Geez. Why such a scrooge, RaleighRob? I guess I can't have my two front teeth either?
Actually, I see your point on a lot of these issues. But I'm not ready to discount my downtown desires yet.
The kind of store that I envision would use a different model than Capital City Grocery. CCG is trying to be a single source grocery store -- competing with the mainstream grocery stores that have lower rents, easier accessibility, and serve a larger geographic/demographic population. A deli-style grocery store would only occupy a fraction of the square footage, and it would not try to compete with the mainstream grocery stores. I imagine it as a Fresh Market (which I consider "destination" grocery store) with about 10% of the selection/inventory -- and without the classical music. A deli counter could cater to a downtown lunch crowd (foot traffic) in addition to a condo population that has sacrificed a large, accomodating kitchen for a different kind of lifestyle. I'm not a condo person, but if I were, I imagine that my kitchen inventory would be pretty spare. I'd go to the store several times a week to pick up enough food for one or two dinners -- and my meals would be SIMPLE. A pack of pre-washed greens, frozen pasta, and a few olives from the deli. A pack of pre-made sushi and a bottle of wine. Chicken salad, tuna salad, bean salad, fruit salad.
Likewise, a downtown movie theater would need to be a "destination" movie theater. I'll drive to the Galaxy in Cary or the Varsity in Chapel Hill to see a movie that I can't see at Mission Valley. In fact, I frequent those theaters far more often than Mission Valley. I think a lot of people would come downtown to see an Art House film. Anyone ever heard of the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago?? http://www.artic.edu/webspaces/siskelfilmcenter/ Do you think Raleigh could support something like that? I'm not sure, but I sure would love it.
The gym? OK . . . I give. It probably wouldn't work.
For the SE Raleigh folks . . . I just found out that the Chavis Community Center has a weight room/fitness center, and you can get a month-by-month membership. I think I may check that out for the post-Christmas winter months.