SOUNDING OFF:Surf City Nights: pros, cons and ideas

My family of three plus our Huntington Beach friend were pleased at the crowd and traffic we found Tuesday night for the first Surf City Night. We chose to attend to show our support, and hope to come back and see if things improve with time. Here are some comments, pro and con, based on our experience. I’ve also added suggestions and potential areas for improvement:

Pros:

We were very impressed with the turnout; the line of cars at the parking structure showed that many visitors came out on a Tuesday.

The farmers market seemed to be doing brisk business, and by about 8:30 p.m., the fresh fruits/veggies were pretty much gone.

There seemed to be many people mingling, watching acts and eating in most outside dining areas.

With police officers visible, it felt safe (if not overkill at some intersections).

Bringing in extra restroom facilities was probably required — it was nice that they seem fairly clean and accessible.

Having a variety of live acts was a new addition to usual street closures.

Cons:

Circulation was a bit chaotic. Can organizers consider a serpentine path through the street, maybe having 30-foot lengths of concentrated activity on one side, alternated by the same on the other (forcing foot traffic to meander)? As it was, with the farmers market all on one side, we wonder if businesses on one side or the other were affected by the layout and spotty “placement” of acts.

The street felt dark in the middle. It is not set up with appropriate pedestrian-level lighting where it is needed for circulation. Could spot lights or other alternate lighting sources be brought in?

There were several signs disallowing dogs, yet there were many people with dogs (many were being carried due to the signs). Since we saw no outdoor eating except in fenced areas, is there really a legal reason dogs are not allowed? Dogs get full range of walking at Fashion Island, for example, and allowing them would seem to promote the family-friendly goal.

Not every business seemed to embrace or participate in the opportunity presented.

Tuna Town was packed inside, but its outdoor dining was empty and closed off, as was the dining area just north of Tuna Town (Luigi’s). Perhaps these areas could be “rented” to other entities or booths so these areas don’t seem relatively dark and deserted.

Not enough “young kid friendly” activities were presented.

If the intent is to encourage families and kids, perhaps a kid-only fun zone, or a couple of focused areas with stations or activities would be better received than the spotty placement of a couple of activities for kids. Perhaps this is how the unused dining areas could be filled. Our 4-year old did not have the patience to wait in the very long line at Mr. Balloon. She did enjoy chasing the bubbles, though.

Not all the businesses seemed prepared. We ate dinner at the HB Brewery, and the staff there was overwhelmed, even though it was not at all full. We had a very long wait for food, beverage and service.

This doesn’t compare to a permanent street promen- ade. As I have written before, a “true” mall would have the permanent infrastructure and amenities required as well as the triangulation of anchor businesses to create the required traffic flow at all hours. As a weekly “festival,” I think this can succeed, even if the activities seemed a bit forced.

Here’s another thought regarding “branding:”

Branding of an image is very important in any successful venture. What does downtown Huntington Beach want to be? We speak of family-friendly, kids, etc. We saw many young adults and teens enjoying things like the tap dancers, music and games. Is there a reason we are not trying to embrace what we already have as our core clients — young people? What brand or image does Surf City want to use? How do we best promote that through this weekly event? Can we expand the Surf City brand to include other demographics without straying from the branding?

Lastly, has anyone yet completed a business-by-business survey to see how this went? Was traffic up? Did people spend more than on a regular Tuesday? What suggestions for change would the business owners propose?

We look forward to seeing how this event grows.