THE FRESNAN

Bloggiest Moment OTW: NE Fresno Not So Big On 'High End'

Kathy Mahan's post did more than remind us that Bentley's Market closed (and her hair gets did in the same shopping center), it showed that the whole Riverview shopping center is in some trouble - even though it's in, maybe, the most affluent area of the Valley. 

If a higher-end market can't work there, where in the Valley would it work?!

On a related note: One wonders if Fresno mega-developer DeWayne Zinkin should be celebrating that the development of his infamous 'Fresno 40' property is finally moving towards reality - being as it's down the street from the dying Riverview center.

While the slow deterioration of retail in Northeast Fresno does invoke a smirk from us, still, we know what's bad for one part of Fresno is bad for all of Fresno. Lets just hope Fresh & Easy does better in Downtown Fresno than Bentley's did in The NE.

Focused On Fresno: Downtown's Fresh & Easy Market Edition - UPDATED

UPDATE:
You may have read the news in the Bee: Fresh & Easy is coming to Fresno for realsies this time. The downtown location (pictured above) is supposed to be the first one in Fresno to open, since it's already built and all. 

We think it's the perfect one to open first because it's downtown. The first real grocery store to open in the Downtown Triangle, like, ever. Very much awesome.

But, it make us think (a rare event): Which market will the people living in the downtown lofts like Ironbird and Vagabond, shop? Will it be the new Fresh & Easy (located at Tulare and R), or the Tower Market (Olive and Van Ness)? They are both similar distances from the lofts even though the Tower Market is in a different area. Hummm.

Cool problem for downtown folks to have.

**If you're thinking of working at Fresh & Easy, check this out and this.

ORIGINAL POST:
Fresno's first grocery store within the Downtown triangle, Fresh & Easy, looks done on the outside (except for signage). But, it doesn't look like much is going on inside yet. Things seem to be on hold, in fact. Bako had their opening already, where is ours,  ya bastards?

Looking forward to seeing how well this does Downtown.

Fresno Needs To Open Up River Park Mall To Traffic

You may have heard, Tim Sheenan of the Bee is reporting that Johnny Rockets in River Park is closing. Rockets management says River Park management is encouraging them to leave because Johnny Rockets attracts teens. Plus with the tough economy, Rockets is only breaking even - wasn't worth the fight anymore.

Oh boy, a major restaurant in River Park not making money. Yep, looks like the demise of another outdoor mall in Fresno has begun. But what happened to, um, River Park Mall? We can't blame it all on the economy. There must be other reasons.

That's why we have put together some totally original ideas that will save Fresno's beloved open air mall. They may sound familiar but, umm, like, totally came out of nowhere:

• Better signage directing traffic to parking and where garages are.
• Trim back the trees so we can see the storefronts - too much shade.
• There are too many homeless people teens asking you for money to buy them tickets to a rated R movie, get rid of them.
• Improve nightlife with more restaurants staying open late.
• Too many fountains and too much artwork. Tear it all out, they don't make money.
• Open up lofts above the storefronts. People can live above Wavelengths and Yoshinos, Edwards, Big Dog...
• A river. Yes, build a river that would run through River Park.
• Open the mall to traffic. Fresnans hate to park away from the place they're going too. If people could just drive right up to a Chocolate Factory or Dai Bai Dang or Jamba Juice, business would boom.
• Start a committee to study and conduct some meetings about studying the mall and agree to meet about it.

We are convinced, once these ideas are implemented, they will surely solve Fulton Mall's River Park's problems.

[Disclosure: Tounge was half implanted in cheek during the writing of this post]
[Picture was stolen from Carlos Guzman]

Walmart and Clovis fit like a bigbox glove

Ya duns fucked up now, Clovis. Yes voted a new Wal-Mart in your precious and pretty North Clovis area, did ya? Finally you've realized your dream of surpassing Pinedale in amount of Walmarts. Empty Clovis retail buildings in three, two, one...

Side note: Classic Walmart shot used because that's the look we imagine when Clovis and Walmart get together.

[Photo cred: Dave]

Focused On Fresno: From The Department Of What The Hell Happened To The...

This is a current picture of the southeast corner of Ashlan and First:

Notice something? YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT, IT'S ALL FUCKING GONE!

That whole old sweet little shopping center. With the quaint liquor store and classic old dry cleaners and old Foodland (well, it's been gone a while, but still). It had all the old signage and wood shake roofs and big trees. The center just plain matched the feel of the old Fresno neighborhood around it, and now it's gone. Just like that.

Going up in it's place is a Wallgreens. Wow, um like, really worth clearing the whole center for that. By the way, are Rite Aids and Wallgreens going to be taking over all our corners now?

The Evening Post: What's Old Could Be New Again For Gottschalks

It's about as depressing as Fresno retail can get out there (unless you're a Gottschalks competitor) and Fresno was buzzing today with the news. I'll tell ya how much people were talking today about Gottschalks closing its doors: Ray Appleton actually did a full two hours of local programing, in Gottschalk's honor.

You know, there could be something really cool that could come of this. Yes, it's merely a dream at this point, but, it was said by a Gottschalks spokesman that this may not be the complete ending for Gottschalks.

What if they started from scratch? Went back to their roots and opened just one store, like good old Emil Gottschalk did. And, that one store was the original downtown store. What better place for a rebirth?

Adding to this little fantasy, what if the River Park store sat vacant and the re-birthed downtown store was thriving? Poetic justice. Ahh well, a Fresno kid can dream, can't he?

