CWS and the Old Market

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swgiust
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CWS and the Old Market

Post by swgiust »

The old market may complain about lack of people. But they do nothing to market nor encourage people to get down there. Put up some signs. Hand out coupons. Run a shuttle. All things that would not be that hard nor expensive, yet they do not do it.
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Re: TD Ameritrade Park Omaha

Post by Garrett »

swgiust wrote:The old market may complain about lack of people. But they do nothing to market nor encourage people to get down there. Put up some signs. Hand out coupons. Run a shuttle. All things that would not be that hard nor expensive, yet they do not do it.
Well, the thing is they've tried those things. The CWS as it is now is simply not conducive to sending people down to the Old Market so much anymore.
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Omaha_Gabe
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Re: TD Ameritrade Park Omaha

Post by Omaha_Gabe »

There were plenty of places offering shuttles and coupons. Some of the Bars were running 25 cent shuttle rides to and from CWS.
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Brad
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Re: TD Ameritrade Park Omaha

Post by Brad »

swgiust wrote:The old market may complain about lack of people. But they do nothing to market nor encourage people to get down there. Put up some signs. Hand out coupons. Run a shuttle. All things that would not be that hard nor expensive, yet they do not do it.
I don't even know were to start here.... I could write a novel about the "problems" with the old market. May be I will put some thought together later today.
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Brad
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Re: CWS and the Old Market

Post by Brad »

First off, I have nothing against the old market. But after running a business out of a space in the old market and being part of the community for the past three years, I just see a lot of opportunity that falls through the cracks. I also hear a lot of comments from the visitors some of which are surprising.

I am very thankful the Mercer Family has done so much to save and preserve this amazing historic district. Without the foresight and vision of the Mercers, this area could be just like jobbers canyon.
Garrett wrote:Well, the thing is they've tried those things. The CWS as it is now is simply not conducive to sending people down to the Old Market so much anymore.
I don't think the Old Market was ever "The place to be" after the college world series games. I think if you went back to some of the old threads here on Eomaha, you would find a lot of comments about how awesome the old market will be after games once the series moves to the new downtown ballpark. I remember the hot spots being places like McFlys, Paulis, Starskeys, etc. The stadium moved downtown and the people that were not going to the Old Market before are still not going to the old market.
swgiust wrote:The old market may complain about lack of people. But they do nothing to market nor encourage people to get down there.
This is not just a CWS problem, its an all the time issue. I think the biggest problem is that the old market has the "This is the way we have always done it" mentality and if they were not the Old Market, the storefronts would be about as full as crossroads.

The Old Market was the place to be, but then Midtown Crossing and Aksarben Village came online and they have full time marketing teams that are constantly promoting their place and doing everything they can to support their businesses. Midtown has a nice website and a great social media presence that are always being updated. The old market has a crappy old outdated website and an absolutely terrible social media presence.

Midtown Crossing and Aksarben Village are always looking forward to the next big event to draw people in. Always trying to bring fresh new things in to the mix. Meanwhile if you read the notes from the OMBA meetings, you could literally photo copy they because they are the exact same thing every month... Usually read something like this:
1. "Call the police on homeless if they cause a problem.
2. "Watch out for shoplifters"
3. "FOOD TRUCKS.... OMG THE FOOD TRUCKS ARE RUINING THE WORLD!!!!! OMG, THE FOODTRUCKS MUST BE STOPPED!" The police are looking it to banning food trucks"
4. " CWS is here this month, the OCVB is estimating 30,000 people have 8500 hotel rooms booked. for the 10 days"

"See you next month"....

I never see anything proactive or promotional... The farmers market is their biggest draw for locals, and they do a trick or treat in the fall. Nothing outside the box, nothing they haven't done over and over. There is the Monthly "First Friday" that is put on by the galleries, but even that dead horse has been beaten so far in to the ground that its not even worth doing.

