I was given a unique opportunity when I attended a conference for work this week. Though it was just a short walk for me, most of the other attendees had just flown into the city. I have attended conferences before, but I've never had the chance to see one in my own city and to see how people react to it.
You would think that, given the opportunity to spend time in a new place, that people would embrace the chance to see the city and experience its quirks and charms. When sitting down for breakfast, I settled in to learn about my fellow convention-goers' experiences from the evening before. I was excited to hear the impressions of the city from the same people that were pleasantly surprised to find out that Kansas City isn't a wheat field the day before.
The first group of guys chime in. They went to the casino. They spent their night in a completely different city rich with opportunities for new experiences in a dark manufactured room playing card games and pulling a handle.
Another group? They went shopping. Assuming maybe they took in the magnificent Country Club Plaza, I listened intently for impressions. Nope. They went somewhere enclosed. I didn't inquire. They spent their time in a new place shopping at chain stores that they have at home.
Is this really what people want? People are treating entire cities as franchise locations, each one with the same offerings and the same things to pass the time. There is no need to try to see anything new as there is something predictable readily available. What does this mean to the identity of our great cities?
Sooner or later, someone will build a runway, a convention hotel, a casino and a mall all connected in the middle of the desert. Context doesn't matter. You've got everything you could ever want right there without the pesky temptation to actually see something new.
When did we get so lazy and completely lose our creativity? Genuine character is obsolete as the sense of discovery is all but dead. If it is worth seeing or doing, it will be marketed as such.
Far be it for anyone to ask for a bit more.
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5 comments:
Frustrating, isn't it?
When I visit other cities, I make it a point to NOT go to places I have at home or familiar with. I try to find something off the beaten path. I take public transportation. I talk to the locals to see where the hot spots are.
What fun is it experience your hometown in a different city? You might as well just stay home.
I have a friend who went on a vacation to Rapid City a couple of years ago. When he returned I asked what he did.
"Did you go to Mt. Rushmore?"
-No
"Crazy Horse?"
-No
"Deadwood?"
-No
"Anywhere in the Blakc Hills?"
-No
"The Reptile Garden?"
-No
"Bear Country USA?"
-No
"What the hell did you do??"
He said: "I saw a movie and spent a day shopping in a mall. It was great!"
"Why the hell did you spend 12 hours each way in a car and spend all that money on gas when you could have done the exact same thing 3 miles from home?" I asked.
"It was a vacation," he said.
I just don't get it.
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Take heart, though... I don't know what the conference was that was in town, but I have been running into attendees in off-the-beaten-path places and they seemed to be having a great time.
I'm glad to hear Scooter's finding folks exploring a little.
What you describe is really the trend in urban redevelopment as it relates to tourism. Whatever you do, make people feel safe and provide them with what they recognize. Times Square is a great example of this - all the mega chain stores and restaurants affliliated with networks/ entertainment. (I'm think the Wrestling restaurant, Disney store, etc.) Expect the Power & Light District to emulate this.
It's so hard for me personally to get into this mindset. When we travel to cities, we don't get a car so we travel by foot and transit. And much of our siteseeing is related to architecture and adventurous eating, from local specialties to things we might not get in KC.
I travel for work, a bit, and when in a new city, the old retired army fifty-somethings I work with want nothing more than a steak dinner at Outback, dinner the next night at the Olive Garden, and Red Lobster the next.
When I'm in a new or different city, I always make sure to do something I can't do in my hmoe city. Unfortunately, my imagination goes no further than beer, so I just go to bars, and try regional tap selections.
Bed and wed me quick, ladies!
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