quote:

Originally posted by ronkas:

quote:

Why aren't merchants more vocal?

You would have been surprised to see the number of retailers supporting EDC last night. One merchant was apoplectic, but the rest were talking about how they get the support of EDC. Discuss: Why the disconnect?

This is definitely my limited knowledge on this subject. It seems to me the EDC can do wonderful things for promotion of the existing businesses, (i.e. jazz fest etc.), yet the overall consensus I hear is, with some exceptions, the types of businesses are not conducive to regular shopping patterns.

More encouragement to bring in the stores and services that will promote additional traffic will help everyone. Wheaton does not seem to be inordinately different in scope from GE with the exception of the size and scale of the town and the addition of a parking garage. Quite a few restaurants, mostly quirky smaller specialty stores...sound familiar? There are no anchor stores from major chains that draw in additional people to the downtown area. They have even gone so far as to ban additional banks in town to not smother retail other opportunities.

What kind of stores encourages repeat business? The Gap? A small Department Discount Store (What was the name of that department store on Crescent that we had to get our Gym suits from?)? Reuss Sports? These are questions, not answers.
What types of stores and services would drive people totown to shop and stay to look in other stores.

I used to come down to the Hallmark store to buy model rockets and that department store to buy Gym suits and GE specific items. Reuss Sports for all my needs as well as Paul's to get ice skates and shoes fixed. I still use the dry cleaners on Forest, Soukups, McChesney's, Youngs and a number of others, but the everyday items are usually purchased from Costco, Walgreen's...
etc.

quote:

Originally posted by ronkas:

quote:

Why aren't merchants more vocal?

You would have been surprised to see the number of retailers supporting EDC last night. One merchant was apoplectic, but the rest were talking about how they get the support of EDC. Discuss: Why the disconnect?

Stockholm Syndrome

quote:

Originally posted by Tennwlkr:
Amy, I'm not trying to give you sh*t, but why don't you call an ace an ace instead of making excuses? If you want to be constructive then say it like it is! for example, I like the hours at Walmart, Walgreen's and Costco. I like their lower prices! I like to park right up front! I like to go when my husband is home to watch the kids ect. ect. ect. I'm sorry but I can't validate excuses, only the truth.

You must know me and not like other things I've said to attack my comments from this thread. I've rarely had anything really negative to say about downtown. And there may be lots of things a person can say about me, but I'm really not into excuses. For example, I'm fat because I apparently don't burn off everything I eat and weight has always been a struggle for me! You want me to call an ace an ace but when it comes to a few things, I call a spade a spade. And I don't think I've written here on this board in any secret code. I've been quite specific:

I do think we need more parking but I don't personally have a problem with walking. However, when my children were little, it was a problem. It would be nice and would get more families with stay-at-home mom's shopping and spending time downtown during the day - particularly as the weather gets worse - if we had more sufficient parking.

I could care less about whether my husband is home to go shopping. My kids are old enough to be home if needed now but they also go along many times. I just usually WORK during the hours many places are open. I love that there are a few more places open on Sunday but if I walk downtown on one of the few days I really have the time (Sunday) it's practically a ghost town. It really shouldn't be that way, in my opinion.

I do wish the downtown businesses would have more evening hours on more days than Thursday. I would shop them more. I love *Giesche's* but can't always get there during their hours (though they are a bit better than some places) and I do shop at *Soukup's*. We did buy appliances but I must confess we ended up purchasing at Menard's because the price was better, they had exactly what we wanted, we got them delivered immediately. I wanted badly to buy at *Young's* but when push came to shove, we ended up elsewhere. To be perfectly honest, I would have probably just made the purchase at Young's but I didn't take the lead in that purchase. I love *Good Works Gallery* and *10,000 Villages*: a couple of years ago, I bought every single Christmas gift from downtown shops. *Duck, Duck, Goose* is too expensive for regular purchases for growing kids. It's a waste of money - something that was in pretty tight supply for years at our house. I used to go to *Schmid's* more for gifts but haven't been there lately...just one of many shops for gifts, I guess. We did carpet our house with the fine folks at *Karmis*. We eat at *Glen Oak* regularly. Tom's a great guy and we love that he runs the place with his Dad gone now. We did eat at the *Firkin* probably nearly every other week but it's gone now. We eat at *Santa Fe, *Shannon's, *Curley's, or *Barone's and would probably eat there more except that we do like to try new places sometimes. On the slightly more expensive side (too expensive for my picky kids), we sometimes eat at *Thipi Thai, *Mhyka's, *Figo, *Cab's, or *Bistro Monet. I shop at *McChesney's* when I can get there: more in the summer than during the school year for obvious reasons (the hours). I used to purchase gifts and cards at the old Hallmark shop but it's gone now. We go to *The Glen* and of course drink *Starbuck's*. I hate Cold Stone Creamery and cannot figure out why people are willing to pay so much for that stuff...that's just my opinion. Though we do go for ice cream at *DQ* (by Trader Joe's) and *Oberweiss*. We shop at *Trader Joe's* and *Jewel* on Roosevelt as well....We buy books at *The Bookstore* - I know the owner and buy yarn at *String Theory*. We have centered almost all of our kid's birthday parties at businesses downtown (when we didn't just host it in our backyard). We purchased cakes and cookies at the *Flour Barrel Bakery* (they are open on Sunday, by the way).

