The survey, called an intercept survey, was conducted by stopping people at random on downtown sidewalks recently and included talking to 100 residents and 100 non-residents.
Chamber Executive Director Mitch Everton said the Chamber members were interested in how the town looks to its own residents, as well as non-residents. He said the Chamber was wondering if their message about the town was getting out. He said the survey had been suggested by chamber members from another nearby town.
Locals said they like:
- Downtown shops
- The small-town feel
- The historic look
They dislike:
- Storefront vacancies
- Lack of water access
- Inconvenient store hours
- Need for more shops
- Lack of convenient parking
- General run-down appearance of some storefronts
Non-residents, including tourists as well as people from nearby areas, like:
- The shops
- Restaurants
- The small-town feel
- The historic look
- Cleanliness of the town
- The flower baskets
- Proximity to the water & marina
- Friendly people
But, they dislike:
- Lack of walk signals downtown
- Empty storefronts
- Lack of building upkeep
- Need for more shops
Everton indicated the Chamber of Commerce may undertake similar so-called intercept surveys in future years.