Imagine a charming, historic, Jersey Shore town on the water; a downtown with dozens of great restaurants, lots of one-of-a-kind interesting shops, and some excellent cultural venues. Add to this already tempting mix, a Main street in the heart of that downtown which is closed to vehicular traffic, effectively creating a huge pedestrian mall, allowing for outdoor dining, shopping, snacking, strolling and people-watching without a car in sight.
If this dream sounds too good to be true, please know that it is not a fantasy; it already exists. The Washington Street Mall in Cape May is all of the above, and has become a wildly successful hub for the town, a popular tourist destination, and a truly fun place to visit. The only downside is that it is an almost two-hour drive from our Two River area.
However, if we can find a little bit of good luck to enjoy in this upside-down COVID-19 world we now live in, we don’t have to travel far from home to enjoy the pleasures of a pedestrian mall. It is being born right in our own backyard. Due to the economic hardships the pandemic has caused many of the restaurants and shops in town, Red Bank has just created their own version of the Cape May concept in an attempt to provide much needed support for the lifeblood of our community, and to draw us back to the pleasures that this jewel of a town offers.
The Red Bank Borough Council has started by closing Broad Street (from Front Street to Wallace Street) to vehicles, from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, and Monmouth Street (from Broad Street to Maple Avenue) from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. every Sunday. Restaurants have created outdoor dining arrangements which should appeal to many folks who are ready to leave the house and go out for a good meal. There are people who may be leery initially to enter a restaurant indoors, even after it is allowed once again, so sitting at a proper, socially distant table, in the greater safety of the outdoors, sounds appealing to them at the moment.
Please bear in mind that we need to support these establishments if we want them to survive; it is projected that 25% – 35% of restaurants across the country will not reopen, or still be operating, by the time this pandemic has been brought under control.
We would like to see this pedestrian mall plan extended permanently. It is good for business, will attract diners and shoppers from the immediate area and those from further afield. There will also be synergy between the shops and restaurants, with shoppers seeking food and diners patronizing the shops.
Bear in mind that many of these businesses employed local workers and we would like them to have a chance to return to work. The dedication of the restaurant owners, in particular, during this crisis, has been nothing short of remarkable, so we as patrons need to rally around them. We want to be able return to our favorite dining destinations to share the comfort of good food and drink with family and friends. What better way to again enjoy a meal outside of our home, served by folks so appreciative of our patronage? Also, we are eager to visit those unique shops we are so fond of, in person, instead of having to buy everything online.
One need only to look at the great success of Cape May’s Washington Street Mall to see that this idea of a pedestrian mall is a natural fit for Red Bank. If we adopt this current arrangement permanently, it will be of great benefit to our business community and area residents alike, so it deserves serious consideration.
The article originally appeared in the July 2 – 8, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