Are you satisfied? I'd venture that despite some of the barriers to my ability to shop downtown, I might even spend more of my money down there than you! Hmmmm...that would be interesting to know since you seem to think I'm not loyal enough!

Your comments are condescending and based in ignorance....

You had the opportunity to purchase your car at Glen Ellyn Mini...yet you chose not to. Your comments ring hollow because of this.

There was really no reason for you to fly off the handle and I made no reference to your caloric intake, I could care less as I wont go to a personal level. I will however ask you if your had mentioned to Ryan Soukup that you found an appliance at Menards and if he would be willing to match the price? He has several stores and could take care of it quickly! Anyhow If you feel that money is tight, then why not stay home and cook(maybe on your new appliance) Its less expensive than eating out Can all of the time and McChensey has their own parking lot! The meat there is fresh and very good at a reasonable price. I like shopping downtown also! The clothes at Duck Duck Goose are of very high quality and I like that my kids outgrow them before they wear out, because I can wait a year and hand them down or share them with my nieces and nephews. I would rather have one good outfit than three sh*tty ones!

Hi Clam,

Speaking of Duck Duck Goose, what is that border around the building? It looks like a 1950s Sears Store?

She probably couldn't find a parking spot at Glen Ellyn Mini

Amy wrote:

We did buy appliances but I must confess we ended up purchasing at Menard's because the price was better, they had exactly what we wanted, we got them delivered immediately. I wanted badly to buy at *Young's* but when push came to shove, we ended up elsewhere.



Tennwlkr: Does Ryan Soukop own Young's? Why don't you lay off Amy?

quote:

Originally posted by Tennwlkr:
There was really no reason for you to fly off the handle and I made no reference to your caloric intake, I could care less as I wont go to a personal level. I will however ask you if your had mentioned to Ryan Soukup that you found an appliance at Menards and if he would be willing to match the price? He has several stores and could take care of it quickly! Anyhow If you feel that money is tight, then why not stay home and cook(maybe on your new appliance) Its less expensive than eating out Can all of the time and McChensey has their own parking lot! The meat there is fresh and very good at a reasonable price. I like shopping downtown also! The clothes at Duck Duck Goose are of very high quality and I like that my kids outgrow them before they wear out, because I can wait a year and hand them down or share them with my nieces and nephews. I would rather have one good outfit than three sh*tty ones!

Once again implying something negative about my children's clothes in the last sentence because I don't spend $75 on a shirt for them....you just don't get it, do you? You don't even realize the vile that is coming through in your writing! I thought it would be obvious but I made the statement about my weight to demonstrate that I'm not into excuses - something you somehow construed that I do. And based on your continued rude comments, I now know that you must be a very unhappy person AND that I was right: you don't like other comments I have made in the past on this BB and this is your chance to try and slight me. I actually feel sorry for you because you can't just make a point unless you imply something is wrong with the receiver of your message. Very passive-aggressive of you. I should have realized that trying to respond to you would be pointless.

Clam, as always, your humor is appreciated.

Ron, I'm done with our little "friend" because it isn't really about what he/she is saying, it's personal and I just don't deserve that (no one does) - but thanks Ron.

