Life in downtown Framingham this weekend

It was what I called "artists' weekend" in Framingham last weekend, with open studios at Fountain Street downtown and in Saxonville, as well as a free family afternoon at the Danforth Museum. Plus the usual cultural activities at the Amazing Things arts center. And while it's a cliche that artists taking advantage of cheap loft space can help bring vibrancy to a downtown center, well, cliches often become cliches because they speak (some) truth.

I went with a friend Saturday first to Panza Shoes downtown, which was surprisingly bustling; and then to the Fountain Street open house. There's a sizable free parking area at the Fountain Street studio building, and still tough to find a spot there; turnout was strong, and the event larger -- and more enjoyable -- than I expected. We got there around 3 and didn't get to see everything before things closed up at 5.

What was missing, though, was an appealing pedestrian streetscape between destinations like Panza and Fountain Street. There was a ton of auto traffic, but few pedestrians. And foot traffic is key in order to take advantage of multiple attractions and create a critical mass.

Downtown Framingham does have some compelling destinations: Amazing Things, Panza, the Danforth. What it does not yet have is synergy between them, because there are too many unattractive gaps between them. It's not yet a "park once, walk to many" environment. But there's potential. However, people must realize that creating a compelling ambiance for walkers is not a frill; it's essential for the next step of downtown revitalization.

I know Natick isn't Manhattan, but...

...it's still a pity that when 300 people are pouring out of The Center for Arts in Natick after a sold-out evening show, they all walk back to their cars passing nothing but dark storefronts (as we did last night). On Valentine's Day, no less! How many of those patrons would have been happy to extend the evening by ducking into a cafe for an after-theater snack, dessert or coffee/tea!

I realize that in general, it probably doesn't make sense for many businesses in Natick Center to stay open until 11 or midnight; there's hardly the after-theater foot traffic you'd get in New York. But what a missed opportunity for the specific weekend evenings when TCAN has a full house! Wouldn't it be great if there were a cafe or dessert place right by the center, which could coordinate with TCAN, find out when they expect large crowds, and then advertise to the patrons that night to come in after the show?