Do You Think Pittsburgh Can Avoid A BOOM (Philadelphia, York: college, subdivisions)

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

Not to keep harping on it, but trust me -- a quilter doesn't want his or her only choices to be JoAnns or Wal Mart. WalMart is phasing out fabric and JoAnn's quality isn't that good.

Gotta support those little fabric stores that are local.

I'm a home sewer, and I agree. BTW, when Wal Mart was building a new store out here, word leaked out that they were not going to carry fabric. Someone got up a petition drive to ask them to carry it, and they complied! I guess they want to sell what people want to buy.

ETA: JoAnn s****!

Originally Posted by Fiddlehead

Very honest post, and true in my experience.

I am generally for Mom & Pop, wherever feasible.

One thing that the little folks could do to help their cause is to not gouge the customer. Many of the small stores in our area use the "boutique" (read snob) model and cater to an upscale market. I know they have smaller volume and need larger incremental margins, but It is insulting to the intelligence to be sold a pair of socks for $20,or work boots for $200, unless they are truly out of this world. Usually, the small store stuff is 25% better and two to three times the price. I really look for value, and it is suprisingly hard to find in a world of Wal-Mart/Dollar Stores (cheap crap) and local boutique (overpriced hype) shopping. Just give me a decent value somewhere in the middle, fer chrizsake!

I agree. I remember discussing this issue before, possibly on the "General US" forum. I asked DH, what is the difference between buying a pair of Nikes at "Mom and Pop's Shoe Store" vs buying them at Kohl's? He said, "the price". People are going to shop whereever it's best for them to shop. If you want someone to measure your feet, bring the shoes over to you, and charge 25% extra for the same shoes, go to "Mom and Pop's". If you don't mind measuring your own feet, looking for your own shoes to try on, go to Kohl's for the same shoes.

[bethany12]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Mom and Pop stores are dead or dying. They simply can't compete with the big boxes that get tax breaks from local government or the discounts from suppliers. I try to support small biz as much as possible, but it's very hard to do.

Mom & Pops can be successful. I know people from Pittsburgh who drive to Sharon for Kraynaks and Reyers.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by bethany12

Mom & Pops can be successful. I know people from Pittsburgh who drive to Sharon for Kraynaks and Reyers.

With all due respect, SHARON is dying.


Actually, very familiar with the Sharon area. That's where Quaker Steak and Lube started. Like the wings, hate the pre packaged carrots/celery.

But don't forget, that is a small town that most big boxes see as not desirable.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by Katiana

I'm a home sewer, .

Kat,

You're a seamstress, not a sewer. Trust me.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Kat,

You're a seamstress, not a sewer. Trust me.

LOL! Thank you!

[subdivisions]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

Not to keep harping on it, but trust me -- a quilter doesn't want his or her only choices to be JoAnns or Wal Mart. WalMart is phasing out fabric and JoAnn's quality isn't that good.

Gotta support those little fabric stores that are local.

Another home sewer (seamstress? tailor?) here - gotta say +1000 to this post!

I can't stand Jo-Ann's and it is a constant source of irritation to me that I am basically forced to patronise them for various supplies, including fabric. What makes it even worse for me is that I have to drive out to f-ing BFE Pennsylvania to grudgingly do my shopping there. It's such a hassle, and I don't even want to go there in the first place but am basically forced to shop there so I'm already mad when I walk through the door, which never makes for a good experience. And then they just have endless aisles of overpriced crap inside.

Actually, I think my #1 personal wish for Pittsburgh would be for a *good* fabric store to open within the city limits somewhere, particularly a discount bulk fabric outlet sort of place like Jomar in Philadelphia or Mill Fabrics in Colorado Springs, something like those places.

[LynchburgLover]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

Lets Face it the Recession is pretty much the only thing keeping the city from taking off as the Next Boomtown...

We pretty much all agree that NOT being a Boomtown is what pretty much kept the city from becoming a disaster like the rest of the country.

With the ton of Good Press Pittsburgh is recieving, being on the mouths of everyone in Economic Media, weathering the recession better than any Major Metro city in the country, and almost every projection that matters indicating Pittsburgh is where its at and going forward.

My question to you is, once the Recession is over what's to keep Pittsburgh from becoming a Boom??? Is this something the Burgh itself can even control?????

Outsider here, so don't yell at me but the headline caught my eye. I'm confused because I just saw a news article that Pittsburgh was so desperate for cash they were going to tax college students. What makes you think it's going to suddenly boom? And why would you want to avoid it? Just curious.

[Drover]

^^

1) They believe it because the world would be an even more depressing place without hopeless optimists -- though leave it to Pittsburghers to simultaneously be both overly optimistic and overly pessimistic about its future prospects ("we're so attractive that we'll boom any minute now -- yay!! Wait a minute, that means we're going to turn into a sprawling, gridlocked, snarled mess amongst a sea of bland tract housing and national retail chains and we'll lose our distinctiveness and look like every other vanilla-flavored boom town-- boo!")

2) They want to avoid it because it really can suck when growth outpaces sound, regionally coordinated infrastructural planning.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by subdivisions

Another home sewer (seamstress? tailor?) here - gotta say +1000 to this post!

I can't stand Jo-Ann's and it is a constant source of irritation to me that I am basically forced to patronise them for various supplies, including fabric. What makes it even worse for me is that I have to drive out to f-ing BFE Pennsylvania to grudgingly do my shopping there. It's such a hassle, and I don't even want to go there in the first place but am basically forced to shop there so I'm already mad when I walk through the door, which never makes for a good experience. And then they just have endless aisles of overpriced crap inside.

Actually, I think my #1 personal wish for Pittsburgh would be for a *good* fabric store to open within the city limits somewhere, particularly a discount bulk fabric outlet sort of place like Jomar in Philadelphia or Mill Fabrics in Colorado Springs, something like those places.

Where is this store in Colorado Springs? My daughter just moved there and I go there sometimes to visit her. I have to make due with Wal Mart, JoAnn, Hancock, and, if I want to drive almost to Colo. Springs, Denver Fabrics, which is great. (Sorry for hijacking, I'll get back on topic.)

[loveautumn]

Isn't Pennsylvania in general attractive to retirees, for taxes purposes, etc.?