Oh Pittsfield, you've gone and done it again! Wait, before I start to criticize you, which is really unnecessary, I will take the more intelligent route and actually think before I type. While compared to the big city of Los Angeles or even the not-so-big cities of Raleigh or Chapel Hill NC or even Northampton, you're lacking in a billion areas. But, believe it or not, the one area you actually excel in is giving the people something to do. This change hasn't happened overnight mind you and while 2010 is very different from 1980, I would say that since you can't go back in time (as much as I'd like to), 2010 is probably the most culturally active Pittsfield has been in decades.
Usually, the major complaint is that "there is nothing to do" and while this was partially true in the dark days of Pittsfield when General Electric was in the business of polluting and employing the general populace. Back then, there was really nothing that interesting to do. There was the Cinema Center, which when you think about it was like the Wal-Mart of movie theaters. It was the last stop before you reached hell. There was Thee Arcade, which was always fun if you wanted to potentially have a run in with some sketchy characters and of course, there was the old standby of cruising down North Street. Don't get me wrong, this was actually a ton of fun. When I sit out here on a night light this, a beautiful summer night, I can't help but to think back to days when hanging out down here was fun! This was the place we had to go on the weekends and I'm from Dalton, which makes it all the funnier. People would start at the car wash and once their rides were all clean, they'd head onto "up street". For the record, the entire strip was called "up street". Sure it was stupid, but it was fun and I'm sure it drove the cops nuts but at least they knew where everyone was. That's not to say it was full of bunch of troublemakers, it wasn't. I'm sure there were relationships started and finished "up street". The only thing on my mind during school on Friday night in the summer was going down to North Street. I couldn't wait to come home and get the hell out of my house. Whether it was to see a movie, go to a game (which was an excuse to get out of the house) or simply do nothing but drive around listening to music at ridiculously high volumes and screaming at passing cars like a moron, the major goal was to leave!
For years from what I am to understand, North Street went down the toilet and in all reality, most of Pittsfield went with it. Jobs moved and people followed. It was sad because after living many places in my life, I have come to really love this place. Sure, going away is good too and everyone should at least once but I felt that for some reason, this is where I belong.
What is truly strange about the progress of time and the mass exodus from Pittsfield is that in 2010 there are more entertainment options for everyone and not just the tourists or second homeowners. Those options are still here too, but for the locals, there literally are tons of things to do right in town regardless of what you are interested in. The key challenge is to price it within the locals' hourly waged budget. That ain't easy my friend.
There's at least four distinct scenes within happening on North Street and all are growing rapidly. We now have an active gallery scene, a growing food scene (except we're lacking a real Thai food restaurant and have at least 4 pizza shops within walking distance from each other), a growing music scene and a growing theater scene. This is not including the Beacon Cinema or the retailers (there are many new ones too)!
Yet, with all of these new options on North Street, every one of these thriving ventures is struggling somewhat with the reality of there being a lot less people in Pittsfield willing to come downtown to do anything or to spend money because it's much harder to come by expendable income when you're working your second job at 11pm. This is a problem. Also, North Street still can't shake the reputation it had during the late 1990's when people thought of it as a place to get mugged or buy crack. It looked ugly and there needed to be a change. There was and still is a change happening currently and it's awesome to see.
I've heard it from parents who, were probably cruising this same street when they were teenagers with not a care in the world, drop their kids off to a show here only to hear them mutter "Stay here, don't go outside at all!" Now, okay, sure, if this were say 2am and three doe-eyed teenagers were walking down any street in any city, something might happen criminal in nature, but I hardly think that would happen around 30 other kids here to see some bands. I found that statement to be somewhat funny, but pretty insulting at the same time. People who smoke go outside or they just go out to get some air or hang out for a little bit while still being at the show. I've never known any walk-by mugging to take place or a drive-by shooting either, but I think these people are under the impression Rebel Sound Records is a dark dismal joint similar to Thee Arcade from their youth. Well, it's not but this isn't about that how we're not Thee Arcade or how we're an alcohol-free venue. Yet, the protective power parent monitored things from the car and when more people did show up, he came in and grabbed the kids, forever embarrassing them and making himself look like Mr. Ass quite frankly.
If there was a point, it would be that while downtown Pittsfield faded away from our minds as a safe destination throughout the 1990's, it's actually becoming safe place once again and there's life back down here! People actually choose to live here, which is mind-boggling, yet they do it and still do it at this moment. I'm not going to mention everything by name, because I'll forgot some I'm sure, but on the entire street in summer its pretty cool to be able to walk around and see live music (cover bands, underground bands on tour and jazz groups to name a few), catch a theatrical production Off-Broadway caliber or even experimental productions, live comedy or even take a casual drumming class outside! I mean, really, this downtown corridor has completely done a 180 and quite impressive.
Now, the bad part, there always has to be one right? The bad part is the competition any of these ventures has with the internet (hello Facebook), video games, partying or television. The competition existed to some extent back in the pre-internet dark ages, but not to level of 2010. I couldn't think of anything I rather do than not sit at home and be around my family. I wanted to get the hell out of Dodge! Why anyone sits at home and thinks that's cool and something to do is completely illogical! Okay, sure hanging out on Facebook or My Space (so '07) or playing video games or watching television is completely awesome, but when you're not in school for almost 3 months, how is that awesome for 10-12 hours a day? I hate to say it, but that sucks. For years, the excuse was there's nothing to do. There are many things to do now, in your lifetime and yet what's chosen over doing something truly social is very strange.
Okay, so the Berkshire Mall somehow became the safe babysitter for the modern day power parents, but come on, are you that brainwashed against rebelling? Wandering aimlessly in the mall (not shopping) but going to Spencer's and Hot Topic has replaced imagination and that's pathetic. I remember the day of growing up (yes, I still remember) and had I opted to stay at home rather than do something fun, I would've probably jumped in front of a bus. At best, there is no rain in the mall and you can get some coffee, but for the most part, the mall is a complete joke. When it first opened (or attempted to, there was a time when Pittsfield fought the mall opening like we were fighting a way) there were literally tons of cool stores all over the place. It was pretty incredible. There were stores that sold actually records, two bookstores, eventually a solid comic book store, a flavored popcorn store, gourmet ice cream, Sbarro's....take my word for it, it was pretty cool in that respect. How many people were using the mall as a hangout? Zero. The mall was uncool and it still is. Instead of hanging out with a bunch of friends who all looked weird to the commoners, if any one of my friends showed up at the mall with even so much as a Ramones shirt or Chuck Taylor's, we'd get hassled by any number of idiots that hung out there. Okay, so we get it, you conquered the mall, big deal. Everyone looks like the poster child for Hot Topic. Cool.
So, where are all the kids downtown? Where are all the people downtown? I would've killed for a place and town this cool when I grew up!
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