How can downtown Redlands remain a shopping destination?

Why do people want to go shopping or out to eat? They don't go shopping because they fear being naked. They don't go out to eat because they are hungry. They do these things because they are fun. Why do people go to Downtown Redlands? The Tartan Room has the world's best burger. The Falconeer has the best selection of beer. Paws has the best selection of pet food and supplies. And the pizza shop has the best pizza in the world! You can get an ice cream accross the street from the Bank of America. So, why go there? I buy pet supplies about once every two weeks. I go the bank about twice a month--usually through the drive-thru teller. I go out for a beer maybe once a month. And of course, I've cut down on burgers and pizzas to save my heart...Since there is very little other reason to go to downtown Redlands, I don't go. I am not interested in a bunch of run down hair salons. I am not interested in a bunch of "antique" shops that really are just old rummage sales. I am not interested in visiting a real estate office, a cabinet maker, or a hair salon.

If downtown Redlands is going to propsper, there needs to be a reason for people to go there--on a regular basis. There needs to be something that is attractive. There needs to be a reason to window shop--after having a nice dinner. There needs to be a sense of fun and nostalgia. There needs to be parking.

The downtown Redlands area, during the 35 years that I've lived here, has never been a good business environment. I've litterally seen hundreds of businesses fail there. How to fix it? I don't know. Apparently for the last 35 years nobody else has either.

they can start by making their goods/services/food more affordable.

i work on state street and the prices that most of the landlords are charging are ridiculous. they are forcing the business owners who contribute to the hisoric downtown redlands out of there. the parking situation is also forcing (or is going to ) the customers out. this city has changed the rules of being able to park on state street by changing what is considered a violation and raising the ticket prices. i got a parking ticket after i had moved my car before the two hours, and since i was still parked on state street i still got a ticket. i was on a completly different block.it is so ridiculous. you cant even go downtown and spend more than two hours or you're going to get a ticket. nobody is going to come downtown and shop if they are going to get a ticket if they are going to be there more than two hours in a 24 hour period.

Have any of you seen the disaster out there at night time? Check it out and you may just find out why no one wants to come here. It's a bar town over run with druggies! The pretty town you have has been renamed by some "The ugly place!" It is your city council that has allowed one alcohol serving or selling place after another. They have demolished our fire department and instead of Honoring our Fire Chief Drabinski for his 25 years of honorable service, they pulled a dirty plot and forced him into no choice but to resign since he could not be responsible for endangering his fire gighters lives nor the innocent people needed thier service without an appropriate forc! Get involved in your town people because if you don't, it will only get worse! Check out the forums: Did the Redlands City Council make the right decisions?", Tommorrow: McKee chosen as interim fire chief", and "The good, the bad, and the ugly." And bear with the last one as a rodent had to be pulled out of his hole! There is much information in these forums if you will take the time to read them all the way through with patience. Please, if you really do care, get involved before it does get worse! Check out what I wrote on the forum about the homeless too and find out what has really been going on in YOUR TOWN!

Typo: that's fire FIGHTERS, not gighters. Sorry guys! Thanks for oyur honorable sevice to the people Redlands Fire Department and Fire Chief Drabinski!You are not forgotten.

Debra, I think you got a bit off topic. If anything the downtown bars are keeping downtown alive. I has nothing to do with 'druggies' or bars. It has to do with forementioned things. Parking and the ridiculous parking authority giving frivolous parking tickets.It has to do with the sky-high rent the vendors have to pay. Therefore charging the consumer sky-high rates for salon services, food, furniture, etc.

The economy is unstable and unfortunately, people are also greedy.

Is there live music at any of the night spots in Redlands?...or only croweded, noisy, and/or loud?

The main reason I don't shop downtown Redlands is because of the parking - there is none! and the secondary reason I don't shop downtown is because of the traffic - it's crazy!

Type this link into your address bar, click on first one that is on the page that comes up, and then click on where you see this address:
<http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh298/
Impish_Dragon/?action=view &current=Untitled.flv>.
It won't work if you don't follow the instructions.