There is an issue right now with the "lack of parking", and they have done nothing to combat that. "I can't believe you have to pay for meters". Welcome to 2016.... Welcome to living in a big city.... Seriously its 1 dollar per hour, some garages the first hour is $2 and then 1 dollar per hour. If you are going out for a night in the market, the $5 you are going to spend is nothing. There is more parking now in the market than I have ever seen.

Another issues lately is the violence. They closed Maria Sangira, but it seems like there are still fights every night. I literally thing there has been a disturbance in the old market every night since Friday. Last night was by T Henry's, the night before by the Parliament, and Friday and Saturday it was by Pepperjax. Not the image the old market needs to be portraying.

I really like the old market and want to see it do well. I just need to figure out what they ultimate goal is and work towards that goal. Right now they do a lot of complaining, but don't seem to form a plan to get to where they want to be.
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Re: CWS and the Old Market

Post by choke »

Brad wrote:First off, I have nothing against the old market. But after running a business out of a space in the old market and being part of the community for the past three years, I just see a lot of opportunity that falls through the cracks. I also hear a lot of comments from the visitors some of which are surprising.

I am very thankful the Mercer Family has done so much to save and preserve this amazing historic district. Without the foresight and vision of the Mercers, this area could be just like jobbers canyon.
Garrett wrote:Well, the thing is they've tried those things. The CWS as it is now is simply not conducive to sending people down to the Old Market so much anymore.
I don't think the Old Market was ever "The place to be" after the college world series games. I think if you went back to some of the old threads here on Eomaha, you would find a lot of comments about how awesome the old market will be after games once the series moves to the new downtown ballpark. I remember the hot spots being places like McFlys, Paulis, Starskeys, etc. The stadium moved downtown and the people that were not going to the Old Market before are still not going to the old market.
swgiust wrote:The old market may complain about lack of people. But they do nothing to market nor encourage people to get down there.
This is not just a CWS problem, its an all the time issue. I think the biggest problem is that the old market has the "This is the way we have always done it" mentality and if they were not the Old Market, the storefronts would be about as full as crossroads.

The Old Market was the place to be, but then Midtown Crossing and Aksarben Village came online and they have full time marketing teams that are constantly promoting their place and doing everything they can to support their businesses. Midtown has a nice website and a great social media presence that are always being updated. The old market has a crappy old outdated website and an absolutely terrible social media presence.

Midtown Crossing and Aksarben Village are always looking forward to the next big event to draw people in. Always trying to bring fresh new things in to the mix. Meanwhile if you read the notes from the OMBA meetings, you could literally photo copy they because they are the exact same thing every month... Usually read something like this:
1. "Call the police on homeless if they cause a problem.
2. "Watch out for shoplifters"
3. "FOOD TRUCKS.... OMG THE FOOD TRUCKS ARE RUINING THE WORLD!!!!! OMG, THE FOODTRUCKS MUST BE STOPPED!" The police are looking it to banning food trucks"
4. " CWS is here this month, the OCVB is estimating 30,000 people have 8500 hotel rooms booked. for the 10 days"

"See you next month"....

I never see anything proactive or promotional... The farmers market is their biggest draw for locals, and they do a trick or treat in the fall. Nothing outside the box, nothing they haven't done over and over. There is the Monthly "First Friday" that is put on by the galleries, but even that dead horse has been beaten so far in to the ground that its not even worth doing.

There is an issue right now with the "lack of parking", and they have done nothing to combat that. "I can't believe you have to pay for meters". Welcome to 2016.... Welcome to living in a big city.... Seriously its 1 dollar per hour, some garages the first hour is $2 and then 1 dollar per hour. If you are going out for a night in the market, the $5 you are going to spend is nothing. There is more parking now in the market than I have ever seen.

Another issues lately is the violence. They closed Maria Sangira, but it seems like there are still fights every night. I literally thing there has been a disturbance in the old market every night since Friday. Last night was by T Henry's, the night before by the Parliament, and Friday and Saturday it was by Pepperjax. Not the image the old market needs to be portraying.

I really like the old market and want to see it do well. I just need to figure out what they ultimate goal is and work towards that goal. Right now they do a lot of complaining, but don't seem to form a plan to get to where they want to be.

