Our view: With local help, downtown can turn it around

Here's something simple you can do to help out your hometown: Stop by the downtown "Farmer's Market" being held each Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. in the plaza off Third Street.

And while you're at it, check out some of the downtown businesses you may not have visited for a while. The effort to revitalize Crescent City's core is still in its infancy, but you may be surprised by what you find in opportunities to shop and eat and drink.

A thriving downtown would make a huge difference in this community for three over-arching reasons.

First, there's the benefit of providing one more destination for visitors. Some beach towns never get far beyond the commercial development that occurs along the coast highway. Others manage to pull out-of-towners off the main drag to stay awhile and sample the local charms. As the local economy becomes more tourism-dependent, providing a better mix of man-made attractions to complement our region's natural beauty is essential.

Second, we're not talking about building an off-highway downtown from scratch; we already have one and if isn't part of the solution it's part of the problem.

Third, the downtown businesses we have now and those the core area is likely to attract are generally unique and locally owned. Throughout the country, consumers are waking up to the need to preserve individuality in the face of chain-store expansion. This keeps things interesting, and it boosts local economies. Dollars spent at locally owned businesses have a stronger multiplier effect—they continue to circulate locally at a higher level than those spent at businesses that are not locally owned.

Which brings us back to the Wednesday "Farmer's Market" that organizers hope to continue through October. So far it doesn't offer the variety of fresh produce available at the Saturday market at the fairgrounds, but in addition to fresh-food offerings it features an assortment of vendors selling crafts, clothing, flowers, metal work, jewelry and furniture.

Organizers scheduled it with local consumers in mind—those who may want to stop off after work or who simply are looking to stock up on some fresh local offerings at midweek rather than wait for the weekend.

That's appropriate, because local consumers are essential to downtown's future vitality. Some creative, energetic entrepreneurs have taken the first step toward infusing downtown with new energy and appeal. That effort has to be supported by the locals to sustain the momentum and eventually attract a steady stream of out-of-towners as well.

Susan Stewart, who manages the Wednesday market, puts it this way: "The downtown is not as busy as it should be. Now we have Tomasini's Enoteca and boutiques trying to build it up and make Crescent City a pleasure to come here and enjoy living here."

Downtown can become a happening place if locals invest in it. For some, that may mean opening businesses there. For others, it's as simple as keeping it in mind as a place to patronize.

Wednesdays from 4 to 7 would be a good time to start.