text: My wife and I, over the years, spent time in Seattle visiting old friends.  We've also spent time in Portland.  Both cities have commercial/retail neighbors with those small, independent, locally owned shops and restauants. Those are the neighborhoods we really enjoyed.   We also enjoy Corvallis, whose downtown (which avoided the disaster of 70s era Urban Renewal) has dozens of those shops.  Broadway in Eugene is, to me, an effort to promote such a downtown. 
  
   However, for such businesses to be successful, shoppers must actually enjoy walking down the street, "window shopping", visiting those shops, and having pleasant exchanges with others who are doing the same.  Given the unpleasant atmosphere in Downtown Eugene today, we "non-travelers" are far more apt to avoid the area than to go there.  That's a real shame for everyone involved.  Again, I'm 74 and wish to "go places" I find pleasant and be around people I find at least respectful.  that's not today's downtown Eugene.