I too am concerned about State St. This is ridiculous that after 20+ years of plans to revitalize downtown, nothing has been accomplished. Pat and John have been on the council long enough to have attempted to get something started, but to no avail. They remind me of pork barrel politicians with lots of talk and no action. Our State St. could look and be like Old Town Pasadena. I don't get why after all these years and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on reports, no one can seem to get it right.

State Street is over-run with outdated, mainly useless places that have faded out of fashion.They have outlived their usefullness. Redlands as a city is run by good old boys who think they and their city are somehow "better" than surrounding towns. They play petty games of power, reward their friends and to h*ll with anyone not in their "club".(Remember the first coffee shop in town?)
The economy went very bad,and the entire downtown group did nothing to adapt....thus the chain stores in the area will put them out of business.It's called "Free Trade" and that shows it works- you adapt and change to survive or you die. Its pathetic to see the merchants whine instead of react.
The best move I ever made was moving my business out of Redlands into Riverside! No more "Downtown Business Association" charging dues and doing nothing for you...no more police department that can't be bothered to respond to your calls....no more weird landlords trying to milk you dry and provide as little as possible,and no more self-entitled spoiled clowns and rich kids to try and build a customer base from.
Downtown Redlands- level it, sell it to the Chinese and let them build office buildings all over it. It could be a tiny copy of downtown LA.

I have to say that using old town Pasadena as a model for State St. is a good one. The specialty shops in downtown Redlands are great, however many don't last long. The bars and eating establisments seem to last,something to look at. Many of the buildings have upper floors that are no longer used and are covered from the outside by facades so that one would never know they exsist. Maybe great apartment living in the future if they were renovated to code of course. The potential is there, this one of the only downtown areas in the east valley and could be a goldmine for the city. Without the parking tickets of course.

At least one of the merchants on the street are not exactly honest. Most are, but the one or two who are not taint the street for all. The Downtown Redlands Business Association knows who these very few are--and because of the poor business environment on the street, refuse to say anything, do anything, or ...

So sad.

Sue Ferguson wrote:

Is there live music at any of the night spots in Redlands?...or only croweded, noisy, and/or loud?

The Farm has live music, and I believe Auggies offers live music as well.

MamaBee wrote:

Debra, I think you got a bit off topic. If anything the downtown bars are keeping downtown alive. I has nothing to do with 'druggies' or bars. It has to do with forementioned things. Parking and the ridiculous parking authority giving frivolous parking tickets.It has to do with the sky-high rent the vendors have to pay. Therefore charging the consumer sky-high rates for salon services, food, furniture, etc.
The economy is unstable and unfortunately, people are also greedy.

Parking is the main reason for me.

Sue Ferguson wrote:

At least one of the merchants on the street are not exactly honest. Most are, but the one or two who are not taint the street for all. The Downtown Redlands Business Association knows who these very few are--and because of the poor business environment on the street, refuse to say anything, do anything, or ...
So sad.

There's a crappy clothing store i know of that sells counterfeit women's merchandise, but passes it off as real! what a bunch of creeps

There are a few real cute shops on State St, but they are trying to sell $155.00 jeans. Ok, maybe if I was a size 0 and living up in Smiley Heights!

no-one, give us a clue as to what store you're talking about...you don't have to name names, I'm just curious as to if we're thinking of the same store...

Sue Ferguson wrote:

Is there live music at any of the night spots in Redlands?...or only croweded, noisy, and/or loud?

Sometimes there is music (The Loft) and it's pretty darn good!

no-one wrote:

<quoted text>
There's a crappy clothing store i know of that sells counterfeit women's merchandise, but passes it off as real! what a bunch of creeps

Could we know who this is? It really doesn't matter though because I don't know of anyone who buys clothes in Redlands. Why? Like you said, the stuff is garbage and overpriced at that. What do we have left? The mall? Maybe if you are 105 and want to take advantage of free aircondition, there couldn't be another reason. Don't we all go somewhere else to shop? So, I would like to have that changed, isn't that what we elect the officials for? To look out for our interest? I think all of the population of Redlands is interested in preserving and promoting downtown Redlands. We the people..........