(Burn Fresno) – 8/17/2010- Anyone in Fresno that regularly drives around town will have noticed a recent wave of graffiti and an increase in Fresno Police graffiti cleanup crews. The city has eight trucks on their graffiti cleanup crew and all have been busy driving around town. No news on if anyone has been prosecuted for this yet.

It’s been especially noticeable downtown, an area Fresno is currently trying to transform into a hot spot for all kinds of entertainment and activities. Hmong gang activity has been attributed to much graffiti in Fresno in the past, and with the slump in the economy the number of jobless young adults with nothing to keep them busy is likely large.

Graffiti sees no profit for the person who commits the crime, so I cannot fathom how someone would want to ruin the future look of their city. Perhaps they have been so brainwashed with a gang mentality that they are unable to see anything outside of that world, and feel “representing” their gang by advertising it is helpful to their cause.

What they do not realize is that they will one day too want to live in a world without pointless scribbles on the walls of buildings. Actual art is one thing, but scrawling a persons initials or the name of their gang has no place on the walls and surfaces of our city.

(Burn Fresno) – A new hot dog restaurant has opened in the Tower District in Downtown Fresno. Tower Dogs offers a large variety of hot dogs with some interesting menu options you wouldn’t normally expect to find in a hot dog shop.

Their $5 Chili Dog Special is a great deal as it comes with a big soda and chips (they have a lot of options here too).

The dogs start at just a few bucks and I’ve been having lunch there more than I care to admit since they opened. It’s probably the best cheap lunch in the area.

Oh, and the best part… they’re open until 3am on Friday and Saturday!

Enjoy your dog!

Fresno, CA – The City of Fresno has been working hard to breathe some life into the downtown area, but with the recent failure of the Fresno Falcons the future is uncertain. The faltering economy has put a hold on much of the downtown revitalization. The 2009 Book of Lists released by the Business Journal lists the Falcons as the #6 attraction in the Fresno area, but even that was not enough to save the team.

Attendance has been somewhat limited to only the biggest fans and people who received tickets through promotions or other free means. This crowd is far from what is required for a team to be successful in a city the size of Fresno. Many local hockey fans are hoping that the Falcons will make a return, but less than a season after their return to Selland Arena, the Falcons cease to exist in Fresno.

Another hot topic is the many downtown buildings that are in the middle of restoration, including the iconic Security Bank building, which was up for sale recently for a meager $6-million. A lot of these buildings have a lot of potential, and many agree that downtown Fresno can one day be something great. Unfortunately, right now it’s looking like the economy will need to make a recovery before anymore progress is made.

Right now Fresnans, and Americans, need to be focusing more on making through the tough economic times than trying to find new ways to revitalize cities. Until Americans have money to spend and the credit crisis is relieved, getting money into the downtown area will be a task too great for the current buying power of the city of Fresno.

Many college-aged people spend their weekends and nights relaxing in the Tower District, but most of the newer trendy clubs and locations exist only in North Fresno. By bringing some more clubs to the downtown area and creating a nightlife, downtown could see a rejuvenation as people are still spending money on alcohol in times of economic distress.

The bottom line is, right now only young people are really spending money, as spending has tapered off drastically in demographics that rely on investments to provide spending power. Many local businesses have shifted their marketing model to be more hip and in touch with today’s youth. Gottschalks has especially gone this way, as traditionally many of their shoppers have been from the elderly demographic. But grandma is holding onto her pennies until this storm blows over, and the younger generation holds the key to spending through this crisis.

Hopefully the young people of Fresno can help to reunite and reinvigorate the city of Fresno.