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Health & Fitness

Un-Chain My Heart?

Chain stores in downtown Los Gatos seem to have replaced small business owners.

Since I am not a longtime resident of Los Gatos, I do not have the memories of what has been referred to as “the way Los Gatos used to be” by some of my longtime resident friends.

A lament to the gold ole’ days started during a normal weekday run with a friend … a proclaimed local, concerned citizen and small business supporter. It started with a discussion about plastic bags (which I will save for another day) and ended with ranting about the more recent changes to downtown Los Gatos.

The question posed was, “Why would you even need to go to Valley Fair?” At first, I didn’t even understand the question. The answer to my blank stare: “Because downtown Los Gatos is so full of chain stores now there isn’t any need.”

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Ah ha! I get it now. So began the debate and review of downtown Los Gatos history. I was told there was everything from a fabulous silver store, to independently owned kitchen stores to clothing boutiques. Now Los Gatos is inhabited by the likes of Sur La Table, Gap, Williams Sonoma, etc.

The next comment was, “Why not just have a Macy’s, too.” Apparently, the rent has become so high, the local business owner has been chased away only to make room for large chain stores that can afford such rent. 

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I must say, as my education continued, I started chiming in with comments about America becoming totally generic … the notion that you could be in any U.S. city on any given day; be standing in a strip mall or shopping mall and have no indication of where you are, right? 

I am curious if most Los Gatos residents feel this way? Are they sad at what Los Gatos has become or happy they can shop at the stores they know and love; where they can purchase and return the same items online, the mall or in another state for that matter? If, in fact, it was merely the change in rent that has driven local businesses out; was there public outcry? Did anyone try to stop this? It doesn’t take a genius to figure out there are a small number of things that drive these changes … more tax revenue, more tax revenue, oh wait! Let’s not forget, more tax revenue.

This short-term local would love to hear the opinions from the voices of this town!

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