Now that we have concluded, thanks to those who commented, that talking to a wide range of people is both sad and shallow, we can now move on to the next topic of conversation. My dog walk went much quicker tonight now that I was able to inform people that by talking to them I would be both sad and shallow, that I should only converse with a small circle of close friends. Now maybe I will be accepted by my biggest critics.
The other day there was an article in the Detroit News titled "Super Bowl bars still serving," with the opening line stating:
"More than four months after Super Bowl XL came to downtown Detroit and left, most of the businesses that sprouted for the game are gone, but a handful of entrepreneurs have opened up to stay between the vacant storefronts."
Personally, I find this opening statement to be very misleading to say the very least. As most of these business didn't exactly "sprout up" as it is stated. They were transplanted into otherwise vacant spaces and used as temporary infill. It was obvious that these places were slap together jobs and not meant to remain for the long term, yet the way it is worded you would think that only a handful have survived.
The next line is almost as funny, as it includes the words "business pioneers." That is almost as pathetic as the term "urban pioneer." Earth to media, a pioneer is one who ventures into unknown or unclaimed territory to settle, not somebody who settles in an area already occupied by 1 million or so. Last I checked, downtown was not void of any type of business prior to the Super Bowl. Perhaps what they meant was that new places that fulfill their suburban expectations, but even then, places like Hard Rock, Hockey Town, Town Pump, and a few others should have fit that bill long before the Super Bowl.
The papers have never been one to get peoples hopes up too high (did I mention property sales in Detroit rose higher than most any other part of the region?), they give Detroit a few more kicks, noting the nearly 3 dozen vacant store front from Grand Circus Park to Campus Martius. For some reason, I find it hard to believe there are 36 vacant spots within those few short blocks, so I'll have to count them while out tonight. (Sure enough, I counted them tonight, there are about 36, though many have been divided into places so small that no feasible business would seem to have the needed room to operate. So likley a few walls will get knocked down and this 36 will be cut in half.)
"The Woodward restaurant is one of the few that opened for Super Bowl and stayed."
Is that so? In reality, the only business that I THOUGHT had been the first victim post Super Bowl was The Hub. In fact, somebody told me a few days ago that they have been opening spuratically for Tigers baseball games (State Bar anyone?). So, The Woodward is one of the few that stayed? Considering the only ones that left were never even legit businesses to begin with, it's just another shot at us. There is a reason why many label the local papers the "local wrags," as they often aren't worth much more than that.
Now excuse me, I think I'm going to get cleaned up, head downtown, and totally disregard the recommendation by others and go meet some new people, being both as sad and as shallow as I wannabe!
