Growing up, going “to town” was big excitement. It involved heaps of candy, cheap bottles of bubbles to blow (and inevitably spill in the car), the park with all its intriguing adventures, and the humming bustle of a thriving downtown. There is something satisfying and liberating about that happy downtown vibe – some downtowns have it, some don’t, and size doesn’t matter. Over the years I’ve become a keen explorer and appreciator of downtowns: San Francisco, NYC, London, Madrid, Edinburgh, Eugene, Burlington, and Fairfield, to name a few. I’ve delved deep into the heart of these places as a visitor and many as a resident and they’ve made my Downtown Love List. The one thing these downtowns all have in common is a certain vitality often born of their communities’ desire to create and recreate it. No easy feat nowadays, when sprawl and gentrification have weakened the integrity of many downtowns.

A thriving downtown should be available to everyone in the community, meeting their economic, recreational, and lifestyle needs. It’s a tall order, and chances are good there will always be some who aren’t satisfied. But it can and does happen. I have a whole list of criteria for my Downtown Love List, but the outcome is basically the same – a place where a lovely mix of the community gather, work, shop, live, and/or hang. A few key features include: a grocery store, hardware store (I love my tools), parks, art, bike accessibility, and a handful of tasty dining options. Those are my qualifiers, what are yours? It’s a great thing to ponder and consider as downtowns are back in vogue – communities all over the country are putting attention and funding into revitalizing and reinventing their downtown spaces. 

One recent addition to The List is Menomonie. For the past year I’ve been visiting this western outpost of the Chippewa Valley and I’ve had a chance to explore, participate, and observe what’s happening and what’s not. As of June 1, I’m happy to declare Menomonie my home and it’s ranking pretty high on my List. Of course it’s not without its share of baggage to attend to. Lake Menomin, for starters, more bike accessibility would be sweet, and maybe it’s time for a lil’ elbow grease and love for a few building facades. Even so, it easily makes the cut. 

Here’s why. On one of my first visits, I heard about The Gateway Project. To even conceive of a project like this impressed me, and I was a little disappointed when those plans fell apart, though I remain optimistic something forward-thinking and positive will come of it. Then the Mixed Use Development Strategy stepped into the limelight. In April, I sat in on a meeting along with a good showing of residents. Thoughtful questions were asked and the answers provided by the development firm were authentic and straight-forward. There’s a lot of apathy flowing out there, and it takes a true desire for change and quality to step out of one’s daily grind, to ask the questions, envision, listen, trust, and to take action. Yet that’s what I saw there that evening.

Then last December at the WinterDaze Parade. Other than a fab turnout in spite of the chill and the bearded elf in red, the highlight was the camel. It was total icing on the parade cake – a real live camel strolling down Main Street in all his humped glory. It made my week. Maybe even year. Seriously.

The last noteworthy thing that’s creating quite a buzz is Ladies Night Out, put on by Main Street Menomonie. I have heard all about it from neighbors, business owners, and complete strangers.  The next event is July 7 and Main Street’s director, Shelley Stewart, had this to say about the popular gathering, “This is a fantastic event and yet another reason to come to downtown Menomonie . ... The restaurants, the merchants, the customers – they all get into the spirit and offer great deals, entertainment, and fun.”

Shelley went on to share a few downtown highlights. “In the past three months, three new businesses have opened up: PreGame, selling professional sports apparel; Cogitare Books, a used book store; and Tooskies, specializing in natural baby items. There are also businesses that have been around for quite some time. The oldest business in downtown is the Dunn County News.  Anshus Jewelry is the second oldest at 95 years and Ted’s (Pizza) has been in business for over 45 years.” 

Some things never change and I confess often the best reason to head downtown these days is to eat chocolate (best in the region) and blow bubbles in the park while groovin’ on the city’s hum.