Three key attributes of CoolTowns are choice, convenience and diversity.  That’s certainly the case when grocery shopping, and I’ll use Adams Morgan as an example, all within walking distance from my home.

As you discovered this week, there’s no shortage of large-scale supermarkets, with a Whole Foods and two Safeways  There’s also a small, discrete Safeway.

Going clockwise from top left in the image, there’s a late-night grocery that’s a popular stop-over before going to people’s

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As mentioned in Tuesday’s blog, since chain stores rule the supermarket business, it takes some creativity to maintain a little local neighborhood identity.

There are three Safeways within walking distance from where I live, and all of them have something in common that may surprise suburbanites: Zero parking....and yes, they’re full of customers.  I guess having three nearby is also somewhat surprising (wait until tomorrow’s blog!), and the neat thing about living in a community-oriented

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Since just about every large-scale supermarket in today’s ultra-competitive grocery world is a chain, Safeway took it upon themselves to truly fit in… they took their name off the store!

“Townhouse” is the only sign outside the store.  There isn’t even a logo in the window.  This is a good strategy for how locals can help retain the identity of their own neighborhood without being awash in a me-too assembly line of chains, especially when the only choice is a chain.

Unfortunately, this store

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Typically when a large-scale supermarket moves into a neighborhood it brings with it a large-scale parking lot in front.  The great thing about close-knit neighborhoods is that the residents would never stand for it.

Take this example of a brand new Whole Foods that opened in Dupont Circle/Logan Circle in Washington DC - all the parking is underground or above the store and completely out of view.  The only evidence of parking is the car entryway to the right of the store.  Shoppers can use

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Target is easily the department store of choice by urbanites and creatives (who endearingly pronounce it tar-ZHAY) simply because it combines two of their favorite qualities - affordability and classy talent-over-big-name design.

Still, if such a national chain is still sending most of a community’s dollars out of town, is there any viable alternative?

How about a department store that stocked what you wanted, say, because you owned it?

Residents of Plentywood, Montana did just that -

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The next generation of music buyers won’t be shopping at Wal-mart and Best Buy, they’ll be visiting their local music store or staying at home.

Local music stores
What if you could walk into your local neighborhood music store and listen to the hottest new local area artists - live?  What if that music store turned into a live band juke box?  That’s the idea behind the fast-growing trend of independent music alliances, typically about 30-40 non-competing small music stores, with the first

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At a restaurant in Washington DC, an associate from Alabama told me about this amazing store in the small town of Hilo, Hawaii (my hometown).  I never heard of it at the time, but now I know where the buzz is coming from.

Sig Zane is a local fisherman, surfer, dancer, artist and cultural practitioner (his bio is a must-read) who translated his deep understanding and practice of local culture into art that can be experienced by everyone, especially clothes.  It is this strong relationship to

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I’m on vacation for the next few days in Hilo, Hawaii, my hometown, but I’ll still report on what I find here.

While Hilo may not be a CoolTown per se, like any town it has its qualities.  For instance, you really can’t have a CoolTown without a farmer’s market, and the Hilo Farmers Market is one of the best.  Offering a variety of items from exotic produce to seafood and flowers to bongo drums, it’s a must for locals and tourists alike.

What makes farmers markets so cool?  The items are

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As we evolve from a service economy to an experience economy, diners are seeking more than just good food, they’re looking for a great time.

One of the popular restaurant types in is Ethiopian cuisine, which is essentially a giant pizza-sized serving of soft bread with varieties of spreads and fillings you combine yourself.

The best part to me is that you get to break all the rules.  First of all, you sit on the floor.  Second, you share from a common serving dish, and

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How can a town be fun if you don’t have fun places to eat? My favorite restaurant when I lived in San Francisco was The Coriya Hot Pot, and still is.

The basic concept of this all-you-can-eat experience is that you cook your own food - known as hot pot dining - or hot-potting. All the vegetables, meats, etc. are laid out like a salad bar for you to choose from, followed by sauces (of which you can use recommended combinations).  The fun part comes when you start cooking your preferences on

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