The City That (Needs To) Never Sleep

Over the past decade, businesses have started to come back to Norristown; bringing hope for better days. Today, Main Street is flooded with brand new restaurants, the arts district continues to develop, and Marshall Street highlights Norristown's rich heritage. There's just one problem...when the sun goes down, so do the businesses! Today's post will discuss why these businesses should stay open later year-round to boost business and tourism.

Let's first start off by saying not all businesses are successful by staying open late. Some of these businesses have realized this, so they close earlier. However, other businesses, some old, some new, close before the sun goes down. Why do you think this is?

The simple answer to that question is crime. Businesses fear being robbed or having anything happen that may damage their success. They're not wrong for putting safety first...but we need to come up with a way for them to feel safe here in Norristown.

With a new police chief, his promise to add more foot patrol and targeting high-crime areas brings hope to our businesses. Stores will begin to feel safe by staying open when they see an officer walking down the street checking on things. Step one when it comes to bringing the community together.

Crime has gone down in Norristown, that's a fact. As it continues to go down, businesses should reconsider staying open later to generate more foot traffic in our commercial districts. However, this needs to be a joint effort. Let's pick Main Street near the Arts Hill for example. More than one business needs to stay open later in order to create a positive correlation. 

Events at our theaters take place later in the night. After the play or show, there's no place to eat or shop because everything has been closed for hours. Bars, pubs, and restaurants could extend their hours 1-2 hours after the end of a show to bring in additional revenue. It's a simple tactic used by many. When working for a famous theme park in Orlando, they had it down to a science. By the time a parade or show ended, all food locations were fully staffed and prepared to handle the traffic. This boosted revenue during those times. So if a business is looking for a strong quaeter, they should set their marketing plan to accommodate these patrons from the arts hill.

So think of the benefits of Norristown's businesses staying open for an additional hour or two per night throughout the year. Tourism and our economy would benefit from this. In a larger picture, the burden placed on taxpayers to offset costs for the municipality would shrink over time. New businesses will then begin to see the benefits of making Norristown their home. The rest is history.

How do you feel about this idea? Would you like to see Norristown as the next 'city that never sleeps'? Add your positive thoughts below!