Christmas in Downtown Port Angeles
Downtown Port Angeles is all done up for the Holiday Season. The trees are all strung up with those winter lights, the wreaths are up and most downtown merchants have their stores decorated.
And don’t forget the Christmas Tree Lighting will be this Saturday.
When you're in town, check out the Landing Mall. Their open air market is up and running, and more vendors will be setting up their booths. (It’s on the first floor of the Landing.)
As one local advertisement keeps saying: Who needs the shopping mall when you have Downtown Port Angeles? Come on down.
And don’t forget the Christmas Tree Lighting will be this Saturday.
When you're in town, check out the Landing Mall. Their open air market is up and running, and more vendors will be setting up their booths. (It’s on the first floor of the Landing.)
As one local advertisement keeps saying: Who needs the shopping mall when you have Downtown Port Angeles? Come on down.
Labels: Downtown Port Angeles, Landing Mall
posted by Tom Harper at 11:43 AM
16 Comments:
I know you're a downtown booster, but could you please not quote Edna? Thanks.
I really like the nearly 40 year old Christmas decorations that appear around downtown. With all the money the city's spending on new sidewalks and such, you'd think they'd have a little extra for some new Christmas decorations.
Ah, downtown in Port Angeles. When the temperature drops you can't tell if somone's tweaking on meth or simply shivering from the cold.
I dont know if its just Port Angeles or me but I've thought for a long time that customer service stinks in Port Angeles because it seems to happen to me over and over again. Merchants seem to think that they are doing you a favor by letting you in the door.
I recently went into a PA business wanting to special order an item which the business gets $100 if they order it for me (not a lot of work either). He couldnt find it in his vendor catalog (though it was listed in the manufacturers catalog and they carry other things from that manufacturer) so he had no idea what the price might be even if he could get one. I would have said, "Let me work on it and I'll call you" (I have purchased items from this store before so its not like I am a stranger but those are stories unto themselves). He said to come back some time (he suggested 3 or 4 weeks) and he would check again. I won't.
I recently had some extensive roof damage. I called every roofing contractor in the book, nary a one answered their listed phone number, day or night. Less than a third of them returned the phone call after 3 days and I had left at least 2 messages on their machines. I have no choice but to beg.
I worked retail and customer service for many years. I was always told the customer (for the most part) was right, not an inconvienience that happened to stubble into my store and have money that they need to be seperated form.
I expect crappy customer service from Walmart and the like. I wont pay a premium for it though. If you want a vibrant downtown, make it worth going to.
Please don't throw the baby out with the bath water.
Some of us take pride in giving exceptional customer service.
...Port Angeles customer service is lacking, that's certain. But, that said, part of the problem is the sorry pool of job applicants. Really makes you wonder about the local school system when half the people can't add/subtract, and the rest can't spell. When people seem to think that the minimum wage is $20 bucks an hour, and all jobs should be "flex time".
Unfortunately, this problem is country-wide, not just here on the Peninsula. The only reason you notice it so much here...is because there aren't 20 mexican nationals waiting to take their place...so no one really feels any pressure to even TRY.
...WELL - Paul L. says: Let's visit about the upcoming PADA Elections.....Seven Folks are on the list for RE-UP-ing..Nominations need to be in by next Tuesday,the 27th - 5pm.
...I haven't seen the Nov. Newsletter yet "On Line" - for any additional info, but there should be a scheduled Board Mtg.on Monday the 26th at the PADA Office (I think)- so ya' could ask then.
...Call 457-9614 if ya' need more info on the next General Meeting - maybe a "Candidate's Introduction Forum there - then)???
...Perhaps a new slate of Officers for the New Year with a new Executive Director for the Main Street Program??? (Stick y'er oar in there - for another BUSY year coming up)...{New Faces bring New Ideas} !!!...???... ;-) ...>>>>>
PADA? You mean the Port Angeles Deadwood, er, Downtown Association? Who gives a flying F#### about them? That piss-pathetic organization is so useless, they're actually counter-useful. They do absolutely nothing, zero, zilch. But they pretend they serve a purpose by acting as a roadblock whenever anybody tries to do anything. "Oh, you can't possibly do ______________________ without getting prior approval from (name of current PADA windbag/figurehead)"
This pitiful group will probably implode and self destruct soon, and the sooner the quicker.
I'd rather contract pneumonia than shop in one of the big malls to the east. Lots of good customer service happens daily in our downtown stores. Shopping locally is a good way to support our community. Besides, there are no water and mountain views at the big shopping malls.
I agree with Barry. Downtown P.A. may not be perfect, but we can make it better by supporting it. If we have a vibrant and thriving downtown, everybody wins.
Please don't be so negative, anonymous posters, that doesn't help at all. If you've got ideas about how to improve things, let's hear them. There's talent in this town, and we should be using it instead of just dismissing it.
So I should spend money supporting a merchant where I get poor service in hope that someday it might improve? Wouldn't it be better to let them go out of business and try the replacement (if there is one)?
One time I did some calcuations about buying locally vs. buying in one of the big boxes 'east of here' and I paid for my gas, bought lunch and money left in my pocket.
I dont know about you but my money is important to me.
nobody is arguing about the value of money, it's about where to spend it.
Of course if you arn't getting your needs met shop around until you find satisfaction. I think the point here is about shopping local when you can,not only do you support the place that you live ( locally) but you are also supporting the planet ; goods don't have to travel so far, ideally non slave/child labor nor are poisons/pesticides/herbacides in your products. We all have a choice and a responsability.
You act like the merchants around here are socially responsible. Thats funny. Heck they can't even get customer service right. I had to buy a sheet of plywood the other day, I got reminded why I dont bother with the locals.
If I can drive 'over there' and buy the exact same product, pay for my gas and food (yeah it would be cheaper and cleaner to put it in a truck), it sure seems to me that someone is interested in a much higher profit margin (or taking advantage of the fact that only they have it)
What I object to are the blatent generalisations..... Some merchants ARE socially responsible. SOME merchants do give good customer service.
The problem with downtown is that it looks like it's dying. There are vacant buildings (out of town owners who "someday" plan to do "something), there are empty storefronts that cost wayyy to much to rent (and we do have some downtown slum/scum landlords..ahem) and the businesses that try hard to survive...don't really get much support from anyone! Doesn't help that some of the building owners only want to rent to "long time residents" and make no bones about it. Why don't we have more fresh interesting stores downtown? Compared to Sequim, we're a ghost town.
Where does the money the state gives the city for "downtown improvement go"? Why were all the festivals and the farmers market run out of downtown (both of which build "community")?
To date it's been very short sighted myopic, greedy "me me me" thinking that has hobbled the downtown.
I don't know the answer, but can't wait until some of the present building owners start passing on...and new blood comes in. Maybe that will ***finally*** turn things around.
well said
I sure agree. On West First there are three empty stores. One of them needs work and the landlord insists that the new tenants will have to pay -- lunacy. The other two are tiny spaces with BIG price tags. In what way is having the space vacant better than having it rented for a slightly lower rate? Makes no sense to me, and it sure looks awful to see those empty spaces.
Downtown is being hurt terribly by the construction. Doing everything at once was idiotic. There is no support from the Downtown Association, a bunch of jerks who just think about how much they enjoy being on the Board -- any Board members who were good (and there were a few) ended up being driven to quit.
We need to do something differently -- I'd sure love to hear some ideas. Anybody??
I sure agree about the Downtown Association being just a bunch of jerks who serve no purpose whatsoever. Sorry I can't offer any concrete solutions, but we all need to realize that the Downtown Association (PADA) is totally useless and serves no purpose whatsoever beyond their own pitiful existence.
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