I
recently returned from a visit to New Orleans’ French Quarter. I was struck by
some similarities to our very own Downtown Hollywood.
Both
communities are culturally diverse; both are easy to navigate by foot and both
have an abundance of dining options, art galleries and bars…
That
said, the French Quarter rocks it daily/nightly—it’s an obvious destination and
not just during Mardi Gras or Halloween. There’s a healthy dose of street musicians,
entertainers and artists—street closures seem to be de rigueur and that brings
me to this point. Can’t Hollywood issue licenses to street talent? We do it
during Art Walk, why not on a more consistent basis—not only would it provide a
modest revenue stream but the entertainment value would be wonderfully refreshing.
And that goes for Young Circle as well. What an ideal venue for licensed artists
to set up shop and sell their wares…
We
need more events like the Dream Car Classic and the newly minted Artesian
Market—both events bring out crowds and generate revenue for local businesses—I
think we need to encourage this type of growth…
Look,
I’m not delusional, I know Downtown Hollywood isn’t the French Quarter but
those are my two-bits for this Monday morning…
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