Checking in with the Mapping Main Street Project

I’ve spent a semester with Gainesville’s Main Street constantly in the back of my mind. I’ve felt as if story ideas have been with me nearly at all times.  In the same way, I now drive through Gainesville’s tiny downtown and constantly wonder what people and stories are there and who in the community is connected to Main Street. I hope that curiosity stays around for a long time.

It’s just that type of curiosity that brought me back to where it all began: The Mapping Main Street Project.

As I mentioned in my very first post the project set out to document the Main Street’s of America. A team set out to  document the state of Main Streets across the country and who exactly made up the population on a day-to-day basis.

The team then became involved with NPR and asked for listener submissions. That’s exactly how I heard about the project.

I went to the Web site a few days ago and stumbled upon a wealth of stories about Main Street U.S.A.

I found a story by a group of girls in their senior year of high school in Queens, NY who chronicled a slice of life  on Main Street.

They did a Soundslides piece “Steam Buns ‘R’ Us” in conjunction with WNYC’s Radio Rookies.

What better place for Alexis Gordon, Hawa Lee and Melissa Best to start than to do a piece on what they eat nearly every day after school – steam buns. They stop by AA Plaza on Main Street to have steam buns in the afternoons once school is finished.

“It’s not just one type of ethnic food, it’s likeable by a lot of different cultures,” they said about the food.

And then they pointed out something that seems to be a common theme with Main Street U.S.A. “This kind of brings us back to Main Street Flushing where so many cultures coexist together.”

Now, I’ve never been to Flushing, Queens but because of the Main Street project I’ve learned a bit about the culture there and what life is like after the bell rings and a day in high school is finished.

Mapping Main Street on Vimeo

After taking a look at the project Web site I found that Mapping Main Street has  18 videos on Vimeo.  There are videos running the gamut from “Searching for Main Street’s Flushing Pimp” to “Main Street Cinemas.”

Mary Pearson and Rob Barber of the band High Places wrote a song about Main Street in Los Angeles and the song and a video can be found on Vimeo.

Barber says, “L.A. Main Street is still mostly a viable and important center of the city. Like the spirit of California, it means different things for different people. For example, it contains the oldest part of town, as well as the home of L.A.’s underground music scene, the Smell.”

I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve spent with Gainesville’s Main Street at the forefront of my mind. Take a look around at the Mapping Main Street Project’s Web site and links. You are guaranteed a walk through the neighborhoods and cultures of the U.S.

Rip’s Cleaners: In business on North Main Street for 50 years

John Jennings Jr. has been in the dry cleaning business a long time.

He was 15 when he started working at Rip’s Dry Cleaners on North Main Street.

That was 37 years ago.

“I never dreamed I’d spend the rest of my life as a dry cleaner,” he said.

“Eventually it felt like a comfortable niche after a while. And I kind of enjoyed it. Here I am,” Jennings said with a smile.

He’s done everything imaginable in the business from painting parking lot stripes to hanging up clothes, to running clothing routes.

His father, John Jennings, was a banker and happened to be friends with Rip’s original owner, Mr. VanWinkle. Everyone around town called him Rip. His father bought the business from Rip in the mid-1960′s.

Now Jennings has four stores in all, with Rip’s on North Main Street being the main store. With both his son and daughter working in the business and 20 employees, Jennings has a vested interest in making business run as well as possible.

As I mentioned in an earlier post there is a reconstruction project on Main Street. Initially Jennings was hesitant about how the Main Street reconstruction project would affect business.

(Video produced by: Leah Goodwyne and Briana O’Sullivan)

Main Street Reconstruction Project

With that project in full swing, Jennings has seen construction vehicles roar past his shop while barricades blocked the main entrance.

While the construction has made it more difficult for customers to reach his store, Jennings is glad people could still access the business from a side street.

Jennings said while first-time customers may have been deterred by the road closures, the regulars knew how to navigate the construction to reach Rip’s. He went on to say the constant road construction over the past few months has hurt business a bit.

But his loyal customers have remained just that, loyal.

Jennings believes Rip’s dedication to customer service that sets them apart.

And it’s the response from his regular customers that lets him know Rip’s is on the right track.

“We see big smiles, thank you’s when you put their clothes in the car and open their car doors for them. We’re in the service business,” he said.

Recently, the construction vehicles and barricades were removed from the stretch of Main Street in front of Rip’s. The construction is finished, at least in front of the dry cleaners. The project is moving farther down Main Street working on improvements to other parts of the road.

“I hope we are still here when it is all over.”

19th Annual Miracle on Main Street

Saturday was a big day in downtown Gainesville. There was the 28th Annual Downtown Festival & Art Show. Tens of thousands of extra people downtown for the festival.

