Walpole Center was once a popular hangout spot for adolescents in middle school through high school. However, over the past few years, it has not been as popular as it once was. Numerous people find Walpole Center boring and dull—therefore, not many individuals go there anymore. Countless local businesses are not recognized for their true potential because they lack shoppers. Additionally, various shops have gone out of business in the past few years due to the absence of customers. There is also little diversity in the age of customers in these stores. Walpole Center is not as lively as it could be. There are, however, many things that we as a community could do to solve this issue.
On a day-to-day basis, Walpole Center is home to many dreary businesses such as restaurants and salons. However, when Walpole organizes events in the center of town, like Main Street Live with live music and food trucks, people are more inclined to support the town’s efforts to build community. Although these events can be very entertaining and profitable, they are time-consuming to plan and host, which means that on an everyday basis, few people participate in supporting local businesses.
Across Main Street, despite a variety of offerings, numerous shops are not decorated properly and are not very eye-catching, resulting in a lack of community support. As a result, without people supporting these businesses, these stores cannot gain the traction to become more adored in town. If the community were to pay more attention to these stores and shop from them, they could remain in business and attract new customers over time.
Even though supporting local businesses helps the amount of activity in downtown the shops need to acknowledge age inclusivity. Not many stores are considered age-inclusive for older and younger people. For instance, establishments such as a market, bakery or arcade could attract patrons of all ages.
Additionally, neighboring towns host community events to bring the town together, which Walpole could implement as well. For example, Sharon recently had a carnival, with rides, food, and more. Things like this are what give energy to the atmosphere of downtown and make it a fun experience to go with friends and family.
Downtown Walpole is a place with lots of potential. In order to encourage the opening of new businesses, people in town should also continue to support the old shops that have been there to keep the current businesses thriving and to make the center a worthwhile hub for new offerings. With more interest in supporting businesses and more efforts to build community, Walpole center could be revitalized to appeal to citizens of all ages.