Downtown as our city center? Will it happen again?

[MRusso]

Downtown Bakersfield used to be the heart of the city. What changes need to happen for it to have that role again? Do you feel that it is improving and moving in that direction? Do you feel it is possible for Chester Ave to be Bakersfield's Main Street again?

[Dawn Woltz]

As a resident of Bakersfield since 1984 I have watched a struggle to transform and recapture the spirit of Downtown Bakersfield. To begin, ouur street fairs have simply lost any quaint or charming qualities that were once enjoyed. I want to walk down the street, see all the shops open to showcase their wares or services again. I want to see fruit and vegetable stands again. I want to hear live music and from artists in the area. No musician's music should be louder than the other so one can walk along and capture the many varieties available. No boring, recorded music. There's plenty of artists. There should be booths with people's crafts, not what you can buy at the 99cent store. Put the stands directly in the middle with the middle island the partician between each other's sides. Reduce the cost of entry. Restrict the entrants to seasonal and entertaining venues. Mostly, restrict repetitious entrants. There is no excuse street fairs to take on the same, "Take All with No Care for Who" like our planners do with parts of Bakeresfield. You can drive down North Chester Avenue and see more tattoo parlors within a 2 miles distance as if they were fireworks stands (another sore spot) Allow local talent to showcase itself so there's something to see, hear and taste. Make it fun again. It used to be.