I think that assessment is spot on. Aksarben Village and Midtown Crossing are constantly looking to modernize and draw people in where the Old Market seems to try and rely on its historic value. Don't get me wrong, I have some favorites in the Old Market but how about something new like a Fresh Thyme or Wine and Canvas?
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Re: CWS and the Old Market

Post by daveoma »

Fights are simply a part of having so many bars in close proximity to each other. It's easy to binge drink, then people go from drink to stupid drunk.

It sounds like the Old Market is having an identity crisis. Are we young and hip or are we tired and want quiet after 10 pm? Many Millennials are choosing to eat and drink elsewhere (Benson and Blackstone) whilst the Old Market attracts more chain restaurants. Didn't this happen in Greenwich Village and the Castro too? Perhaps this is merely part the evolution of an arts district.
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Re: CWS and the Old Market

Post by NeonMartiniGlass »

daveoma wrote:Fights are simply a part of having so many bars in close proximity to each other. It's easy to binge drink, then people go from drink to stupid drunk.
I don't hear about a lot of fighting in Benson. There's a bar every 10 feet over there.
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Re: CWS and the Old Market

Post by MadMartin8 »

NeonMartiniGlass wrote:
daveoma wrote:Fights are simply a part of having so many bars in close proximity to each other. It's easy to binge drink, then people go from drink to stupid drunk.
I don't hear about a lot of fighting in Benson. There's a bar every 10 feet over there.

The same amount of people pack into Benson as the Old Market each night?
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Re: CWS and the Old Market

Post by bigredmed »

daveoma wrote:Fights are simply a part of having so many bars in close proximity to each other. It's easy to binge drink, then people go from drink to stupid drunk.

It sounds like the Old Market is having an identity crisis. Are we young and hip or are we tired and want quiet after 10 pm? Many Millennials are choosing to eat and drink elsewhere (Benson and Blackstone) whilst the Old Market attracts more chain restaurants. Didn't this happen in Greenwich Village and the Castro too? Perhaps this is merely part the evolution of an arts district.
Benson is so tuned to the 20-40 year old demo that you feel weird there if you are older. Even going to the "A-list" restaurants. The OM is boring. I am 57 (almost) and while I don't hang out in the bars much anymore, Benson has a vibe that my wife and I can get a little slice of even if we feel 20 years too old. In the OM, you feel like you can't just get a meal. You choose between bar food and snooty places serving endangered species kabobs grilled over moon rocks whilst all their staff tries to convince you about how green they are.

MTC is next to fall. Ever go there on a weeknight? Were it not for the bocce crowd on Tuesdays, that place would be morgue. There is little to do there other than eat hipster chow and drink.

Ak Village is better. Better parking and easier to get in and out of. More stuff going on, and UNO is right there. As the dorms get bigger, the number of kids who will swing over for a bite go up. They are the site with the best "built in" market.
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Re: CWS and the Old Market

Post by Omaha_corn_burner »

bigredmed wrote:Benson is so tuned to the 20-40 year old demo that you feel weird there if you are older.
That's what Dundee is for.


There's nothing drawing me to the Old Market. It's far away, you have to pay to park, everything costs more, etc.
For CWS, there are beer gardens and tailgating around the stadium. It's a long walk to the Old Market from Cuming street.
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Re: CWS and the Old Market

Post by bigredmed »

Omaha_corn_burner wrote:
bigredmed wrote:Benson is so tuned to the 20-40 year old demo that you feel weird there if you are older.
That's what Dundee is for.


There's nothing drawing me to the Old Market. It's far away, you have to pay to park, everything costs more, etc.
For CWS, there are beer gardens and tailgating around the stadium. It's a long walk to the Old Market from Cuming street.
So you're saying that I am doomed to Dundee? It was boring in the 80's. Thanks.

I agree with you about the OM. Plenty of other options.
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Re: CWS and the Old Market

Post by Omaha_corn_burner »

bigredmed wrote:So you're saying that I am doomed to Dundee? It was boring in the 80's. Thanks.

