There was once a time in this quiet little city when it wasn't so quiet. The downtown core of Main Street hustled and bustled with the activity of people going from shop to shop. Now, the most someone can find are couples in the summer who want to take an afternoon stroll.
"I want it to be busy again," said Sarah Smith, a local resident who didn't want to be identified by her real name. "There should be nice shops and not businesses in every other store."
Smith's comments echo quite a few other residents' sentiments. It's nice and convenient having three banks on one street, but where are the small specialty shops that sell novelty items you can't get anywhere else? The most native and Humboldt-feeling shop on Main Street is the Danish Oven.
"I want to see open markets that sell fresh fruits and veggies," said Jane Doe, another local who didn't want to be identified by name. "There should also be something for the kids, like theatre days. You should be able to just drop your kids off and then shop until you drop."
Unsurprisingly, a lot of residents are still quite upset about there no longer being a grocery store downtown. The older residents especially find it difficult when all they want is a bag of milk or a carton of eggs.
"I tried walking to the new Co-op grocery store once and it was like a day's journey," said Jerome Angelstad, owner of Angelstad's Shoe Repair Shop. "There should be some kind of farmer's market downtown again."
It's possible not everyone is aware that there is already a farmers' market in the senior hall every Saturday.
Angelstad also wasn't hesitant about pointing out a number of things in the downtown area that could be improved. The intersection at Main Street and 9th Street needs to be more pedestrian friendly and there's too much truck traffic between downtown and the grocery stores.
Moreover, they should be moving the stores for "older folks" closer to downtown so that they're easier to get to (such as the shop that sells hearing aides).
"There can only be so many restaurants before you have too many and they start going out of business," said Angelstad. "Things will start to change. We have enough hair salons."
He also said there needs to be more trees and park benches in the downtown core. All those people strolling down Main Street need a place to sit, after all, since they're not shopping as much anymore.
"There should be at least one pub downtown," said Julia Altstadt, an employee at Sixth Avenue Stylists. "We also need a coffee shop, a place with atmosphere."
For individuals used to having a morning cup of Tim Hortons' coffee, their current location is quite inconvenient. It makes no sense to drive all the way out there for a coffee when you usually only need to walk five minutes to get to work.
Moreover, some people who are used to living in a city want to feel like a snob once in a while with a hot cup of java. That can only be done by drinking either a venti-sized latte from Starbucks or a regular cup of coffee in an abnormally large mug from a place with an outdoor patio.
"There should also be street meat and small food vendors on the streets," said Kayla Schlosser, another local resident. "Little events in the park and street dances and festivals would be good as well."
Most people living in Ontario know that if there's one thing Toronto is known for, it's their street meat. As disgustingly unhealthy and unsanitary as it is often rumoured to be, it is still probably the best sausage one can taste while downtown.
According to these local opinions, it's time Humboldt started building such a reputation as well.
Finally, and perhaps the most pertinently, is the belief that downtown requires better parking. This is not simply a light request by the locals; it's a demand. In the winter, residents have two choices. They can either park behind the buildings in some horribly plowed, badly organized parking lot, or fight for a spot on Main Street on lumpy, hardened, three-foot-high snow banks.
In the summer, it's a careful balance between waiting patiently enough for a spot in front to clear up or risk ticking off the ten drivers behind you who are late to a morning meeting. If a train has just passed through, that number is probably doubled, as are their tempers.
"We need better parking, even if we have to pay $2," said Amanda, an employee of Jenga'z Salon. "We definitely need better parking downtown."
Overall, the downtown area has quite a bit of ways to go, but most people seem to want it to go in the direction of culture. People seem to want more coffee shops, more pubs, more choices of food (including both grocery stores and restaurants), and more catering to pedestrians.
It's all about convenience. Making things easier and more attractive for consumers will eventually bring back the hustle and bustle of the once lively downtown.
"There used to be so much more here," said Smith. "Downtown was actually downtown."
