New Chinatown has been taken over by another sub shop. Crowbar shut its doors to progressive and punk rock fans without so much as a goodbye. Today the downtown record store Arboria is set to close its doors due to slow music sales. It also appears that Mio Zio, known for its delicious crepes, has gone out of business, judging by the announcements on its glass doors.
In my eyes, these Downtown State College spots do not just vend products but hold many fond memories for past and present Penn State students. Many a Penn State alumnus has spent countless nights and days downtown, hanging out at places like Webster's or the Shandygaff, bonding with friends, meeting new folks with similar interests and encountering situations that will become stories they will tell to their future grandchildren. The character and irresistible charm about local establishments that create an experience for Penn State students can never be replicated anywhere else.
It is the unique offering of the merchant that has no contest from anyone else in town. The one-of-a-kind décor of the place that makes you smile when you see it because you know you are in a place that will give you a product that does not have its offerings produced en masse for distribution to its millions of branches nationwide or worldwide. Perhaps for some, it is the on-a-first-name-basis relationship they have with the owner and its staff. Not simply the well-trained, glittering smiles and greetings you receive in chain businesses.
Two years ago, when it was close to the fall graduation date, I remember seeing two guys strolling down College Avenue with a video camera. People peered curiously because they were clearly filming something. It took me a while to realize that they wanted to get a good shot of all the shops along the entire length of College Avenue before they left Penn State for good.
Imagine what a nasty shock it would be for them if they returned five years from now and found that many of the local spots dear to them had vanished.
We are all aware that the business world is volatile in nature, but surely local downtown merchants are worthy of support from the Penn State and local community. We, the consumers, are partially responsible for determining the survival of these businesses when we decide if we will patronize a place. Many of us have taken to patronizing larger chain stores in town rather than their local counterparts, and this hurts local businesses. Although we have every right to choose products that are more economical, that is not always the most ethical decision.
Arboria, for example, must have lost much of its music revenue to online piracy. According to the American Federation of Musicians, record store sales have been dropping by 20 percent in the past few years for that very reason. After 30 years of building a reputation in State College, Arboria was struck down easily by a force beyond the owner's control.
I am not asking everyone to rush out in droves and start buying from every local store in State College, but there are ways that we can contribute to their business without even trying. For example, you and your friends and family could choose to go to a local restaurant rather than one of those big food outlets. Why patronize a place that serves food with sub-par quality and that is fat-laden?
It is heartbreaking that local businesses that have so much to offer their own community, are being forced to close over reasons that are beyond their control. We can help by playing our role as supportive consumers. It really is not that hard to remember that local merchants exist in State College, and that their prices cannot be that much higher than the alternatives.
For the businesses that have already closed, however, whatever thoughts of future support will do no good because they are gone for good, existing only in the minds of those who enjoyed their products.
