I grew up at Third and Palou. The corner store, the barbershop, the spot you stopped at on the way home from school. Those businesses raised a lot of us.

Plenty of them are still here, and they have been carrying the last few years mostly on their own. Costs going up, foot traffic that never fully came back, City programs that are hard to find and harder to qualify for. I would rather hear about that from the person behind the counter than read about it in a report.

So we’re walking the corridor. Stopping in, saying hello, asking what is actually working and what City Hall keeps getting wrong. Not a survey. A conversation.

Own a business on Third Street and want us to stop by? Reach out and we’ll add you to the route.

Neighbors are welcome to come along. We keep the group small so there is room to actually talk, so sign up below and we’ll confirm your spot.