to be admired for your efforts on behalf of the businesses in the 4th and 5th Wards, in the final analysis you can only do so much but you nor I nor anyone else can control how others spend their money, and unfortunately in these times here in Youngstown the restaurant business is so full of choices that no one restaurant stands out as top dog. Also, people today, at least here in Youngstown are not prone to have absolute loyality to restaurants just because they are on the side of town the people live in.

[AllanY2525]

One could just as easily say ..."this is what happens to a locally owned business when
not enough people like the place well enough that they want to go there"

[jay]

I just heard some bad news for Mahoning Avenue. 

Saturday, September 26, will be the last day of operation for the Santa Fe Café.   

Well folks, this is what happens when a community doesn't support its locally owned businesses.