re: All Fired Up–yes, it is now under new ownership.

Oh and I still think that closing the “windows” at Can Can ruined so much of the feel of the area. I know that Can Can was new. But it was great for the season that it was open.

I am a whole-hearted advocate of the Thompson to Boulevard pedestrian mall concept. Such an idea has been bruited on this site in months past, and makes just plain good sense.

Wonder if there’s ever been a study about what the ratio is per cars going down Cary to those that actually stop for its passengers to shop, dine or seek entertainment here. My hunch is that we’d be surprised.

What I see in the middle of the day is clogged one-way traffic, motorists not stopping, but avoiding the Downtown Expressway tolls. Trust me, it’s going to get worse with the “user fee” price hike, a tax by any other name, and one done without public approval.

[The RMA will argue that the regional residents have de facto representation through elected officials on the RMA board.

This contention is exactly what some members of George III's Parliament made: that each MP actually represented all British subjects, not just their districts. ]

So, yes. And I also agree that establishing homogenizing standards for the shops isn’t a good idea. We want diversity and creativity, as this is a hallmark and reason for Carytown’s continued existence.

Now, will somebody get up on a ladder and flick a finger against Can Can’s west-facing neon?

color me crazy, but I thought the bohemian feel of CT was the whole point…coordinate the property owners…improve the common spaces…enforce building codes and property maintainance…

but if I wanted standardization I would move to Short Pump

also. RVA Foodie, why on earth would you tell farouk’s to close just because you think they are boring? thats just lame. that is the only place in carytown you can get traditional indian food! and their lunch buffet is a STAPLE for the people who work around there. maybe we should think more about keeping places OPEN than shutting them down because YOU don’t like them.

Quite simply, Carytown as a whole (or at some structured point), should be a pedestrian only area. In doing so, the roadway could be replaced with pavers, cobblestone, or some other unique layer. Park benches, fountains, larger sidewalks, trees, nice lamp posts, plants, and other features would need to be added. Store fronts would all need to be renovated to comply with some kind of higher standards of design. This would probably take some kind of a covenants committee who could oversee all improvements in the Carytown district. Think of Colonial Williamsburg’s Merchant Square, or in Boston….Fanuel Hall. These areas attract people not only for their shops and restaurants, but also because of their charm and enjoyable surroundings. Parking, Auto Traffic, People, and Money, are the hurdles that would need to be overcome. This would require all Carytown property owners to actively want to be part of some kind of association that had some control over their property. It would require extreme help from the city in the form of planning, implementation, money, and incentive to property owners and businesses. However, if Carytown was able to make this facelift and change it’s dynamic, it is hard to believe it wouldn’t be a huge success.

http://www.criterion.com/asp/release.asp?id=380