Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Is there a Recession

I've always wondered if Los Gatos was recession-proof. I mean, small community, the stores tend to be very focused to a specific audience and have products that you're not going to find anywhere else. But when other people are losing their jobs and houses, how many of them will really want to come down and buy a special bowl for Fluffy or that $250 pair of jeans?
That's why I was happy that they put in a Williams Sonoma, Sur La Table, and Gap in downtown. It will bring people in, and hopefully, they'll walk around and check out some of the other stores.
But what about the other part of Los Gatos that people forget...yeah, The Boulevard. It's mostly car dealerships. And Office Depot. I'll be glad when they finish the new stripmall where The Flames used to be. I'd like to see the stripmall where Trader Joe's, Petfood Express, Little Lou's and Crimson get more foot traffic. Then, maybe, they'll start working on the old McHugh Lincoln Mercury building again if they see that there's an audience.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Local Business Great for Kids

Fun is coming!
Fun is coming!

Ok, on Thursday, I went to check out FuzeFit which will be where the old Heritage Bank was (it was Heritage Bank, wasn't it?).

What is FuzeFit. Ok, beyond the fact that it is a fitness center for kids that focuses on good nutrition and strengthening your self-esteem through body movement, it's a local business. Totally local. The founders are local. They're working with other local businesses (Los Gatos Athletic Club), using local resources (Los Gatos Community Bus) and play in local parks (Live Oak Manor).

So, this is something I can completely get behind, and hope you will too. Just wait until after I've signed up! There's a limited number of founder memberships.

Grand opening is middle of June, and the first summer camp starts on June 23rd.

What I especially loved was the focus on fun for kids. It's not boring repetition. They also were able to find weight machines for kids which isn't that easy. And it's not just isolated muscle but rather multiple-muscle to increase the impact.

Give them a call. Sign up, and let your kids learn it's fun to get their bodies strong and increase their self-esteem.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

The Grease Pit is Gone

Unbelievable that the old Burger Pit is leveled, isn't it? The Merc talked about it here.

I know what he means when he said it was an eyesore. It was sad watching it be so empty for so long. I wish he'd opened it up and let someone like Little Lou's BBQ move in for a larger sit-down experience, but there you go. They didn't ask me.

What really amuses and amazes me is looking at the footprint. It was like when they tore down the old Flames (where the dealership was when it blew up, and here's hoping that the two men who were burned are all better now). I remember so clearly being in the restaurant, and yet, when it's gone, the spot looked so much smaller than I remember the inside space being.

Memories are like that...vague and fleeting. And always never as good as you remember.