I agree with you about the OM. Plenty of other options.
If you feel strange around 20-40 year old's, then Dundee is the place to be. And yes, it is still boring.
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Re: CWS and the Old Market

Post by bigredmed »

Omaha_corn_burner wrote:
bigredmed wrote:So you're saying that I am doomed to Dundee? It was boring in the 80's. Thanks.

I agree with you about the OM. Plenty of other options.
If you feel strange around 20-40 year old's, then Dundee is the place to be. And yes, it is still boring.
We dont feel strange, but the 20-40 year olds look at us as being out of place. Guess they agree with you that we should just shuffle off to Dundee.
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Re: CWS and the Old Market

Post by GetUrban »

On a more positive note....The Old Market is still the #2 attraction in the state, after the Zoo, according to many lists. It's good that we're getting more attractions now though. I care more about year-round attractions anyway.
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Re: CWS and the Old Market

Post by admiralArchArch »

First time poster here, I walk around the OM almost everyday on my lunch breaks, and I can't help but notice how sh**ty the landscaping is, and how un-inviting and equally sh**ty the streetscape is (not talking about the 'charm' of the brick roads, etc). I don't think this really has a negative effect on CWS traffic, but as a native I feel almost embarrassed that the OM is one of our main attractions. The city or whoever is responsible should really consider investing some money into this place, bringing it up-to modern standards, like how Benson just redid the streetscape (although I think was half-assed and looks like it was designed by a road engineer).
The Old Market was the place to be, but then Midtown Crossing and Aksarben Village came online and they have full time marketing teams that are constantly promoting their place and doing everything they can to support their businesses. Midtown has a nice website and a great social media presence that are always being updated. The old market has a crappy old outdated website and an absolutely terrible social media presence.
I think this really hits home here and supports my point above.
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Re: CWS and the Old Market

Post by nebugeater »

Welcome to the world or posting! Hope you stick around!!!
admiralArchArch wrote:First time poster here, I walk around the OM almost everyday on my lunch breaks, and I can't help but notice how sh**ty the landscaping is, and how un-inviting and equally sh**ty the streetscape is (not talking about the 'charm' of the brick roads, etc). I don't think this really has a negative effect on CWS traffic, but as a native I feel almost embarrassed that the OM is one of our main attractions. The city or whoever is responsible should really consider investing some money into this place, bringing it up-to modern standards, like how Benson just redid the streetscape (although I think was half-assed and looks like it was designed by a road engineer).
The Old Market was the place to be, but then Midtown Crossing and Aksarben Village came online and they have full time marketing teams that are constantly promoting their place and doing everything they can to support their businesses. Midtown has a nice website and a great social media presence that are always being updated. The old market has a crappy old outdated website and an absolutely terrible social media presence.
I think this really hits home here and supports my point above.
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Re: CWS and the Old Market

Post by Omaha Cowboy »

There's an old saying- "Fat cats don't hunt"..

Let me say how much I've enjoyed the Old Market starting when I was a young 21 year old in the early 80's. I've spent numerous fine days/evenings in the OM from then until present day.. For years (multiple decades really) when you thought about spending a night on the town in Omaha, the OM was the choice destination.. Well, the days of OM resting on their laurels are over in my opinion.. What has evolved over the last 5-10 years, is that there are multiple options for Omahans and visitors alike, to have a fun/entertaining day or night on the town..

Let's also face the fact that since 2003, the city has tried to make North Downtown an entertainment point of destination. There have been struggles, but especially since the construction of TD Amertrade Park..the entire area has become more "lively"..and not just for the 12 or so days of the CWS. Now factor in The Capitol District in about 18 months, and the options for a night on the town expend even more.. We already have The Blackstone District, Dundee, Midtown Crossing and especially Benson..

The days of thinking a fun dinner and drinks time in Omaha equals the Old Market are over..and in reality, have been for the past few years..

It's time for the Old Market to step it up...

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