Most of my family live on the Northside and they are very happy that River City Marketplace is there. But they and many other residents agree that it's pedestrian unfriendly. It is not a place to park the car and shop. It is a place to park your car in front of a business, shop, return to your car and most of the time leave. I know my view is unpopular, but the "sea" of asphalt is not appealing and does not encourage making RCM a place to spend some time shopping from store to store.
The argument that St Johns Town Center has similar parking is really a bad comparison. At least at St Johns you can park your car and walk around in the heart of the shopping area and, although there are cars parked on the street, it's not a "sea" of asphalt. Granted the parking around Target, Ross, Pier 1, etc is like RCM, but like RCM that part of SJTC is a drive to the door and promptly return to your car and leave.
You see few people walking around that section of SJTC. It's the same at RCM, no one walking the sidewalks.
I am thrilled for the NS to have RCM, but it could have been much, much better laid out.
A friend of mine said that the reason it was built the way it is, is because people on the Northside would not walk around anyway. Funny that all my friends and family who have lived on the NS for years have never hesitated to park their car and walk around SJTC.
Again for the people who read this and attack me for my "negative" post, I repeat I am very, very happy that RCM is there. It 's too bad that because the anchor store at this point is Wal-Mart, there is no hope for a better deptment store. Dillards, Macy's, Belk, etc will probably never open in a Wal-Mart anchored center. I'm just disappointed that RCM is not a destination that will keep most NS'ers from driving to SJTC or Avenues or Regency for a complete shopping experience.