But that’s not what caught my eye. It was the hundreds of people standing in front of the Junior League building on Main Street.

Saturday was Junior League’s 19th annual Miracle on Main Street toy giveaway.

Junior League's warehouse full of toys before the event began

Junior League gives away new and gently used toys to needy families in the Gainesville community during the event.

Thirty Junior Leaguers were up bright and early Saturday with most arriving by 5:30 a.m. They were met by nearly 100 people already waiting in line. Elaine Almond, chair of the event, said the first person in line arrived at 1 a.m.

Miracle on Main Street is one of Junior League’s biggest projects of the year, said Almond.  This year 334 families benefited from the event that began at 8:30 a.m.

(Video from the Miracle on Main Street 2008 event.)

“I would say 98% of the toys are new,” Almond said proudly. Proceeds from Junior League’s thrift store on Main Street go to purchase the toys.

Each family is given a voucher with 30 points on it. Each toy is ranked on a point system.

Almond gave examples, “A bike is 15 points, while a Barbie is four points,” she said.

The families were able to walk through a warehouse filled with toys and decorated with Christmas trees and decorations. Bright red t-shirts were worn by the Junior League volunteers, while some even donned reindeer antlers.

An excited young girl with Santa and Mrs. Claus

Santa and Mrs. Claus were on hand to hear Christmas wishes from the children, while cheery Christmas carols rang out in the background.

The impact on the community is apparent.

“The experience you see of families going through to shop and how thankful they are. People are really appreciative,” Almond said.

“It really brings joy to their faces.”

Junior League partnered with the UF Athletic Association and 59 student athletes were at the event Saturday.

UF lacrosse player, Jenna Hildebrand, spent the morning wrapping gifts for the families.

Her face lit up as she recalled talking to a grandmother who explained that for the past three years she was unable to buy any gifts at all.

“I liked being here because I was helping people and helping the community,” she said.

Junior League’s warehouse full of toys before the event began

Volunteers passing out breakfast

A man smiles after choosing toys for his family

UF student athletes wrapping Christmas presents

An excited young girl with Santa and Mrs. Claus

Historic Gainesville, Inc.

As I mentioned in my last post there’s a major development project going on with Gainesville’s Main Street right now. The project started in September with an estimated completion date of 2011 and a cost of $6 million. It’s impossible to talk about a development project happening in a historic area without wondering what our local historic society thinks about it.

I found that Historic Gainesville, Inc. has made good use of  their Facebook page to update Gainesville residents on the things happening in the historic areas of the city.  HGI often posts to the “notes” section of the page to highlight what’s going on. A link was posted in that section to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act page on the City of Gainesville’s Web site to illustrate how Gainesville had benefited from the ARRA.

The city of Gainesville has received, “$300,000 for the Northeast 8th Avenue Mill and Resurface from Main Street to the east side of Northeast Boulevard.”

You may have been wondering, as I was, whether or not our city had gotten any of those federal funds. As HGI points out, indeed we have.

A New Plan for Main Street

Get ready for construction on Main Street. The Florida Department of Transportation will begin work Tuesday on a two-year, $10 million project to revitalize Main Street. The project will decrease the number of lanes from four to two and will fix damaged roads and make Main Street more walkable.

FDOT held an informational meeting to answer questions from local citizens Aug. 25. Megan Rolland of the Gainesville Sun wrote this piece covering the meeting.

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090826/ARTICLES/908261009

Here’s the thing…

I like stories. I’ve been known to sit in stunned silence when I stumble on an especially brilliant one. I sit in awe like a little child listening in rapt attention when I find someone that can really tell a story. Bottom line – stories are it for me.

It was that love of stories that excited me when I heard a segment on NPR about a project called “Mapping Main Street.” The project will document the Main Street’s of this country. Who lives there? Why do they live there? What businesses still exist? Does the typical white picket fence, small-town ideal still apply to Main Street today?

As soon as I heard the NPR segment, I knew Gainesville’s Main Street held stories that needed to be heard. And I knew any way, whatever I could do, I wanted to be a part of discovering Main Street. I knew I wanted in.

Now this isn’t going to be only an exercise in how to interview random people on Gainesville’s Main Street.

I plan to update you on the city of Gainesville’s plan to revitalize our own Main Street. Where is the money allocated? Who gets it? What businesses benefit? Does this plan to revitalize really affect the community?

I know there are businesses out there that have stood the test of time. I want to know more about them. And I know there are people whose lives intersect with Main Street on a daily basis. I can’t wait to hear from them.

Here’s a video of the “Mapping Main Street” project: