Are our cities centres dying?

[stevewool]

Today we had to pop into town and its not that big, we have a shopping center where all the shops are all under cover and its clean but always busy.

But on the outskirts is it dying, shops are closing down or have closed, most shops along the high street are charity shops, betting shops, cash generating shops and pawnbrokers.
There is one area that has always been nice and it still is, the Cathedral quarter its called, its a pleasure to walk around that area, and most of the riff raff stay away.

Whats your place like?

[Tawi2]

Everything is hunky dory,no empty shops,if there are they dont stay vacant for any length of time,always see "staff wanted" signs in the windows,as for pawnbrokers that program posh-pawn was filmed locally,some lady took her second-hand,oh,sorry,they say pre-owned round here handbag in one episode and flogged it for 18k

[marksroomspain]

Same Steve here in Middlesbrough shopping centres always busy, we have 3 all within 200 yards of each other but otherwise like you said the outskirts are being overtaken by mostly charity shops etc and with the building of more supermarkets the little guys are finding it hard.

Sign of the times.....

[Iani]

City centres have had their day.

First you have to park up, and if you can find a decent parking space, there are armies of traffic enforcement waiting to swoop on your to slap fines. Parking should be free, but people are seen as cash cows by greedy greedy councils.
Arrive and you're dodging...........
Chuggers, excuse me sir have you got 20 seconds. NO, off! They thrive on the oh so British thing of not wanting to make a fuss and be polite. Get it - you have the RIGHT to refuse to be giving to greedy charities who pay these chuggers more than than the army of carers (aka junior nurses) get for a difficult job looking after OUR elderly. The right to refuse to be contributing to huge salaries of the charities managers.

Beggars. Are they really beggars or just looking to supplement their income?

Big issue sellers - oh how strange they have Romanian accents and headscarves. And there was silly me thinking it was set up to help homeless people get back on track

Drunks and foul mouthed chavs screaming for Chelsea/Chardonnay/Bradley to get the back over here, whilst holding on to a staffie on a string, waving their tattood bingo wings around and stuffing their faces with Greggs finest.

Then the shops.........charity shops, phone shops, pound shops, money changers.

And they expect people to go into town for THAT.

I used to live in a flat in the town. I imagined it being like London, with coffee shops opening late, interesting nightlife etc. No it was dirty, there were drunks screaming at all hours, there was a drop in centre next door for drug rehab, and the conversations I used to hear from those going there..........I don't want to repeat because I know it would upset many, including myself to dwell on it.
Great we had a senior manager at the time at work who was very keen on donating to Shelter. He of course lived in the middle class suburbs.

Angry, you bet I am!

Alternatively, the out of town shopping centres. They are undercover, they are kept very clean, no chuggers, no beggars, no teenagers hanging around causing trouble, and I've never seen chavs screaming obscene words in one. Just vitality and peace.

[stevewool]

City centres have had their day.

First you have to park up, and if you can find a decent parking space, there are armies of traffic enforcement waiting to swoop on your to slap fines. Parking should be free, but people are seen as cash cows by greedy greedy councils.
Arrive and you're dodging...........
Chuggers, excuse me sir have you got 20 seconds. NO, off! They thrive on the oh so British thing of not wanting to make a fuss and be polite. Get it - you have the RIGHT to refuse to be giving to greedy charities who pay these chuggers more than than the army of carers (aka junior nurses) get for a difficult job looking after OUR elderly. The right to refuse to be contributing to huge salaries of the charities managers.

Beggars. Are they really beggars or just looking to supplement their income?

Big issue sellers - oh how strange they have Romanian accents and headscarves. And there was silly me thinking it was set up to help homeless people get back on track

Drunks and foul mouthed chavs screaming for Chelsea/Chardonnay/Bradley to get the back over here, whilst holding on to a staffie on a string, waving their tattood bingo wings around and stuffing their faces with Greggs finest.

Then the shops.........charity shops, phone shops, pound shops, money changers.

And they expect people to go into town for THAT.

I used to live in a flat in the town. I imagined it being like London, with coffee shops opening late, interesting nightlife etc. No it was dirty, there were drunks screaming at all hours, there was a drop in centre next door for drug rehab, and the conversations I used to hear from those going there..........I don't want to repeat because I know it would upset many, including myself to dwell on it.
Great we had a senior manager at the time at work who was very keen on donating to Shelter. He of course lived in the middle class suburbs.

Angry, you bet I am!

Alternatively, the out of town shopping centres. They are undercover, they are kept very clean, no chuggers, no beggars, no teenagers hanging around causing trouble, and I've never seen chavs screaming obscene words in one. Just vitality and peace.

Thats just what i was trying to say

[KeithD]

Free parking = More business. It is that simple.

[fred]

City centres have had their day.

First you have to park up, and if you can find a decent parking space, there are armies of traffic enforcement waiting to swoop on your to slap fines. Parking should be free, but people are seen as cash cows by greedy greedy councils.
Arrive and you're dodging...........

The best part is these nasty traffic warden jobs and wheel clamping units will be severely reduced.
They can all go and find real jobs..Like picking strawberries and sweeping pavements...Grave diggers,that kind of thing.

[grahamw48]

Tourists to York still seem to think the city centre is nice.

In fact it has been totally ruined during the past almost 50 years since I went to live there. Now little different to the bland corporate shop fronts of national outlets seen everywhere.

Most of the dozens of diverse small family-owned businesses either driven out of business by ridiculously increased rents and rates or bought out by the above bland national shops and offices.

Probably 50% of what tourists COULD have seen and enjoyed...and not as museum exhibits...has gone....as has the free on-street parking.

The idiot council have even allowed fast-growing species of trees to practically obliterate the most popular view of our Cathedral, as well as long stretches of the city walls.

[KeithD]

I am getting a new Aldi and Home and Bargain where I live in a few months Not that I shop at the former, I'm not that low down the social ladder

[SimonH]

I am getting a new Aldi and Home and Bargain where I live in a few months Not that I shop at the former, I'm not that low down the social ladder

Aldi and Lidl are my my favourite shops for grocery shopping, one of these days I may get to the dizzy social heights that Keith has achieved but I'll still probably shop there Well either that or I'll get the butler to pop down for me

[fred]

We were Aldi and Netto shoppers for years and we haggled for bargain fresh veg on the farmers market at car boot sales..
Stuff the social scene..Too expensive..I was as tight as 2 coats of paint!!
Every penny counts!!

[Arthur Little]

Every penny counts!!

, Fred ... well ... ... you know the old saying: "Take care of the pennies, and the pounds will look after themselves"!

[Arthur Little]

, Fred ... well ... ... you know the old saying: "Take care of the pennies, and the pounds will look after themselves"!

... although ... I'd have to admit that - with me being reliant on my bus pass - there are many times I've found myself wishing we still had at least some of the smaller, privately~owned trades premises from yesteryear ... like, for instance, electricians, ironmongers, etc., located in our town centres.

[Michael Parnham]

We were Aldi and Netto shoppers for years and we haggled for bargain fresh veg on the farmers market at car boot sales..
Stuff the social scene..Too expensive..I was as tight as 2 coats of paint!!
Every penny counts!!

True

[stevewool]

Been telling you lot for ages, Farmfoods, Aldi and now Lidl, I am tight but now i am rich too and fat

[Michael Parnham]

We use Aldi because we have no Lidl