Washingtonian Center: an example of a successful lakefront

Last week, I wrote about a few concerns I have with Cy Paumier's proposal for the lakefront and I said I might have some possible ideas.  Now that I'm writing it, it's less "ideas that could work" and more "case studies we can learn from."  They're a few ideas that work in other areas with similar attributes, but none of this will translate directly to us.  I am thinking this might be a few posts going forward (fingers crossed, right), but for now, I'll start with an example of a vibrant lakefront area to the south of us in Montgomery County-- Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg.

Check out this interactive map of Washingtonian Center here to get some bearings as to what it looks like and what it has.

This place is busy.  The walkable shopping district on a lakefront offers a wide variety of stores and restaurants in an outdoor setting.  There is destination retail-- Omaha Steaks, GNC, Love Your Eyes.  There are stores that encourage browsing-- Charming Charlie, Barnes & Noble, South Moon Under. There are chain and independently-owned restaurants with a wide variety of menu options and price point that entice people passing with outdoor seating and menus on A-frame signs along walkways. There are also quick-stop eateries where people can grab coffee, cupcakes, tart yogurt, and more to sip and nibble while walking or seated at benches scattered around the area.

I can't forget the 18-screen movie theater, the department stores (Target and Kohl's), and the health club.

Essentially, Washingtonian Center is designed to encourage people to come and stay by offering a variety of things for people who come for a variety of reasons.  And there are certainly diverse groups of people who come here-- families, folks who are browsing, folks on a shopping mission, teenagers.  And for folks who are not coming for the retail and restaurants, but want to walk around the lake with a friend or rent a paddleboat or simply sit on a bench and people-watch-- there is an energy that only people can provide to participate in, to soak in, and to be a part of.

Like our lakefront, there's a lake that is close to offices and dense-ish housing.  There is plenty of parking in the area in the form of lots and garages, and I get the feeling that while there is some draw from the folks within walking distance, there are many people who drive, park once, and walk around.  It's in a suburban area in a wealthy county with easy access to a multitude of highways (I-270, I-370, the ICC), so this isn't an example pulled out of a large city-- it's in a suburban area that is very similar to our own.

At the same time, retail, restaurants, and entertainment like this at out lakefront would in direct competition with the mall, an anchor of our downtown.  Another consideration to weigh is if we (however you want to define the collective "we") want the lakefront to be ringed with shops or be more of a park-like atmosphere.  But like I said at the beginning, this is a case study of a more successful lakefront (by my definition of success, I guess), if nothing else.  To me, it says that if we want to truly create a lakefront that will generate economic vitality, then we need to ensure that folks who generate that vitality on the ground are involved in any lakefront plans.

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In the meantime, in case you haven't noticed, posting has been slow.  Right now, I'm spinning plates in a host of ways in real life, so bear with me.  I'm not complaining-- much of it is awesome and fun and great-- but it's still taking some blogging time for the time being.