Ken
You completely nail in this with terms like "dreams." The fact is the region is failing, and with it all the dreams of those that depend on retail to feel good.
In our recent anthropological trip to compare the dreams of westside shoppers I think we uncovered some amazing differences and realities not shared by many. The truth is laid bare, and as we look back we see the tide/wave has indeed swept past the city of Lakewood, and swept all the way to Toledo and beyond.
While many think it is better in Cleveland Heights, Shaker, Bay Village, etc. we know only a couple cities have been able to stay away from the rush to the bottom. Those cities like Solon, Independence had it very easy. Massive acreage with nothing on it, makes build up easy. Coupled with this land are major exits from more than one freeway either in the city or nearby. when it comes to cities, Lakewood and our sister city Cleveland Heights has seemed to slow maybe even possible stopped the bleeding. But the fact remains the USA is going third world and we are all going third world together.
Questions remain, is it our dreams or own need for new, cool, hot, different, etc. that are feeding the need for change? Even the Dalai Lama states "Affluent beings change for nothing more than the need to fill emptiness inside. Change keeps one mind off of the true self, and only creates the need for more change for change sake." It would be nice to see a real study on what Lakewood NEEDS what it can support and what makes most sense for marketing the city to residents and businesses.
Other truths discovered in the drill down will be left alone as most would find them too terrible or terrifying. Others have looked into the mirror of the future and found peace, while others cringe, freak, over react, then get on the meds. But the one thing we know, and I think we know why, is that Lakewood has managed to stay the same while most others fail. With small subtle changes, Lakewood is the same as it was for decades. This should be viewed as a win, in this day and age. But will we?
We have seen dream cities like Huron throw their future away for a long time when they traded their old downtown area for some magic beans. While it is nearly impossible to find thee flaw in the plan, the truth is no one ever thought of what was next, what the future holds. It was built on the Tech bubble for then, and now it is a ghost town with a hole in it's heart, that might never be filled again. an upscale community with land and land banks downtown, that is now desperately trying to manage their decline.
If Lakewood can come to grips with their true identity, embrace it, own it and build on it, we can really make some hay, while the others fumble. If we constantly chase the man with the magic beans others have proven, it is a chase that rarely ends, or rarely bears fruit.
Lakewood's Dollar Tree Store featuring wide clean aisles, and great deals.
The Rocky River Dollar Tree features cramped dirty aisles.
Another Rocky River store that sells itself as the Upscale Liquidator, "Tuesday Morning" with their style of upscale displays.
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