In this particular case the blue collar population of Easton did not leave these businesses. They left us. The bowling alley closed-I believed because of the death of the owner. Perkins closed-two reasons building conditions and financial problems within the chain (Perkins declared bankruptcy in 2011. That leaves the movie theaters. Eric closed many of their theaters as well as suburban theaters. Other chains closed their suburban theaters. Technology changed. Stadium seating, sound systems and different projection methods required new construction. There were two efforts to reinvigorate the Easton theaters. Both failed. The second owner did make investments in sound and projection equipment. But, the obvious prevailed. Movies are distributed to the fat cats first. The little operators pick up the crumbs. The second owner had a successful track record in rebuilding abandoned urban theaters. Easton did not work. Probably the close accessibility of the suburban megaplex. Easton was not competitive. There are many downtowns that are basing their rebirth on a downtown movie theater-part of an entertainment push. New downtown theaters are successful in many communities. My comment was about the loss of these businesses that once attracted a considerable number of Easton residents. That past is about to become buried. It was when downtown Easton was a part of its city. That factor has been lost and not because our blue collars left.

I guess you don't understand my example. Why would you? After attending all those public presentations of the Third Street project, your mind must be overloaded with architectural images. My statements were not about the project or the street scape. They were about a segment of Easton's population and how it connected to Easton's downtown. Regardless of what you think, that population has not left Easton. In fact, it is stronger than ever. It works locally, and I doubt that it will be standing in line for a bus directed to New York City. (Gentrification is not Easton's future) Perhaps, the success of a community is being a community, appealing to its greatest strength, its diversity. Unfortunately, most never saw the value of the structures being demolished. I did and miss what they represented for the community. Like many of my neighbors we have to go to the suburbs to get most of our weekly needs. Those frequent excursions are a pain. When I or we suggest that there maybe something better for residents, you suggest we leave. That only heightens the divide and weakens the community. Your comment is most insulting. Unfortunately for you, I'm not moving on or getting off. Either are thousands of my fellow residents who also will not be using the new structures. We never fled to the suburbs. I would suggest that maybe you should consider relocating, but I leave childishness to the child. I attended the presentation, and I was not impressed.

You are oversimplifying. There have been successful retail businesses in downtown Easton. Those that have closed could reopen or attract competition. The business of retail is too complicated to find one size that fits all. Easton had several successful stores that opened in malls. Those mall ventures failed. In turn, those financial pressures caused those businesses to close their Easton stores. The businesses were sinking in debt. Consumers did not cause that problem. The mall ventures failed because of large chain operations controlled supply, delivery and ultimately pricing. They could not compete because their overhead was too much. In turn, their downtown operations remained profitable. The downtown operations were unable to generate enough cash to cover the debt from the failed mall operations. Such is the story of Mays, Grollmans, Josephs, Horns etc.
Department stores. Easton had two. Orrs and Pomeroys. Allentown had Hess’ , Lehs and Zollingers. All went the mall route. They found themselves unable to compete and the pressures caused them to eventually close their downtown operations. Orrs is the classic. They closed all of their stores and kept their downtown Easton store going because their management said they had a loyal following. You cannot keep one store going while paying off the debt of five closed stores. Pomeroys was sucked into Allied’s financial problems and bankruptcy. Their mall operations did not save these chains.
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The store was an odd duck. Three floors or four had to use the stairs mainly tools, garden, machinery, appliances. No clothing. Big catalogue department which is how it managed to keep a high sales per sq ft. Sears asked for land in the sixties or seventies to build a larger store in Easton. No go. Sears warned that they would probably close the store and use their mall operations which met their operating model. But, if you ask the people who worked there, that store did a record level of business. Easton residents never deserted the store. Joseph's closed their Easton store because the operating officer did not understand downtown operations. He only understood mall operations. Face it, the corporate world does not always follow the law of economics. decisions are based on predictions of the future. Sears has moved away from catalogue sales and that probably played in their decision about the future of the Easton store.

"That difference in price is what caused the market to shift from local to national/international." Sores that did not try to expand to mall or shopping centers stayed in business for a long time. Their overhead was low enough that they could easily compete with national chains. Their only problem was a supply of good merchandise. Two examples were Lennys and London Shop. Mays and Josephs went the mall route and closed. Lennys and London Shop were known for quality goods and price. They survived. Easton businesses never closed for lack of community support. One of those myths floating around the Walmart parking lot.

Sears was located across from Perkins.

Simply, their owners retired or died and there were no replacements. There were tailors, shoe makers, barbers, news vendors, florists, camera stores, butchers,. These trades died. They were not absorbed by Wal-mart. There may be something related to the fact that the population of downtown declined significantly from 1950 to 1975. But, I will point out this fact. Easton had two sporting goods stores up to the early 70's. Redevelopment and death of an owner closed one. The other lingered on until the death and retirement of owners in the mid 70's. There were no suburban or mall strores that took their place. The closest stores were in Nazareth and Bethlehem and they absorbed Easton's business. No one elected to start a replacement. That may say something about the community's business culture and banking environment at that time. there was no reason that someone could open a store and be successful at that time. Easton just got lazy.
Try now?, forget it; you need a specialty store like tennis, ski, canoe etc , A general store cannot compete against department and discount stores, category killers like Sports Authority, specialty chains and e-tailers. Easton's store closed on its own and not because of competition.