Downtown Murray Virtual Tour -
We are happy to present this virtual tour of downtown Murray and some of its great shops! Just click the headline to view the tour. More stores will be participating so stay tuned. Thank you to ShopMainStreets.com.
Parking. It’s a dirty little word. Meters, no meters. Fewer tickets, more tickets. Parking is a controversial subject and finding consensus will take hard work. There are some things we can do right now, however, which make sense and do not cost a thing.
Save spaces for customers! We know, the spaces out front are convenient, which is exactly why we want them for customers. Maybe your business doesn’t depend on parking, but your neighbors may. More than ever, a downtown business district needs to understand, we all sink or swim together.
How do you assess the value of a downtown space? For retail and food establishments, the lack of a space can mean the loss of a customer. The lifetime value of a customer is thousands of dollars. According to Donovan Rypkema, Place Economics, Inc., the value of a parking space to downtown is between $3,000 and $5,000 per year. This value shows why it is so important to save prime parking spaces for customers.
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3. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of this place. “When people go on vacation they generally seek out destinations that offer them the sense of being someplace, not just anyplace.” ~ Richard Moe, President, National Historic Preservation Trust
Source: http://sustainableconnections.org/thinklocal/why
2. Non-profit organizations receive an average 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses.
Source: http://sustainableconnections.org/thinklocal/why
1. Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms — continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community.
Source: http://sustainableconnections.org/thinklocal/why
Blog post by Michelle Kimball & Michelle Conway
For so-called “shrinking cities”–places adversely affected by deindustrialization like Cleveland and Detroit, or by disasters like our own city of New Orleans–historic preservation is a viable solution to the problems of blight, vacancy, and depopulation. Preservation is also a viable way for New Orleans specifically to continue buck the national trend and to continue increasing our population.
In her citiwire.net column from July 20, 2012, Roberta Brandes Gratz makes the case for the relevance of preservation to cities facing these all-too-common issues as she did in her comments at theLouisiana Landmarks Society Blight Forum last night. She cites Donovan Rypkema’s PlaceEconomics report, commissioned by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, that found “the least shrinkage occurs in places where preservation is made a priority over demolition.”
In cities that lost population between 2000 and 2010, historic districts suffered smaller losses or grew more than the cities at large.
Murray Main Street’s Trivia Night is a fun way to test your (useless) knowledge and enjoy time with friends. It’s a fun night out during a time of year when there is usually not much going on.
So, what do you have to do to participate? First of all, call Murray Main Street at 270-759-9474 to reserve your table. Then, find seven of your smartest friends and start practicing. Brush up on your trivia by playing games like Trivial Pursuit, or Google “trivia questions” and ask away. The fee to participate is $150 per table of 8, which is only $18.75 per person. The event is a fundraiser for Murray Main Street, the organization that works so hard to keep our downtown vibrant and beautiful.
Finally, it’s time to put your skills to the test. Trivia Night will take place February 22 at 6 p.m. at the Maple Center in downtown Murray. Don’t worry about dinner— heavy appetizers, a.k.a. brain food, are provided.
If you have any questions about Trivia Night, don’t hesitate to call Murray Main Street at 270.759.9474.
Christmas time is quickly approaching and holiday cheer is all around. If you’re like many who still haven’t finished shopping, don’t forget that downtown Murray is home to a variety of locally-owned stores that are eagerly waiting to help you mark those items off your list. Find one-of-a-kind gifts such as clothing, home decor, children’s items, holiday decorations, specialty coffee, books, gift cards and so much more!
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