Night Music: Moonlight In Vermont

Breaking Down The Drive

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Based on the wonderfully detail inventory created by Penny & Steve, I note that we have the following breakdown of businesses between Venables and the Cut:

It is easy to see how successful the BIA and others have been in developing the Drive as a “destination”, rather than as the main street of a residential neighbourhood. I take that as a reasonable position for the BIA to have taken in the past, especially as the City was working hard to restrict certain businesses (furniture stores, appliance stores, automobile businesses come to mind) from inner-suburban neighbourhoods and move then into big box stores a car ride away.

But I think we are at the point now where the main street needs of the residents are being squeezed to bring in ever more restaurants and fast-food joints. Back in the 1980s and 1990s — not so long ago — we had a few dozen restaurants along the Drive. Now we have 92. While I welcome that diversity and availability of great food, I have to note that the last 40 or 50 restaurants have displaced 40 or 50 other different businesses that used to service the multiple needs of the people of Grandview.

Those are my thoughts on a snowy early November day. Here are some of the newest windows on the Drive (Images: Penny and Steph):