OPINIONS & COMMENTARY

Several of our nearby towns are having trouble defining what their “downtown” really is. Most of them are confined to the few major roads going through them. Route 9, 37, and 70 are the big state roads, and there are county roads that usually have a lot of big businesses, but they’re not really “downtown” because they are usually places you drive through to get where you really want to go.

The definition of “downtown” is vague, but usually it’s a collection of homes and small businesses that create local flavor. It’s a destination.

People visit Cape May or Red Bank but it’s too expensive to live there.

The “smart money” builds commercial properties first, and then