I agree that Main St. is a little less unattractive than 8th, but I think both need to be the focus as the two main thoroughfares in SPR. As a resident, especially one that lives less than a block from Main St., I am always hoping and praying that something will be the "catalyst", as Grey said, to begin the change. Uptown Market and 3 Layers (although not on Main or 8th) can not do it alone. My wife and I recently started our online business and in our dreams, hope to one day have a brick and mortar storefront. In our conversations, we often say "I would love to have our store in the neighborhood, but I don't know that it would be successful here. It should probably be in [insert one of the other urban core neighborhoods here]". Unfortunately that is probably the rationale of many new local businesses. Although rent might be cheaper in Springfield than Riverside, Avondale, or San Marco, your ultimate goal is to be successful. There needs to be something in the neighborhood that makes Springfield a destination that other businesses can build and grow around. We'll see what happens in 2014...maybe some of the hopeful plans will actually come to fruition.