Streetcars help transform Downtown in December,
Atrip to New York City ranks among my favorite Christmas memories, but other visions are pure fiction, created by Hollywood and turned into a collective moment of holiday Americana for millions.
“A Christmas Story” is filled with such visions, and for me, the movie takes me back to a time I never experienced, an oldfashioned town square decked out with holiday lighting, amazing storefronts, shoppers and carolers filling the sidewalk with Santa Claus making an early appearance.
In the middle of it all, a streetcar clangs its bell.
On a chilly Saturday evening, this memory became a reality along Automobile Alley.
Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership has a crew that has built up years of experience in staging events and last weekend was not the first “Lights on Broadway” along Automobile Alley. But this year, the merchants and restaurants along Broadway need a Christmas miracle. Months of construction and detours required for the new Oklahoma City Streetcar was a big hit to their business, and some are struggling to recover.
The first thing I noticed Saturday was the stepped-up participation in the holiday lights (18,000 this year) draped over the early 1900s brick buildings that line Broadway. Outdoor screenings of vintage Christmas holiday cartoons took the place of parked cars and heaters provided some warmth for the crowds walking between NW 4 and NW 10.
Stores and restaurants along the stretch provided a mix of quick memory making, including a sketch artist, face painting, a photo booth, a chance to make s’mores, free hot cocoa, pumpkin spiced drinks, and an array of groups, choirs and singers getting everyone into the Christmas spirit.
Santa was everywhere, handing out candy canes and greeting folks touring the streetcars set to launch service next month. Gifts ranging from streetcar shirts to various swag were offered on just about every block.
OU, OSU and Thunder games, combined with a sudden chill in the area, did not destroy the evening. As in that fantasy night in downtown Cleveland some 70 years ago, sidewalks were filled with people, many of whom were clearly surprised to see the quality and array of retail that include Shop Good, Urbane, Tin Lizzies and Plenty Mercantile.
Add in a great side show at Shop Good and Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership on Saturday showed the way for any retailers wanting to thrive in the urban core. Give folks an experience, a memory, a storefront they won’t forget.
Don’t just yearn for a retail success story of Christmas’ past to bring customers back. Create more memories like Saturday night and the final piece of the downtown puzzle — retail — will finally come to life.