Plattsburgh Downtown --- It is no Burlington, VT!

On any given day, I hear about how the City of Plattsburgh's Downtown is NO Burlington, VT.

The truth is that those who make this statement are 100% correct, but personally I do not want another Burlington. If I wanted that I'd live over in the Green Mountain State, and the only positive thing I see to living there is the view of the Adirondacks across Lake Champlain. Call me a NY snob if you like.

(I digress)

Growing up, my town was a one red stop-light type of community – I mean small. Downtown was nothing more than strip mall of three or four stores. The park across the way only used for Old Homes Day with a gazebo even Norman Rockwell wouldn’t have painted in the scene.

Moving to Plattsburgh I gained a lake and a downtown with several restaurants, coffee shops and boutiques. I guess our reflection of a community largely comes from our vantage points to compare and contrast. Please don’t get me wrong… Plattsburgh’s Downtown could improve. But it takes an investment. Before we start talking about money, the first part of the investment is a having dialog to created a shared vision of what we want it to look and feel like.

Instead of comparing ourselves to what is across the lake, why not become something others in our region want to be. I am not an urban planner, business owner, or elected official. I am just one person who is tired of saying what we are not and is asking “what do we want to be?”

A couple questions to stir your imagination…

• If you could redesign Downtown Plattsburgh what would be your top five changes?

• What are 3 things you like about our current downtown?

• What types of restaurants, shopping, ect would you like to see?

• What would the physical space look like and feel like?