A lot of people say that if you vocalize what you want, you’re a
lot more likely to get it. In that spirit, here’s my list of
businesses I’d love to see come into downtown. Some of these
businesses already exist in Gilroy, but I’m thinking specifically
of the several-blocks-long strip of Monterey considered the
”
official
”
downtown. Some are far-fetched; some are realistic. I’d love to
hear from you about your picks as well.
A lot of people say that if you vocalize what you want, you’re a lot more likely to get it. In that spirit, here’s my list of businesses I’d love to see come into downtown. Some of these businesses already exist in Gilroy, but I’m thinking specifically of the several-blocks-long strip of Monterey considered the “official” downtown. Some are far-fetched; some are realistic. I’d love to hear from you about your picks as well.
-An old-fashioned bakery. Walk in the door and smell before you see: cupcakes, donuts, cookies of every variety. Fresh-baked bread, too. You’ll leave the heated hub feeling like your skin is covered in powdered sugar.
-A deli. A shop devoted to nothing but your sandwich: could there be anything better? Thick slabs of roast beef, a half-dozen kinds of mustard, generous doses of mayonnaise, tomatoes, pepperonicinis, and sliver-thin rounds of red onion, all wrapped in butcher paper with a fat dill pickle tucked in the side where it can’t get the bread wet … this is probably my number one pick.
-A local crafts shop. Around this time of year, it’s always wonderful to see the holiday fairs spring up, with local artisans renting booth space to sell what they’ve carved, sewed, knitted or painted. It’d be great if there was a year-round space to sell the same. When I first moved to Gilroy, I remember trying to find a t-shirt to send back home. At that time, the store associated with the Gilroy Garlic Festival, where I assumed I’d find such a thing, was seemingly located on Monterey, but never open. Local silkscreeners could make shirts and sell them at this store. (Is it just me or does the Garlic Festival T-shirt never look as exciting as you’d hope?) The store could also sell the home-packed garlic foods you can now only find in the hinterlands of the outlets with dust atop the jar lids.
-An art gallery. Somewhat related to the previous entry, but a store carrying more professional fine art pieces. The gallery could rotate exhibits every few months and host an opening with wine and cheese: another chance for neighbors to get together and meet each other. I know, I know: in this economy, who’s going to buy art? But this is my wish list!
-A clothing boutique or two. It’d be nice to see mannequins on Monterey, again, wouldn’t it? (And not just the ones wearing costumes at the Costume Trunk!) I like small clothing stores, and the fragrance of fabric when you first enter. It’s an infinitely superior clothes-buying experience to shopping the racks at a loud store devoted to a hundred other kinds of goods as well, where the ceiling is so far above you feel like you’re in a warehouse.
-Indian food. I’m craving it, people! And you have to drive to Morgan Hill to get it. I’d love to be able to duck into a little hole in the wall on Monterey and have chicken tikka masala served up swiftly, or masala dosas, or hot buttered naan, or crispy papadums with chutney, or daal … Wait! Why am I using the conjunction or? I really mean to say and.
-A wine bar. Wouldn’t it be nice to have an upscale wine bar serving the fruits of our local vineyards, right on Monterey?
-A pocket park. Nothing much: just some grass, a few benches, a bunch of shade trees. A place to sit and eat the amazing sandwich from our new deli, and let the kids run off some steam.
And now, a list of businesses that are either coming or that I’m grateful are already here. Because while asking for things, it’s always a good idea to reflect on what’s already working:
-A temporary library. The library is going to be sited downtown while the new structure is being built.
-Wifi! Thank you, city of Gilroy, for the wifi that threads through downtown. Wifi isn’t really a business, but it makes all existing businesses that much more attractive.
-The bowling alley. Not many cities can boast a bowling alley on “main street.” And this one is small, sweet and wonderful. Bowling a few games was one of the first things I did upon moving to Gilroy, and it’s on my list to go back and improve my abysmal score.
-Sue’s. A coffeehouse is integral to a functioning downtown. I just wish Sue’s got a little more foot traffic so they could extend their hours later into the evening.
-The pharmacy: Across from Sue’s a new pharmacy opened a few months ago. It’s great to have it right downtown and handy.
n The bookstore. Coming soon (January). Like coffee, books are essential. Can’t wait to see this one up and running.
