There is going to be a meeting tonight

for Public Involvement or something about the Downtown Area. I've got a million idea about what to do downtown but I doubt very much that I'll be able to voice my opinion or that those there will even listen. No one ever listens to me.

Anywho, firstly if we're talking seriously about a vision. We'd have to know the situation. My think is the commuter rail. That meeting I went to all that time ago was about possible locations for a station. Now there was one option for a waterfront station. I never really understood where it was supposed to go. I think it was in this area.


Anyhow, my idea was if it's a little platform sized station, it would be great if it could be New Bedford themed. Like a station in the shape of a whale. Of course that's cheesy but we all really love cheesy stuff deep down. Imagine the train pulls up, people get out onto what looks like a stylish station but they're actually walking into a whale and then as they walk through a normal looking tunnel there could be little placards that talk about the history of New bedford and whaling. Maybe even just a timeline that would lead to the wharf and the last entries in the timeline would be at the end of the tunnel which would also be the mouth of the whale. So everyone would come out onto the working waterfront and then new visitors would turn around and see that they'd just come out of the belly of a whale. Kids would love it. It would be impressive and it would serve as a fun landmark like the big blue bug.

Other idea I had, well firstly, there are too many empty store fronts. That needs to be fixed and there should be more tourist themed stores closer the museum. Elaine's should not be on Purchase Street. Purchase Street should be geared more towards the locals. Not that she doesn't have cosutmes and stuff for normal people but I just mean as THE tee-shirt shop I think stores like that should be closer to the museum. Speaking of the museum what are those empty buildings behind it? Or are they empty? I couldn't really tell. Sometimes downtown New Bedford looks like a party that no one bothered to put decorations up for.

I'm going to put together a slideshow right now to see if that can better illustrate what I'm getting at.