Cities Vs. Towns

There are, at the very least. two very different worlds in America from which to choose to live: life in the big cities and life in much smaller towns. I have chosen the latter after growing up in the former, New York City to be precise. Suburban Connecticut where I have been since 1966 obviously suits me. I don't like heavy traffic, crowds, long lines, endless concrete streets, straight line (up and down buildings), small living quarters or apartment living where you share walls with neighbors. The corollary, of course is that I seek out and love, open spaces, trees, easy access to the shoreline and flat lightly trafficked streets for jogging. Having choices and variety is important to me, that's why being stuck in traffic where you have no alternatives is something I find oppressive.

Now, choices are one thing but a limitless supply of alternatives can become excessive and totally unnecessary. This may sound obvious but I guess it isn't. Something mindlessly insidious is happening in small town America.

I was talking to a guy yesterday who owns a Dairy Queen in a shoreline town in Connecticut. He has owned it for thirty eight years. Originally, his was the only DQ within the whole region. Over the years the franchise has been filling in and he said that we are coming to the time when every town will have it's own DQ.

He was exaggerating a bit, but it reminded me that the same thing has been a trend for many other franchise operations. Back when I first moved here the only businesses that every single town had were package stores and Realtors. The picture today and the trends are unmistakable. Our small towns are becoming more homogeneous, more like one another. Almost every nearby town now has Dunkin Donuts, CVS, Mac Donald's, Subway, branches of Citizens Bank, Bank of America, Liberty Bank. There are now three Wal Marts between Branford and Old Saybrook. And the beat goes on.

What are the possible consequences resulting from this trend. Our towns are becoming less varied. To the extent that our commercial spaces are becoming dominated by big name franchises they crowd out smaller entrepreneurs. With so many choices there is no such thing as customer loyalty. The incessant competition, while it will keep prices low will also result in business decisions that introduce risks to quality. Lastly, doesn't it smack of a new version of "Irrational Exuberance"?