How would this do in Sumter? (crime, house, theater)

[Ceezer]

We all know Sumter still needs some work, especially attractions and family-friendly activities, to improve the quality of life for its residents. The youth (and even adult) sports leagues are great but seasons end and leave us looking for more. There are also a number of families with no children, or children with no interest in athletics. The new public library was nice, but nobody wants to subject their children to its current environment (or, their kids don't want to due to the noise levels and pungent odors of urine and alcohol).

The few water parks are cool, but seasonal. The lack of public pools surprises me.

Movies are nice, but expensive (especially for a family). The $1.99 theater behind Bojangles was great but short-lived as they were unable to generate enough revenue (I'm guessing due to a lack of presence) to cover the rising cost of building rent.

But what if we had a drive-in theater? They're a lot of fun and usually offer something for everyone, and it's an affordable way for film fanatic families to catch newer releases. Some existing theaters price themselves per-person, some are per car, and you can bring your own snacks/drinks/food. You can lean back in your seat with the windows down or bring a blanket and spread out in comfort under the stars. In a time when money is still kind of tight for a lot of folks, it seems like a reasonable solution to our entertainment woes.

The Big Mo is too far of a drive for us Sumterites (well, for me, anyway...), especially after a double feature, so it sure would be nice to have one closer. Maybe somewhere outside of town, like by the new Patriot Park sports complex, away from the downtown area.

I've heard there used to be one in/around Sumter (New Skyvue), but I don't know where it was located.

What do y'all think?

[Ceezer]

No love for drive-ins, huh...?

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by Ceezer

No love for drive-ins, huh...?

LOL.. I will take the bait... The City could put up a white screen on the back of the Opera House and show movies on that.. People could park in the parking lot and watch the films and it could be a part of their efforts to promote activities downtown at night. That way no one has to incur the cost of building and maintaining a drive in.

[Rophlmao]

"Guaranteed crime magnet disaster!" is my reaction. Also, they are seasonal, require lots of acreage, and expensive to build. Even the poorest have big-screen TVs and cable.

There was one in Sumter. It died so long ago I no longer remember when the screen was torn down. The whole purpose of modern entertainment technology is to avoid having to share space with drunks, screaming brats, and losers who talk to the screen. A drive-in just adds drunk drivers and thugs. They went away for good reason.

The investment that would make Fat Cash is your idea for a coffee shop near Shaw. It needn't be a franchise, just clean and done with class. That's begging to make money, and unlike a restaurant, provides a universally popular product people like at all time of the day. Make that happen and you could afford a personal drive-in with beer and strippers if you like. It's been a great idea since you first floated it.

The Air Force runs on coffee, the Army runs on coffee, commuters run on coffee. Have a tiered, from exotic to affordable, selection of fresh coffees with good pastries etc. The markup is probably higher than crack.