FEEDBACK: A call for attractions, venues in the Burg
By Susan Pugh on Feb. 14, 2008
I read in the Jan. 24 edition of The Burg the annual listing of the “Best of the Burg.”
What struck me most was not the usual votes in this annual survey, but the very last section called “What does this city need?” What struck me is how it seems year after year, people in Lynchburg are crying for the same cultural improvements, and year after year those improvements seem slow in coming to fruition.
And this year’s top three wishes are “more nightlife, dance clubs, and places that stay open late.” I find it curious that these same wishes continue to be expressed by the people of Lynchburg, but it never seems to happen. I recall the exact same sentiments when I was in high school. (We won’t discuss how long ago that was!) So, a couple decades or so later, Lynchburg has yet to satisfy these wishes. Why is this? What is it about this community that seems to so much want improvements in its cultural attractions, but is excrutiatingly slow in allowing such attractions to develop here.
Why am I — a fairly young, progressively minded, professional male — relegated to driving 75 miles north to Charlottesville to enjoy the very things the readers of The Burg wish to see here in Lynchburg? Gas is expensive. I’d rather stay here and enjoy my socal life closer to home. Lynchburg is big enough to support more cultural attractions. There is a market here to support more cultural attractions, and the population is sufficiently diverse enough (albiet barely enough) to support more local choices for recreation.
So my feeling is, let’s stop wishing, and let’s start doing. Let’s get a civic center here. Let’s get more venues for music and art like they have in C’ville and Roanoke. Oh, and a Fuddruckers, a Chili’s, a Whole Foods, and yes, even a Hooters would be very good (money making!) choices to add to our local cultural fabric. And let’s not forget Dunkin’ Donuts ... I miss the coffee!
W.N. SPANGLER
Lynchburg
COMMENTS
The only real problem I have with your ideas, Spangler (If I may call you that. And I’d really like to, given that it makes me feel like Bill Murray in Ghostbusters.), is that you’re putting the onus for bringing in commercial ventures on the city. While I agree that things like a civic center do fall squarely in the lap of the city, most everything else you mentioned (Music venues, Chili’s, Whole Foods, Hooters, etc.) does not. Those sorts of things will only be brought in by commercial developers, and they’ll only do it when they see a market large enough to support it. It’s just here yet.
While we may have the diversity in our population to make such ideas popular, we don’t necessarily have the numbers for them to be profitable. Even small venues that cater to independent musicians need a relatively large population to support them. Venues supporting larger commercial acts need an even larger one.
The good news is that we’re getting there. Lynchburg is growing for a lot of reasons, and as growth happens, so will development. That’s a double-edged sword but I think with just a little patience, you’ll see some of your wishes happen. The next decade is going to be a very interesting one for life in Lynchburg.
Mr. Spangler,
I have to agree with Mxyzpltk on most things. One thing young people should start looking into soon is buying a home in the city, using lots of grants and Federal programs. There are incentives.Stop renting, buy instead. Hey, you are young,wouldn’t you rather be the one sitting on your balcony watching everyone walk around downtown, than renting out in Forest?
Lynchburg is in a developmental stage,ripe for these young people.Your house is also an investment, and the way the city is geographically,makes it a prime place to own and rent out a multilevel home, all made over. You get to pick your tenents and bring in the very life you so long for to exist in Lynchburg!
Happy house hunting!!
Margaret
This is the reason I am bringing to Central and Southwest Va the largest rock fest this area has ever seen. Aug 15 and 16th, ROCKIN’08 will be held at the Sedalia Center.
There will be over 17 rock bands, a genre for everyone who enjoys everything from Hard to Progressive rock. The area has asked for it so The Sedalia Center is acting.