This Onion piece made us smile today, probably because it sounds a bit like so many discussions in this area: "Mayor Hits On Crazy Idea Of Developing City's Waterfront, Green Spaces." (Let us also mark the end of "Free Event In The Park" Season.) [The Onion]
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My three year old son absolutely loving riding the train around Huck Finn's (Hoffman's) Playland this summer.
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Comments
The "enlightened" point this article attempts to make through satire is off base but a sad reflection of reality: "...explaining how the counterintuitive and 'probably a little nuts' proposal would replace the decaying and unsightly old manufacturing buildings along Lake Erie with a vibrant retail-entertainment district."
This is what many so-called urban minded people advocate for: turn all our previously working waterfronts into "entertainment" districts, and waterfront condo complexes and "green spaces" with band shells.
Instead those "decaying and unsightly old manufacturing buildings" should be rehabbed and reactivated.
What we need to do in this country is reactivate our working waterfront. South Troy needs to bring manufacturing back, and then ship materials and goods from our city by rail and barge.
The river affords wonderful recreational opportunities. And it's an attractive natural feature. But recreation and working waterfronts can and must co-exist. In fact, when they do each enhances the experience of the other. (For example, nearly every lock on the NYS Canal System has a park surrounding it. Observe the joy of the picnickers and parkgoers when a working tug and barge pass by.)
... said Duncan Crary on Sep 3, 2014 at 1:38 PM | link
Too bad the mayor of Erie isn't forward thinking enough to push for an aquarium. It could highlight the beautiful wildlife found in Lake Erie. People from all across the Northeast and Canada would cancel their existing vacation plans to drive hours to see lake otters frolic. If he added slot machines it might be able to save the Western Pennsylvania economy.
... said Laura on Sep 4, 2014 at 8:44 AM | link
Duncan thanks for sucking the fun out of that article.
... said J.Welf on Sep 4, 2014 at 10:32 AM | link
I think a rose garden in downtown Youngstown Ohio would be a big draw for lovers of Roses. I think people from Europe would flock to Gary Indiana to see an aquarium with nothing but carp and we could allow them to fish in the bowl and eat what they catch. Maybe a butterfly farm with slot machines in downtown Detroit. Ah the future of American cities has never looked brighter.
... said BS on Sep 4, 2014 at 12:38 PM | link