Monday Morning Hangover: Forest City, Ramps, Watney, Newsrooms and Awesomeness

>>Forest City finally got the hint we don't want them here and left town Friday. Now the area can get on with the business of redevelopment and not worry about some do-nothing-developer looking over their shoulders. We don't think it's a coincidence that F-City dropped this news on a Friday afternoon, the time when most jerkfaces make press releases, hoping nobody would be paying attention.

>>The Fresno State Women's basketball team made Pat Hill look bad again by doing what Pat's football teams can't: Win a WAC Title.

>>Downtown is about to get another new eatery, this time on Kern Street, called the Newsroom Cafe. We're still working on getting an exact opening date but peering in this weekend, it looks pretty ready to open. Let's just hope there's some WiFi floating about.

>>One time Fresnan and Bulldog For Life, Nick Watney, traded shots with Lefty all weekend. Mickleson ended up with one less stroke. Tiger was on the outside looking in. Maybe Tiger needs a few pointers from Nick on how to be more awesome.

>>Saturday, Fresno opened the largest public skate ramp West of the Mississippi. I guess that idea about us being a future city for the X-Games wasn't that batshitcrazy after all.

Fres-Video: Completely Random Oldish Retailness

The following video is kinda creepy. It's not the weird music. Nope. It's the fact that I feel like this was made for someone with a Retail Storefronts Fetish. Anywayyys, it does have some mildly interesting reminders of closed Fresno businesses. Such as: Vons [Shaw and Marks], Home Express, Montgomery Ward, OG Circuit City and the Old Fashion Fair entrance. See if you can spot your old car - and stay awake till the end:

Manchester Center A Tourist Attraction?

Well, maybe not. But, the retail history nerds over at Labelscar.com came through town recently and did an amazingly complete post about our old-school mall, Manchester Center. The most interesting exert from the post:

"Before I get too histrionic, this is why I found Manchester Center in Fresno, California to be such a treat. It had been at least five years since I had discovered a mall quite like this one, and it was a shock to find such a creepy time capsule still completely open and accessible."

Creepy time capsule. If that doesn't get tourists shoppers in there, I don't know what will.

Forest City: Annoying Dudes Won't Leave

Just last week, peeps were rejoicing about the likely departure of Forest City. Thus, Freeing Downtown business owners to once again think about what they can do with their spaces, without the specter of a developer looking over their shoulders. Well, dammit all to development hell, but it looks like F-City isn't going anywhere, no matter how unwelcome they are.

From the Fresno Bee:

Forest City Enterprises announced layoffs in its corporate offices, but those will not have any ramifications in Fresno, where the company is making progress on its proposed South Stadium revitalization project.

Forest City has a $232 million plan to build 700 new homes, as well as stores and commercial buildings, in a six-block zone -- the first phase of the long-range South Stadium redevelopment project that eventually would transform 85 acres south of Chukchansi Park baseball stadium.

A draft environmental impact report for portions of the project should be released for public review in the next few weeks, said senior vice president Susan Smartt.

More attention can be focused on the Fresno project now that Forest City has finished an ambitious mixed-use development called Uptown Oakland that made over four blocks. The team that led that project is now hard at work on the Fresno plan.

Smartt said large-scale projects take time and urged people to be patient. "Oakland took eight years. When you are trying to change an area and revitalize an area, it is very challenging," she said.

LA Moms Yanking Gigs From Fresno Moms

LA and Frisco mommies are stealing Fresno's child labor gigs. Stage mom and blogger [Starlet] recently brought her daughter up from Los Angeles for a Gottschalks photo shoot. There were kids there from San Fran and Sherman Oaks too. Apparently there were no kids from Fresno modeling at the local retailer's shoot.

Come on North Fresno moms. You've got all kinds of time on your hands, pull your damn kids out of school and get them into the wonderful world of... child... modeling.

Worse yet, these lazyass kids just sat around playing cards and eating for most of the shoot. No wonder Gottshalks is having money trouble. Not only are they not working their child laborors hard enough, they're overpaying them.

Monday Hangover: Where the hell is everybody?

So I know I'm hella late to the party here but, man, the economy is kicking the local guy's ass. Have gone out lately? Nobody is out there.

You can get a table anywhere. I used to always wait for a table at the West Shaw Plaza Ventana. Now you can just walk right in and pick where you want to sit.

It's like that all over and it's worrisome. Good luck to those locals still out there, trying to make a go of it. Let's hope things have bottomed out.

Fresno's Bloggiest Moment of the Week: Closebucks

Starbucks + Bethany Clough + Mike Oz = A blog post comment storm, the top Fresno's blogosphere post for the week, and a coffee shop that's probably still closing. But, at least, Fresnans got to bitch about it.

Should you give a roasted bean if a Starbucks is closing? No. That's like caring about whether a playplace-less Mcdonald's is closing. But the truth is, I'm a hypocrite. Because, if the West and Shaw Taco Bell ever threatens to close, I'm the first one protesting and posting.

A Fresnan Public Service Announcement

Attention fellow Fresnans! There is no ranch dressing left at the Whole Foods salad bar. I took the last of it. So screw you, next guy!

Vons: Ingredients for drunks

You know when it's two in the afternoon and you're too sloshed to go down to the store and get more booze?  No?  Oh yeah,  totally me neither.  But for those who like a good afternoon-at-home buzz, but didn't stock up enough to keep your personal party going, Vons has your solution; and it doesn't involve having to see this.

Vons now does home delivery to most areas of Fresno.  Yes, that includes booze.  And yes pothead, that includes Lucky Charms and all Hostess products.

[Disclosure: I once worked for Vons.  Much love to crews from stores 25, 506 (pictured right), 182 and 180.  All the stores are now closed...sigh]