I am wondering if you have "Sidewalk Days" as we do? In Illinois we call it "Sidewalk Days" or "sidewalk sale"; when I was in Wisconsin, they called it "Dollar Days." However, it is the same idea. Businesses put goods and clothing out on the sidewalks, to be sold at dirt cheap prices. Often there is food and entertainment, as well as craft shows. Does this exist outside the midwest?

[This message was edited by Kalleh on Fri Jul 4th, 2003 at 20:50.]

Yes.

Asa, aren't you a man of few words? So what do you Portlandians call it? Dollar Days? Sidewalk Days? Anything else?

I heard another question today on the radio. It seems that Milwaukeeans (Wisconsin) call traffic lights "stop and go lights." Now, I have heard them called "stop lights", but never "stop and go lights." The radio show host thought it was unique to Milwaukee, until someone called in from Miami, Florida, saying that Miamians call traffic lights "stop and go lights" as well. What do you call them?

a) We don't have anything like your "Sidewalk Days".
b) We call them "traffic lights" or "stop lights". I've never heard them called "stop and go lights".

We have traffic signals at each sidewalk sale.

quote:

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
I am wondering if you have "Sidewalk Days" as we do? In Illinois we call it "Sidewalk Days" or "sidewalk sale"; when I was in Wisconsin, they called it "Dollar Days."

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in the deepest, darkest outback of the midwest (i.e.; North Dakota), they were called "Crazy Days" (or Daze), in the day.

We have Sidewalk sales here, usually under the overhang of a "plaza", which I believe is called a "strip mall" in some areas.

We have dollar days sales here too. That is where a store rounds their sale prices to even dollar amounts and advertises a dollar days sale.

As far as "strip malls", I mentioned that once to someone and drew quite a blank face. We don't call them "plazas" around here. Tsuwm, I love "Crazy Daze!" I have never heard that. However, what did impress me when driving through North Dakota was the 75 mph speed limit! Now, that is something we never see in Illinois.

[This message was edited by Kalleh on Sat Jul 5th, 2003 at 18:21.]

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
As far as "strip malls", I mentioned that once to someone and drew quite a blank face. We don't call them "plazas" around here.

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So, do you call them "strip malls" there? I remember when we drove around Dearborn trying to find a mall to walk in! A mall is a large enclosed shopping area with many stores and wide, common hallways between them. A great place for "mall walkers" to get exercise!

To me a "strip" mall is a mall where all the stores have doors to the outside. However a regular mall is enclosed. Some parts to the country call the former a "plaza."

"These modern shopping centers are so much alike," he said, "See one and you've seen a mall!"

* ** *** ***** ******** ***** *** ** *

The young mother of twin boys was too poor to keep them, so she put them up for adoption. One was taken by a Spanish-speaking family, and they named him Juan. The other was adopted by an Arabic-speaking family and they named him Amal.

Years passed.

The biological mother became afluent enough to travel, and she set out to achieve her goal -- to see her twin sons once again. In Spain she found Juan, and got a good look at him. But the other twin, as it turned out, was impossible to find.

"Look at it this way," suggested her friend, "They're identical twins. See Juan, and you've seen Amal!."

"See one and you've
seen a mall!"
===================================

Amal, you've mauled the meaning of "mall".

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
To me a "strip" mall is a mall where all the stores have doors to the outside. However a regular mall is enclosed.

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To me the trait defining a mall is that the stores open onto a common courtyard, whether the courtyard is enclosed or is open to the air. The picture of the Bell Tower shops at this site shows what I'd call an outdoor mall. But the same site also uses the term mall for what I'd call a strip center, where the shops open to the parking lot rather than to a pedestrian area.

I am so good at proving myself wrong! Just today, near where I live, I saw a sign for what I would call a "Strip Mall", calling it a "Plaza." I guess we use either term here.

Strip malls have traditionally been a row of shops on a common property, generally facing in the same direction. This somewhat replicates the once common row of downtown shops, but without the independent and unique feeling that they had. The revitalization of downtowns into specialty shops is a recent trend in response to the "Wall-Mart" syndrome, which often spells doom for small towns' downtown core area, and even threatens larger cities.

Asa the former urban planning student

They call them strip malls but just don't go trying to seductively undress in one! (voice of experience, there)

The moment I walked in the joint (Boom! Boom!)
They could tell I was a man of distinction,
A real Big Spender!
(etc.)