Downtown Grand Island's branding

[Coyote]

Downtown G.I. to get new 'name brand'

Omaha has the Old Market. Lincoln has the Haymarket. Kearney has the Bricks. Grand Island is soon to have its own moniker for downtown.

[Candleshoe]

Downtown G.I. to get new 'name brand'

Omaha has the Old Market. Lincoln has the Haymarket. Kearney has the Bricks. Grand Island is soon to have its own moniker for downtown.

Boy, I don't know. First off, "Old Market" and "Haymarket" are NOT the downtowns... just a part of those cities downtown area. Kearney's "Bricks" is catchy... although it seemed corny and forced when they first started promoting it several years ago. It eventually took.

GI doesn't have a defining feature in the downtown area. In fact, there really are TWO downtowns, if you consider the 4th Street neighborhood. The tracks divide the two downtown centers and you couldn't have two more dissimilar areas. 4th St and North Front are multinational with mixed retail, Asian and Hispanic food stores and bars, service oriented businesses and some heritage retailers who haven't ever considered moving. First through South Front Streets are a hodgepodge of Antique stores, a heavy amount of professional offices, government, niche boutiques, crafts, galleries, bars, restaurants, storefront churches and various home furnishing stores. The big chunky old First National Bank is now all offices and is named the "Downtown Centre" and therefore knocks that name out of contention.

I can't think of any moniker that would tie any of it all together... but that's why they hired a pro, I s'pose.

[l-dude]

I can't help myself, sorry...NoTrac and SoTrac, for north of the tracks and, you guessed it, south of the tracks. What do I say now?...drops mic and walks off stage?

[GetUrban]

How about "Upper GI" and "Lower GI"? ....sorry, I'm not much help.

Could call it "La Grande" from the name given to the area by French traders...."La Grande Isle".

...or maybe NoLo for the North Locust St, area.