Virginia Main Street Blog

• Virginia Main Street foodies pick their favorites
  Virginia Main Street blog readers logged on in record number to select their favorite Main Street eateries. In just over a month nearly 59,000 votes were cast for one of 25 restaurants. Nearly half of the votes were for South Boston’s BISTRO 1888. And it’s a worthy top choice. The Bistro demonstrates what first-class food and downtown [...]
  
  
• Essential trip planning: Abingdon, Virginia
  A Sunday travel piece in the Knoxville News Sentinel this weekend presented readers with all they need to know for a weekend trip to Abingdon, Virginia’s historic district. The article included an itenerary of things to see on a self-guided tour (brochure available at the visitor’s center), including a run-down of retail, restaurant, and lodging busineesses in this Virginia Main Street (VMS) [...]
  
  
• Main Street across the generations
  Frequently older community members will talk in downtown meetings about what it was like when foot traffic was shoulder to shoulder, and when everyone went to Main Street to go to the movies.   Soon one might hear a young voice from the back of the room say, “What do you mean went to the the movies?  Why didn’t they just [...]
  
  
• VDDA Hot Topic Luncheon focuses on traditional downtown design
  Nestled at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and located on the edge of the Washington, D.C. suburbs, the Town of Purcellville has worked to maintain the small town characteristics that have defined the community for centuries.  New downtown construction projects and infill developments fit right into the local, historic charm.  This achievement made the town the [...]
  
  
• Virginia Tourism’s wine tweets win award
  Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) has a track record of excellence in tourism marketing. The agency recently celebrated 40 years of the longstanding Virginia is for Lovers campaign. While they’ve maintained that well loved umbrella brand, they’ve also successfully continued and grown a host of niche marketing efforts, speaking to the specific tastes and demands of travelers. A recent Twitter campaign [...]
  
  
• Virginia tops business lists
  Pollina Corporate Real Estate  named Virginia the country’s “Top Pro-Business State” for the second year in a row. The study ranks states based on 31 factors including taxes, human resources, energy costs, infrastructure spending, economic incentive programs and state economic development efforts. And it’s not the only organization touting the Old Dominion. Forbes Magazine has named Virginia “the best [...]
  
  
• Before, during, and after-event tips for downtown merchants
  As a Main Street organization,  gaining the confidence and support of your local merchants isn’t easy, especially when it comes to downtown events.  Closing the street can impede the access of loyal customers  to their favorite shops. Hoards of event guests asking to use the shop’s bathroom can frustrate owners.  It can add up to strained relations with the [...]
  
  
• Pop-up shops a temporary solution to the empty storefront
  With commercial real estate continuing to reel from the economic downturn, some major brands are looking at temporary leases in heavy volume areas.  Empty storefronts are not good for anyone, and leases in desireable areas have become much more flexible. These “pop-up” stores are potential strategies for fledging businesses trying out a concept, artists promoting their work, [...]
  
  
• Staunton to host Virginia Microenterprise Network conference
  On September 30 and October 1,  the designated Virginia Main Street community of Staunton will host the annual Virginia Microenterprise Network  conference. This year’s  theme is Revitalizing Neighborhoods through Entrepreneurship. The program includes a look at entrepreneurship in the Queen City;  the role of craft,  green building, and farm-based strategies in revitalization; identifying and supporting emerging neighborhood entrepreneurs; and [...]
  
  
• Virginia Communities begin to explore Google SketchUp
  At the Virginia Main Street (VMS)  Summer Toolkit, a team from Glave and Holmes Architecture walked participants through the creation of a quick 3-D rendering using Google SketchUp.  This free, easy to-use software is being promoted by the National Trust Main Street Center as a community visioning tool, and judging by the response of participants, we [...]