Shocked after visiting city centre

[Snog]

I've just cycled through the centre of my small city for the first time in 4 months.

So many shops and restaurants are boarded up and have closed for good, maybe 30%?

I found it really shocking to witness. Is it the same where you live?

Ours is the same. Almost dystopian. It was on a distinct decline before all this, tbf.
Honestly, a lot of it is in the power of the landlords. Why don;t they reduce their rents? Surely they'd rather be getting some income than none?

Ours is the same and it is heartbreaking walking through town.

Also a tourist and uni city, with various big events during the year in normal times that bring 100s of thousands in. Even the year a big race meeting got cancelled it had an impact on the local economy with several pubs and hotels near the racecourse struggling. I know a couple closed (although have since reopened under new management).

The thing is, even if people don't travel overseas and spend their holiday in the UK, I'm not sure a city break will be top of the list for most.

My nearest large townhas lots of barded up shops but many of them are waiting to reopen when it's safe to do so. DD went in shopping and said the place was deathly quiet.

However we went to another local town today (more touristy) and the place was really busy though there are always lots more local pavement cafes so plenty of people enjoying the sunshine.

Town high street here - also lost several shops, including big chains. Trying really hard to support the independent cafes and shops but can’t go shopping everyday!

Oh yes of course, big events - I saw that Notting Hill Carnival will be online, that sort of thing generates a lot of spending on street food and stalls etc. It really is going to be awful.

Not like that here but heard yesterday that two great local live music venues are closing permanently. Really really sad. Two perfectly viable businesses that hold such brilliant memories for people. Now gone in the space of a few months.

@labyrinthloafer

Oh yes of course, big events - I saw that Notting Hill Carnival will be online, that sort of thing generates a lot of spending on street food and stalls etc. It really is going to be awful.

At least we’ll be spared the usual whinge fest about the carnival this year. It’s very sad that so many events that are an integral part of our culture aren’t happening.

Our high street is always rubbish and half shuttered anyway, but I wouldn't be surprised if a good proportion of businesses don't return.

Was reading Viv Albertine's autobiography recently and she described visiting Northern towns in the late 70s where everything was shuttered, grotty and run down and I think we'll be going back to that after this for a while.

Not the same here, not even in my boring typical grim small town. People are all open and trying to inject life back into the community.

I have been into closest city (Leeds) a couple of times, the first before pubs and cafes opened was odd, but last week when they were all open it was ok, not quite there but ok, and a pleasure after months of lockdown.

I’m off out in the city tomorrow night, It will be another “first” so let’s see how it goes.

Yeah. Same here. What life is this.

You can see the impact of the loss of the tourist trade in Cambridge. Shopping streets where locals shop: -40% normal July footfall
Shopping streets where tourists shop: -80% normal July footfall
There really isn't much in the city centre for locals at the best of times. Lose the tourists and the students and you're buggered.

Prosperous large town here in SE and yes it is looking shocking . Many shops have not reopened as yet and what has opened looks so depressing and lacking in stock . Shops and other businesses need to go all out to attract people back to the High Street . I was shocked on my first trip in after a long time.

Cologne
It may be unlawful but she told us so openly in front of the manager.
I admit that I told her which direction they had gone
and gave her a heft tip at the end of my meal for staying smiling throughout

@DorothyParker111

You can see the impact of the loss of the tourist trade in Cambridge. Shopping streets where locals shop: -40% normal July footfall Shopping streets where tourists shop: -80% normal July footfall There really isn't much in the city centre for locals at the best of times. Lose the tourists and the students and you're buggered.

This is going to be a huge issue and I cannot see the government plans helping.

At the moment the picture we’re al getting if the economy is skewed by the furlough scheme and government support packages. Once those run out in the autumn then businesses will start to fold at a greater rate.

Our village has lost five shops so far. There are now lots of empty units.

I do think the government hasn’t had an agile enough mindset about how to move forward. Shops just being open isn’t going to stop them going bust if footfall is so dramatically decreased.

@ListeningQuietly what shocking behaviour from those people. I would never do that but somehow it seems even worse behaviour in these strange times.
I did once leave without paying for a coffee, genuine stupidity, but went back the next day , ordered one coffee and paid for two.
Since then I offered to pay for refreshments for a young man in supported living when his carer had forgotten the money. However, the lovely young man on the till refused payment.
Sorry, off topic, butterfly mind .

caramac
its not off topic once you bear in mind this
www.theguardian.com/food/2020/jul/15/top-chefs-back-tom-kerridge-for-calling-no-show-diners-disgraceful

People who screw over struggling businesses at the moment are despicable in my book

My outer London High Street is usually quite thriving and luckily seems to be mostly open again as before. There is sadly one small shop which is closing down and a restaurant still shut, otherwise it's quite busy. I don't know about the nearby big centre as I haven't been anywhere else.

@PassingByAndThoughtIdDropIn
Agree. We're downright bustling here in N4, but I think a lot of the large Turkish and Greek Cypriot restaurants are in family owned premises so protected a little. Whats astonishing me is new places are actually opening, which seems v brave!

My middle sized, quite prosperous West Country town seems ok at the he moment in that most shops/cafes/pubs have opened back up - we don't have many chains so that has probably helped. BUT a substantial number of them rely on visitors over the summer months to keep them going over the winter. With less visitors, I suspect some of them will struggle over the winter. I'll also be interested to see if the face-covering law entices more people out, or deters some, as we're in an area with low infection rates, and where a lot of people enjoy shopping as a social activity. Only time will tell.

The owner of Ask Italian and Zizzi pizza chains is to permanently close 75 restaurants with the loss of up to 1,200 jobs in the latest blow to the high street.

www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jul/17/ask-italian-and-zizzi-pizza-chains-to-close-75-restaurants

Won't be much left soon. Sad times.

It feels like summer 1914 here. Lights are going out all over Europe & no-one wants to accept it. I think it'll be years before we're back to where we were, it's so sad

My nearest city is Liverpool, 6 miles away. I haven’t been yet but have seen the pictures and videos and it looks absolutely booming.

Big thumbs up for Toby Carvery in Middlesbrough near the hospital- lovely food and friendly staff!

From the viewpoint of a micro commercial landlord, which is our family pension fund, we had our only building empty all last year. A father and daughter designing, manufacturing and fitting kitchens are the new tenants. Their issue will be cash flow, so we are being very gentle and supportive to give them time to get back on track, and have our fingers crossed. They were still fitting out the building when all this hit; assuming they survive, and naturally we hope they do, they will catch back the lost weeks over 10-15 years, and we all hope to walk away only a bit wounded. It's not a high street site so the rent and rates are fairly modest. But we were hoping to retire in the next year or two, and realistically that has been delayed. Which is not such good news in view of age and health concerns. BUT, it could be worse and may yet be! Looking on the bright side, and touching wood.

@Valleydad99

It feels like summer 1914 here. Lights are going out all over Europe & no-one wants to accept it. I think it'll be years before we're back to where we were, it's so sad

Interesting you should say that because our illustrious PM said today it’ll all be over by Christmas.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/17/christmas-johnson-slogan-prime-minister-pmqs