What Makes Downtown Mall / Amphitheater a Great Place?
The Downtown Mall functions much like a small scale Las Ramblas: a series of narrow, historic streets open up onto a lively central thoroughfare. The area is typically quite crowded with shoppers, professionals, tourists, and loiterers, so safety feels like a non-issue. Cars are banned from the Mall, but a municipal bus service and several parking garages supply transportation options. The place makes a grand first impression, particularly on Friday nights, when locals, visitors, performers, and vendors, as well as patrons of multiple outdoor cafes fill the Mall. The people who use the Mall span a range of age and socioeconomic groups who all use the area as a safe and accessible public space. With so many people about (even into the wee hours of the morning) and a lack of cars, even women walking alone feel quite comfortable. The space is continually filled with shoppers, diners, and people simply taking walks. A wide variety of restaurants, shops, offices, theaters, and public buildi
