Town Centers and Economic/Civic Development
I just contributed a short article to the Hometown Weekley about the concept of town centers and connecting the "villages" of Westwood. I've written several posts in the past on this topic and welcome any comments or thoughts...here are links to the earlier articles that will open in a separate window so you can come back here and comment on this more recent post.
Mainly, I'm curious what others are thinking about their needs and wants for Islington and High Street. What do businesses need to be more successful? What kinds of things would residents like to see?
Comments
Islington
After having been urban dweller for almost all of our adult lives, we moved to Westwood nearly a decade ago in part because of the proximity of the main drag of Islinston Center to our home. We envisioned, walking to Roche Bros., CVS, the Post Office, etc. We have done that, but it is not easy, and @ times down right dangerous. We live on East Street, and there no easy way to access a sidewalk from our home, and traversing under the train bridge to get to the Islington Center can take, skill, luck and some faith.
For us, walkable accessibility is the greatest issue. Accessibility, would be a huge incentive in patronizing Islington Center more often. Secondarily, a coffee cafe/shop open everyday, that does not close up in the middle of the afternoon would get our business.
As for the discussion about adding more apartments, I am not sure adding additional density to the area will enhance Islington.