Have you ever changed your mind about shopping downtown because you couldn’t find a parking spot? / LJWorld.com

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Asked at Massachusetts Street on April 19, 2011

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“No. I don’t drive.”

— Manas Bhatnagar, student, Bhopal, India

“No. Maybe it’s because I don’t mind walking.”

— Sally Pokorny, district judge, Lawrence

“I’ve never changed my mind, but I’m sure that people have.”

— Holly Charlton, sales associate, Lawrence

“No, because I don’t drive. But when I did drive, parking wasn’t usually an issue because you could always park in the garage.”

— Zeke Westerman, student, Chanute

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sinkorswim 2 years, 12 months ago

Although parking can be frustrating downtown, it doesn't prevent me from going downtown. I don't mind walking and if I'm in a hurry I'm just careful what time of day/day of the week I go. However, the lack of availability of "everyday" products I'm looking for is what keeps me shopping at Target, Costco, the KC area, the internet, etc. Places I do shop are: Mark's Jewelers, Stitch On, Sunflower Outdoor & Bike, Jock's Nitch, Mad Greek, La Familia, and Starbucks. During the summer we're at the pool 5-6 days a week. Every now and then we frequent Free State Brewery, but the beer doesn't appeal to us (just don't happen to be beer drinkers), it's so loud in there, and the wade through the smokers out front is less than pleasant. I miss Arensbergs very much (Brown's just isn't the same...)!!!

average 2 years, 12 months ago

Leaving aside known madhouses (sidewalk sale)? Once or twice, before the garage was built. Maybe it's just the times of day I deal with (and again, I avoid sidewalk sale), but I have never, not once, failed to find a parking spot in the garage.

As other posters point out, from the garage to most of Mass Street isn't any further than from the mid-distance parking at the Wanamaker Hyper-Walmart to the milk at the back of the store. And people get used to that.

bastet 3 years ago

Honestly, some of you constant complainers about downtown are just ridiculous! Yes, there are times when it is hard to get a spot RIGHT OUTSIDE the door of your chosen store! Good grief. Just walk a bit. I've never been able to not do what I wanted to do downtown because of parking unless there was a huge special event going on.

You know that by the time you park in the south 40 at Walmart, walk through the parking lot and then through that monstrousity of a store, you will have walked about as far as you would from a parking place on Vermont or New Hampshire to Mass Street, and the atmosphere is much less appealing.

Certainly there are things you can't get in the stores downtown; shop on South Iowa when you need to, but don't get up on your dang self-righteous high horse about how "inconvenient" it is to support your neighbors and friends who are part of a unique and important aspect of the Lawrence community. Why exactly must it be "either/or"?

rockchalker52 3 years ago

Some of my favorite stores & restaurants are downtown, some not. If I want to drive to one that's downtown, more often than not it's pretty easy to do so.

Sigmund 3 years ago

Nope, but I have avoid buying downtown to avoid paying the high sales tax.

Jersey_Girl 3 years ago

Oh, most definitely! After spending 25 minutes driving across town to get to downtown, if I can't find a parking space right out front on Mass, I just turn around and drive 25 minutes home because I certainly wouldn't want to go all the way around the block to park in one of the free lots on New Hampshire or Vermont or even worse, parallel park on either one. And gosh! That parking garage is so far away, it is so completely inconvenient to use.

Who the hell comes up with these questions? If you asked if I avoided shopping downtown b/c of parking, which would have been a better question, the answer would still be no. It's b/c Mass St. now belongs to KU students instead of Lawrence citizens, like it did back in the day when there was a Woolworth's and Raney's Drugs and Varsity was a movie theater, not whatever it is now.

50YearResident 3 years ago

I can always find a parking spot on one of those great 15 minute meters. I shop to my heart's content, make lots of purchases and return to my car before the time runs out. Gosh, theres even four of them in every block.

tange 3 years ago

Why would I consider shopping downtown, especially if I couldn't find a parking spot?

autie 3 years ago

and tell TRob to stay out of the danged clubs....boy ain't got no business down there.

Have you ever changed your mind about shopping downtown because you couldn’t find a parking spot?

Asked at Massachusetts Street on April 19, 2011

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