Older Lawrencians remember with nostalgia the bustle and the commercial activity along Essex Street, our main artery. They remember the stores crowded with merchandise, the merchants exhibiting their best clothes in their windows and above all, an abundance of customers willing to buy.
Those were different times. Times when there were plenty of workplaces that provided jobs to thousands of people who met their needs just by walking a few steps to the favorite store. There was nowhere else to shop.
Today, the factories are silent, their buildings are mostly converted into offices and apartments for housing and short drive, shopping malls that offer everything imaginable and much more, and not always at the best prices.
This not only happens in Lawrence, it happens all over the country. Even the great metropolises are being victims of progress. The difference is that in Lawrence, a group of people said, “We can change this!” and they set out to create the first celebration of our Shopping Center and created Ciclovia, copying Bogotá, Colombia, where this celebration has been going on for 37 years of continuous success.
They joined forces with the city authorities, some shopkeepers along Essex Street responded, closed the street to vehicular traffic and from morning till evening, and for the last 4 years, pedestrians seized the street. Especially the children. They enjoyed riding their bikes, their skateboards, while some adults burned calories to Zumba’s pace.
In our previous edition, we reported on the Ciclovía that took effect last August 6. It is true that the attendance was not what was desired. Among them we would hear comments, such as “maybe, if we advertise with more time, we will have better success” and/or “maybe if all the owners of establishments open their doors and offer special prices.”
When this edition is circulating, we will have celebrated the second Ciclovía this year. It will take some time until we can match the Ciclovía of Bogota, Colombia, where it is celebrated every Sunday and/or festive days. If the organizers continue with the enthusiasm they have shown up to now, there is no doubt that it can be achieved.