Amy is a good person! Fair and insightful and willing to put herself on the line for things that she believes in. I understand the frustrations with the store hours in town. I am right there with you. A top quality kids shirt that could last many years looking nice should be around $20- Lands End seems to be able to get the job done in that range. Sure I have bought a few things at Duck Duck Goose- but only from their clearance area with drastic mark downs. I have never had much problem with any clothes wearing out- even those bought at Kohls for under $10.

let's face it, the expensive kids clothes are made in the same place as the gap, et all...what we need is a good old fashioned woolworth-type store where i could buy a pair of socks! man, i sound old.........

Wow -- this is a weird thread.

Heck yeah -- lay off Amy. I enjoy Amy's posts.

Not sure where all this enmity is coming from.

Ted ... uh?

quote:

Why don't you lay off Amy?

YES Please!

I agree with her on nearly everything, plus she writes nicely.

you must be a man because at a certin age I would rather have 3 kids shirts than one pricey one....do you know how many you wash a week!!!!!!

Put me in Amy's camp! Amy, don't stop posting and don't let Tennwlkr get to you. To all: We should stop feeding this troll! Tennessee Walker as in horse? There is probably a message here, but I don't really care enough to figure it out!

Tennwlkr is a troll.

Don't feed the troll.

On the previous page, the comment about Soukup's:

I will never shop there. Period. I am a Sox fan, and the ownership has no interest in selling to Sox fans, I was told this when I asked if they carried "L" flags along with their "W" flags. I believe the exact quote was "I don't need Sox fans shopping here." And this was told to me a month after the White Sox WON the World Series. Don't know if that was the owner, or another person, but I will consider that bad business, so... I stopped shopping at Traders Joe's last year when they decided to put the cub logo on their bags. I currently do not shop at Whole Foods thanks to their signs at their front door. Yes, I hate the Cub that bad!

I love the downtown area, shop there as much as we can. We eat at the restaurants downtown constantly. I try to frequent the downtown as much as I can. Evening hours would kick buttski. McChesney being open later would be awesome. I don't know how many times I went there for something while I was cooking and nope, they are closed.

Amy's cool, get off her back. People are passionate about how they feel about something, and shockingly, we live in the land of the free, home of the brave, where freedom of speech is allowed and freedom to choose and make one's own decisions is completely acceptable. Acting like a 4 year old because someone disagrees with your beliefs of what have you is, well, acting like a 4 year old.

quote:

Originally posted by SoxFanInGE:

I stopped shopping at Traders Joe's last year when they decided to put the cub logo on their bags. I currently do not shop at Whole Foods thanks to their signs at their front door. Yes, I hate the Cub that bad!

Acting like a 4 year old because someone disagrees with your beliefs of what have you is, well, acting like a 4 year old.

Does anyone else see the irony here?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: What'snext,

quote:

Originally posted by What'snext:

quote:

Originally posted by SoxFanInGE:

I stopped shopping at Traders Joe's last year when they decided to put the cub logo on their bags. I currently do not shop at Whole Foods thanks to their signs at their front door. Yes, I hate the Cub that bad!

Acting like a 4 year old because someone disagrees with your beliefs of what have you is, well, acting like a 4 year old.

Does any on else see the irony here?

Yes. And I am a Sox fan. I can't help if a company from Northern
California thinks the Cubs are the only game in town. Just remember, that paper bag with that logo stores my garbage. Appropriate.

Well, even more appropriately, I use them to put out my Trib.

Dearest Amy

First of all I want to apologize to you if you feel I have insulted you. That was not my intention. My comment about cheap clothing vs. good clothing had absolutely nothing to do with your children or what you buy for them. This is just my personal opinion and a comment based on MY experience when purchasing things for myself. Please do not internalize any of the comments as they are not intended to insult you. I also want to apologize for the wise *** joke about you not being able to find a parking place at the Glen Ellyn car dealer. It was just a smart remark and I should have put a smiley face after it. Just because we disagree on the situation in downtown Glen Ellyn (i.e. the parking) is no reason to get bent out of shape or feel like your being attacked. You don't have to prove a thing to me on where you shop, what you buy ect. If people don't wish to shop down here at the stores because they are a bit more expensive or don't have everything you need in one stop or if you have to walk a block or so then thats fine too. The market place is self correcting and something will come in to take its place maybe something that is more appealing whose benefits will be greater than the minor inconveniences Glen Ellyn has to offer.