MrBluePrint

The furniture seems like it's off someone's curb. Dirty and grubby. The tables and chairs on the bakery side don't seem clean. Just needs to be cleaned and spiffed up. We need some gathering spots along that block of Central.

Great news about the Family Dollar shopping center. I would love to see the rest of the Central strip turn around. CLTCH brought a nice boutique and I enjoy Buffalo Exchange and Workman's Friend, but the rest of the block is just grubby. I'll buy bread from Nova's, but they seriously need to re-do the seating area. Clark's gives me the creeps. Fingers crossed that more shops similar to Moxie, Boris & Natasha, etc move in. We have enough smoke, tattoo and pawn shops! Attractive retail is key to a healthy pedestrian scene! The poster who mentioned new "blue" tattoo shop at Central and 10th - the painter's tape on the side of the building has been driving me crazy, too. I cannot unsee it everytime I drive by!

Really? The site down on Central looks like fast food or something. With all these new apartments coming in up and down Central, I can't imagine how much harder it's going to be to park at Harris Teeter. I like to walk when I can, but when I drive, it's difficult to find a spot.

I guess "storefront" is not the right term. They have a small room to the side of the main room where there are a few pieces of furniture. Last visit, there was a couple enjoying themselves in a horizonal position on the sofa. The time before that, there was a guy in there passed out. That was twice in one week. The eating area never feels clean or comfortable. I think they'd do much more business if they spruced up. The street has so much potential, but it just seems dead. I can't put my finger on it, but there just isn't any vibrance in that block, really on either side. The businesses have a dark and closed feeling about them. I'll continue to go to CM ocasionally but I am looking forward to the new additions, including the Latin place, the Sushi Guru and the Workman's Friend. Was really hoping Legion would serve food, too. Please indulge a newcomer with questions: What's being built on Commonweatlh across and up from the skate shop? And on Central, next to the VFW?

Not looking for anything "sanitized." I prefer to do business with businesses I can walk to. I just don't like eating food, or even picking up to-go food, from CM considering the current state of its patio and the daytime crowd there. In just the past year, I've seen quite a decline from a community- (and yes that includes family-) friendly deli and shop to a decent deli fronted by a patio that smells like cigarettes, urine and dog poo and is populated by a crowd of all-day drinkers. And Nova's -- I love the baked goods, but they need to clean up their storefront too. Sorry to hear about John's. I'm sure he will do fine. If the rent is that high, how do the other shops on that side of the street survive? Looking forward to Workman's.

Thanks. I think the city did a decent job with the walk zones and all of that around PM. I just really, really wish Common Market would clean up its act. I say that at the risk of sounding like a picky (almost) middle aged mom, but I'm fine with funky...it's nasty that I don't like. From a business standpoint, I wonder how many customers CM is losing by allowing their patio to become an unsavory hangout. Nova's shop does seem dirty. It's a shame because we could use a nice coffee shop along there. I stopped in today to get a loaf of bread, and instead of a guy sleeping in their front/side room, there was a couple making out, full on, horizontal position. About 1 pm. The people behind the counter were oblivious. That whole strip is in need of a good scrubbing and a lift of some kind. Nova's has issues, the antique store is a real head-scratcher (used underwear on the rack outside last week - bruh!) and opposite side of the street is sorta blah too....funky-dark-weird-not-in-a-good-way vintage stores, cafe that always seems closed. Never seen anyone actually going in or coming out of the reggae shop or Caribbean restaurant. 22 and Soul closed during the day. There was a huge lineup of folks outside Social Status; not sure what that was about. On the positive side, they're building a patio outside Healthy Home Market and Bistro Le Bon. The little building across the tracts with Pint Central is a real bright spot, too!

I'm new on the forum, but I totally agree with some of the comments here. The heart of Plaza Midwood commercial area, which I consider the strip from Bistro le Bon down to the former Midwood High and including Commonwealth/Thomas/Gordon is really a mixed bag. I am disappointed to read that the new Legion Brewing is not going to offer food, but looking forward to the new restaurant in the Penguin space. As a mom with a young teenager, I like having places for him and his friends to walk and skate to get ice cream or pick up something from the store for me. I love being able to walk to most of my errands - salons, post office, pharmacy, bakery, etc. The biggest disappointment for me (beyond the gaping maw of the Family Dollar parking lot) is Common Market. I used to love walking over to get breakfast with my family or drop in for a soda and a sandwich at lunch. I regularly try to stop in there vs. CVS or Teeter or Starbucks when I just want a quick coffee, soda or snack. BUT....lately the patio there is disgusting, and I hate running that gauntlet to reach the shop.I wouldn't dream of sitting out there to eat. It's dirty, for one thing and reeks with all the smokers, even in the morning. Most of the picnic tables are taken up with people on their 4th, 5th or 6th beer by 11 am -- yep, I counted the empties yesterday, just on one table. I still grabbed a snack and a Dr. Brown's, but I'm just about done with Common Market until they clean up their patio. Even my son and his friends say it's "sketch." Thanks for listening - wish Common Market would. Nova's isn't as bad, and I love their bread (cookies and pastries are often stale) but really wish they'd clean up their front area. There was a drunk sleeping on one of their sofas when I was in there the other day. The furniture looks like it was picked up off the curb. It'd be a nice coffee hangout if they spiffed it up just a little.