iloveriverhead

How iloveriverhead came to be…

In February 2009, on a grey, wintery day, I found myself downtown. I may have been down there for something, although now it’s hard to imagine what. It was so empty and bleak.

As I walked down Main Street, behind Main Street, and through its alleyways, I took pictures. The images were of empty storefronts, locked entryways, defunct buildings, stairways leading nowhere, passages to nothing. The former West Marine store had a pile of icy snow out front that resembled a beached whale. There was a silly pink flamingo in the former Sweezey’s window. There was a lock on the door of a building adjacent to the Suffolk Theater. This is where the dinosaur museum was, and this is where the pet store was, and this is where Ben Franklin was, and wow, look at the huge empty space inside that Woolworth’s Building!

As I walked and shot photos, I became a little sentimental and sad. I felt what downtown would feel if it had feelings: dejected, demoralized, depressed. I knew that this entity didn’t deserve to feel that way. It was loved. It had been loved. It defied reason why it wasn’t being loved now… its beautiful river, its historic buildings, its tree-lined streets with lovingly planted flower boxes and lighting and flags.

I’ll admit I’ve also shopped on Route 58, at Tanger Outlets, and online. Over the years I’ve tried to support downtown, going out of my way for a purchase or a meal or an activity. I’ve been pro-Riverhead for many years in the face of snickering and derision from others. But it wasn’t enough. I guess we just underestimate what it takes to keep a downtown surviving and thriving today (more than we know).

Regardless, it was unacceptable, I thought. I felt mad to tell you the truth. In this scenic hub of the East End, how could there be such a lack of imagination, such a lack of effort, such outright defeat? What mythological forces were at play? Why does Riverhead get such a bad rap when I know for a fact it’s a great town? What is the benefit, and to whom, of such degradation? Why should our children have to identify with a town with a downtown in this condition?

What can be done about it? I was only one person, and no one else seemed to care. Should we move somewhere else? Or should I accept things as they are and try to do what I can? Since moving is a big job, and since it’s always the same these days anyway no matter where you go: things aren’t looking too good; I resolved to give a little civic effort and see what happens.

I took my photos and composed a post on my personal blog about my, ahem, downtown excursion. Comments on blogs are typically few, but this post got a lot of comments from near and far. How depressing, they said! You’ve really captured downtown right now. Friends threatened to bring a UHaul and get me out of Riverhead. And another said, “Let’s storm town hall!” People do care! They care about the town, and they care about me.

As far as I could tell, there was no civic group or community group focused on downtown. I started a Facebook group and a website, calling it simply “iloveriverhead” for anyone anywhere who loves Riverhead and wanted to see downtown Riverhead revitalized. People joined. Before I knew it there were 100 members of the group. And before I knew it, many hundreds. I was not alone in my love of Riverhead and frustration with what has become of downtown.

I tried to articulate why it matters. Are downtowns a relic of the past? No, a downtown is a reflection of a town. A downtown is a town’s hub. A downtown is a town’s local business people and entrepreneurs and risk takers and trend setters and seekers. It’s a place that expresses its people. It’s a commons and a meeting area, an essential thing in a world where people have become so isolated and lonely and burdened by by trends in the world. It seemed to resonate.

My activities were brought to the attention of the Cardinale administration, and I was invited to join a downtown roundtable group, which was discussing and addressing the state of downtown, led by the town’s Community Development Director. The idea was to engage people in downtown through social media and collaborate on joint projects to bring downtown back to life. One project that all of downtown was able to collaborate on was a downtown summer photo contest. It was an online contest with the public involved in voting. Over 30 photographers competed for awards, submitting over 300 photos. The photos were able to capture truly amazing images of downtown. They showed love, dedication, hope, aspiration, and hard work. It was an absolute inspiration!

Unfortunately, what I discovered, too, in getting involved in downtown and meeting so many “players” was another kind of history. This history was not charming, and it was the history that too many players had with each other. Dysfunctional organizations, personal grudges, rivalries, unaddressed issues, politics, other pressing priorities and problems, and possibly even corruption, have crippled Main Street. So many of the key players, such as landlords, heads of organizations and agencies, don’t live in Riverhead. Our local small business people and the town’s residents are left to defend a dreadful image.

Rallying for positive change is possible for moments in time with very strong leadership, but it’s not the default setting. One is aware that there’s always a tinderbox ready to blow. The fact of the matter is that there is too much childishness and not enough civility and common courtesy when it comes to downtown. This fighting, the battlefield, and the spoils are like drugs to some people, and those of us who want peace and prosperity are just missing the point. Right?

I confess, I have found myself getting caught up in it all at times. I try not to, and I try to remain positive and keep my inner lizard from acting on my behalf. It’s the positive energy of so many others that has helped keep me on track and out of trouble. We are a network of individuals, organizations and businesses committed and determined to move things in the right direction. At times, I have not felt especially welcome downtown, and why should I be welcome? I’m here to ask questions, do something positive.

Fortunately, I have the support of so many residents of Riverhead when I say, “Let’s clean up this mess.” Being a member of a community obliges us to get involved, know what’s going on, attend meetings, make our opinions and wishes known, and help find solutions. Otherwise, we can look at downtown and know it’s our doing, too.

I and those who have joined with me in the iloveriverhead movement have pledged to keep on this until things change. We need your help because we need to show that people care, we need resources, and we need feet on the ground downtown. Our effort is a community-driven one, with a mission of engaging people in downtown and helping to promote downtown businesses that we want to see succeed against the odds. Please join with us!

And remember, you don’t need some big attraction to go to, all you need is a leisurely stroll through ordinary life to get an eye-full. And downtown really is quite lovely. So please go downtown, browse what’s there, have a bite to eat, see the river, and take a look around. Soon!

Nancy Swett
Organizer/Editor & Publisher
iloveriverhead.com

email: info@iloveriverhead.com