Hyannis: THE PAVED CAPITAL OF CAPE COD
Am I wrong? Am I being unnecessarily captious? Does anybody care?
Driving about aimlessly the other day, I became aware of an interesting and insidious phenomenon: Most of Cape Cod's 'premier destination' seems to be under corporate parking lots. And we (Barnstable) have a reputation of being anti-business I don't think so. Maybe 'anti-small' business, but we seem to have provided the Big-Guys with all the room they'd ever need-- and more. I really could not believe the expanse of tarred acreage we have spawned---it ain't pretty and it ain't Cape Cod in spite of all the Hoo-Ha about Hyannis' revitalization---(on one street by the way).
Maybe Barnstable's new Town Manager can do something immediate and impressive to get the new government off to a roaring start! How about giving us Cape Codders --us native Hyannis citizenry a shot at some of this expanse without forcing a levy on us for its use. I am referring to the '24-7' pay as you park at the Hyannis waterfront. Could we at least have that back? Could not the next 20 acre or 40 acre parking lot negotiated by some future corporate behemoth be asked to pay its share annually to assure us locals a coffee by the sea without financial penalty? '24-7'? year-round? I am unaware of recent thinking on this travesty but hopefully someone somewhere (Chambers of Commerce?) may be working something out to make us more tourist and citizen friendly down at our harbor.
Mike Holmquist
10:35 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
More like the franchise capital of cape cod. The patch does a decent job representing local businesses, however I'm assuming it's mostly locals like JSR and myself that read the patch. It's unfortunate that when people come from out of town they are most likely eating, and shopping at franchise stores and restaurants that probably exist in their own town. IE olive garden, outback steak houses, 99s, mcdonalds, burger king, taco bell, wendys, dunkin donuts. Perhaps Barnstable needs to offer better business incentives for local startups so they can compete against our slew of franchise stores.
Jennifer Simckowitz
11:32 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
The Hyannis/CC Chamber have TONS of programs for local business - including a special funding arm. I think it's the way people spend their money that influence what comes. While I agree many locals here do support local business, I know PLENTY of people who live here who shop at the mall instead of the smaller boutiques on Main Street and supermarkets instead of local farms. I think the power of the dollar is important to the families that are able to make it here. It's more expensive to eat at a nice restaurant on Main Street, than the $9.99 meal at the Olive Garden. Our restaurants and shops are expensive because they thrive on tourism. It's a chicken and the egg problem. How about a discount card for locals at small businesses in town?
BamBam
4:31 pm on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Those "Big-guys" provide a lot more jobs for those that live here year round and they pay thier fair share of the costs to be here (i.e., jobs to build them, rent for the building/property). The demand for these "Big-guys" has been here for the past 20-30 years and we are finally seeing the demands of the locals being met. We need both the small and large business here. As a consumer, you have the ability to shop either way around here and I believe having that option is what makes Hyannis and the sourrounding villages appealing to live here. Yes, I can go to the local main street in any of the villages and have a nice meal (if it's in-season, otherwise they are probably closed), or I can have a meal at the local chain place. Both are getting the fair share of the local and tourist market. I think you might be "unnecessarily captious" and forgetting the time when we had to go "off-cape" for a deal because those stores were no where near us.
Sea Hag
1:37 am on Monday, June 25, 2012
I have been doing business at the Harbor for 8 years now, and though it was hard to accept the 2$ an hour and it doesn't take dollars, and needs people paid to make change, there are now parking spaces for the visitors. Before it was so cheap, people would just leave their cars for the day. It is still 25 cents in the off season. There are free places to park, like OC or the TH. Is the Trolly running this year?
Ryan Scudder
6:09 am on Monday, June 25, 2012
Its time we have a mayor. Anyone else deel this way.