Living in LoCo
More Businesses Close Shop in Downtown Leesburg
Erica Garman at 1:36 p.m., June 11, 2008 (9 comments)
It's a pandemic—each day it seems another business in downtown Leesburg is shutting its doors.
Potomac Gallery is having a going out of business sale. (Photo by Erica Garman)
In the last few weeks these retailers have announced that they're calling it quits: Potomac Gallery, English Manor (moving to Middleburg), Market Street Coffee (closing Leesburg shop, but keeping Purcellville location), Court House Deli and the Morning Glory Bake Shop & Tea Room. The owner of There & Again Bookstore is looking for a buyer.
When the economy was booming in the dot-com surge of the late 90s, downtown Leesburg was a hot commodity. As real estate prices went up, so did the rents, which forced out some old time shops and eateries. Upscale retailers and restaurateurs catering to the growing well-heeled Loudoun population replaced them.
The Court House Deli is dark at lunchtime today.
These days, most retailers in the downtown area are hurting. Store and restaurant owners face declining foot traffic due to competing forces like the Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets and new town centers like the one in Lansdowne, which are closer to shoppers' homes.
Loudoun residents east of town are deterred by Rt. 7 traffic, which can make going into Leesburg for a quick dinner unappealing. Some find parking in the downtown area a pain. And if you are there in the evening for dinner, most stores are closed for the day—all you can do is window shop.
A study commissioned by Leesburg last year cited that the area is largely supported by town workers, tourists and residents who live within walking distance. Those of us who live a few miles away just don't visit as often as we probably should.
To entice shoppers, the east side of town is hosting a four-day "Discover Downtown Leesburg's East Village" celebration starting tomorrow and running through the weekend. Shoppers will be treated to summer discounts, food samples, door prizes, and giveaways, courtesy of 12 area shops including Mom's Apple Pie, Plum Grove Cyclery, the Home Specialty Store and Eyetopia, Inc. The hours Thursday through Saturday are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
The Town of Leesburg and the Loudoun Arts Council, in cooperation with participating merchants, also present a First Friday Gallery Walk each month, where restaurants, shops and galleries stay open late for guests.
What else do you think downtown Leesburg should do to attract more customers?
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And yet, amazingly, the crummy Leesburg Vintner manages to stay open.
Posted by foobar2 (anonymous) on June 12, 2008 at 7:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What are the town council's plans to alleviate this situation? Should the downtown business association discuss a way to give the town a more refined nightlife with shopping, dining, and strolling?
Posted by vapensant (anonymous) on June 12, 2008 at 10:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How about an ice cream shop somewhere downtown? There's a cache as a family to head into town for ice cream after dinner with the kids as a treat. Of course, that'd be predicated on keeping many of the businesses there open later.
Posted by Paradox13VA (anonymous) on June 12, 2008 at 12:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
And the traffic nightmare that Richmond has left us begins to take its toll... maybe once the tax dollars stop rolling in, they will listen. Too little, too late of course.
Posted by nocando (anonymous) on June 12, 2008 at 1:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Stay open later in the evenings during the spring & summer months, at least until 9pm. That would allow customers to walk the sidewalks and sometimes drop in for a quick snack. Thx
Posted by johnjhr1700 (anonymous) on June 12, 2008 at 4:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
An ice cream shop! My family eats at Lansdowne Town Center partly because we can stroll down to Haagen Dazs afterward and sit by the fountain and eat our ice cream.
I think a lot of this is just due to demographics. Loudoun's population is largely families. Downtown Leesburg is quaint and there are excellent restaurants there and cute specialty shops. But it's more the kind of place for people without kids or singles. I love antique shops but not with kids in tow.
Or maybe instead of First Friday, how about First Saturday? The First Friday events always sound appealing but at the end of a work/school day jumping in the car and taking everyone to Leesburg is a lot of rushing around. We would have more time and energy on a Saturday evening -- could have an early dinner in Leesburg, hang out after.
Posted by jt12 (anonymous) on June 13, 2008 at 9:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why doesn't Tuskies have outside seating for dinner anymore? It was at least a monthly stop for my wife, daughter and I in the summertime.
Posted by foobar2 (anonymous) on June 13, 2008 at 9:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
they need their satisfied customers to spread the word about how great their services are, so others will be willing to make the drive or give them a 2nd look. a coupon or ad doesn't tell you anything about the quality of a place, and time and money are too short these days to waste time HOPING a place will be nice. reveiws +referrals = results!
~ Aphioni
Posted by tttrenee (anonymous) on June 13, 2008 at 9:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Here's the plan...
Pedestrian-Only - Downtown Leesburg
Brick up the streets from Church to Wirt, Cornwall to Royal.
Besides preventing scenes like this lost truck, destroying property, blocking traffic and getting stuck attempting a right-hand turn from Market onto King, taken 2 July:
http://picasaweb.google.com/LetterRepMai...
closing downtown Leesburg to pedestrians will
1) increase sidewalk space,
2) allow downtown merchants to spread cafe-style tables and chairs outside of buildings (as recommended in Leesburg's marketing study released last month),
3) reduce the traffic in downtown (except for local-residents and business sustainment traffic,
4) improve 'Leesburg as a Destination' concept,
5) increase property value,
6) remove the telephone poles and street lights, and
7) change downtown Leesburg away from its current unwanted role as a western-Loudoun/eastern-Loudoun thoroughfare.
I'd pay $100 for a brick to be laid with my family's name to defray the cost?
Any responses?
Posted by LetterRep (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 1:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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