Atlanta was my home for 13 years, and it never grew on me. I lived 12 miles from my downtown office, and some days it took 45 minutes to get to work. The interstate highways drove me nuts. On the surface streets, you could never get from one place to another in a straight line. But we had malls -- five or six within 5 miles of me -- and Walmarts and Targets and Olive Gardens galore. The cookie-cutter life did not bother me; I hardly questioned it. Now I miss being five minutes away from a Home Depot, especially when I'm trying to replace the primer bulb on my string trimmer. Sigh.
Please read "In Praise of Chain Stores" (pp 681-685 in Presence) and answer the following question: Would the abundance of chain stores make you want to live in Chandler, Arizona? Cite a detail from Postrel's piece to support your answer.
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The abundance of chain stores wouldn't affect my decision to live in Chandler, Arizon. Virginia Postrel says that "stores don't give places their character. ...weather and culture do." I would agree with that. I catagorize alot of places by the weather and what the environmental surroundings look like. I notice shops but i don't judge a place on what shopping centers are in it. I think every place is different and unique and thats what I look for. Shopping centers dont really make a place unique because they are all mostly the same in each place.
ReplyDeleteHaving more chain stores would not affect my decision at all to live Chandler, Arizona. Postrel starts to talk about families meeting in the food courts for lunches and goes on to say "The food isn't the point, let alone whether its from Subway or Dairy Queen. ... When those kids grow up, they'll remember the food court as happily as an older generation recalls the diners and motels of Route 66." I would have to agree with that. The biggest mall that we have in about an hour and forty five minutes from my house. I love going there with my friends because there is always some memory that is being made at that mall and of course I like to shop with them. For me I live in a small town so I don't judge the shops because i don't have many. Plus living in a small town has its advantages. There are mostly outlet stores around so most of the clothes are much cheaper than going to the big retailer anyway. Besides chain stores don't really make a place fantastic it is usually the little unique things that places offer that make it special and unique.
ReplyDeleteall of the stores in Chandler Arizona would not make me want to live there. Virginia says, "when every place looks the same, there is no such thing as a place anymore." i agree with this. i live near a pretty big town. We have an abundance of chain restaurants like applebees, chilis, Mcdonalds, and we have a lot of big stores like Walmart, Pricechopper, and many others. it seems like almost every town is exactly the same. there is no point in driving to another place anymore because all that i will see is what i have 15 minutes away from where i live. it takes the whole point out of traveling to places for something new.
ReplyDeleteI am from Northfield Vermont. It is a very small town but I do not spend much time there. It is just too boring. I usually travel to Burlington where all the chain stores are. All the chain stores in Chandler Arizona would draw me in. It would be a major selling point for me. Like Virginia Postrel states "It's got all the advantages of a small town, in terms of being friendly, but it's got all the things of a big town." Even though chain stores are around it does not change the small town homey feeling.
ReplyDeleteI would never go and live in a place just because of all the stores that are there. I might go and visit a place like Chandler, Arizona
ReplyDeletejust to shop and visit all the differnt shops it has to offer. I admitt that i do very much enjoy having some stores close to where i live because its quick and easy to get the new things that come out. Living in a place where there are so many stores around you it wouldn't really feeling like a place, everything would look very similar. I found this quote in the passage and i really agreed with it.
"When every place looks the same, there is no such thing as place anymore."
I do come from a small town in Vermont, but its not a far drive from Williston and Burlington. I'm used to seeing all the stores such as Wal-Mart, Starbucks, McDonald's, Best Buy, Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, and many of the others that can be found in Chandler. A large market like this does not attract me. I would not like to live in such a place merely due to how busy it gets, but I do enjoy traveling to such places often. It is astonishingly true that everywhere you go in the country you can find many of the same stores, and this can be repetative as well as boring; however, every city has it's own vibe. Even with the same stores, they can still be thier own place.
ReplyDelete"Thomas friedman once told charlie rose. Boston as the same stores as denver,which has the same stores as charlotte or seatle or chicago" Chandler, Arizona with its stores so close to eachothr does not have any effect on me. In fact i would prefer to live at least 45 minutes from the nearest big store locations like burlington vermont. so no it seems more like somthing that would make me not want to live in Chandler Arizona.
ReplyDeleteI like having chain stores because I know I can always find what I want When I need it. Being in Vermont there are still a lot of beauties to look at so chain stores don't take away from it. I like knowing there are things around that we can do and go to.
ReplyDeletei would not go somewhere just for the stores. i love going to stores, but i like small towns and the little stores. i would rather be somewhere for the people and the scenery. i think living somehwere just for the stores is a waste of time and eventually money.
ReplyDelete