Reading through this thread surprises me. For one, someone briefly mentioned "what northern state are you from?" As if 1. It's a crime depending on where you were raised as a child and 2. Someone "from the north" has invalid opinions just simply because they have lived "in the north". Another thing that shocks me is that people claim there's nothing downtown that you can't get anywhere else. Why would these shops still be in operation if this were true? There are several fun stores downtown, especially in cotton exchange that are unique and different. Do you really want to go to a store to hear screaming children, huge carts and bins full on things you must dig through and think "hmmm, I suppose this will work"? Once in awhile it's nice to go downtown where parking is free on the weekends to stroll by the waterfront and visit some unique shops created and run by people trying to make a living like yourself. Sure we all make trips to Walmart for the essentials, but that's not always the place to be!