The town square

Town Square is usually a term to denote a one block area with a city courthouse in it from the 1920s through the 1950s, and around the four opposing sides of the street are lines of store fronts decreptoit from age.  Town Square doesn't conjure up ideas like upscale, trendy, ungodly rich, or opulent.

Within a radius of 20 minutes from my house are 4 town squares.  The closest is 8 minutes away.  It fits the usual concept and is called historic Oak Street.  It has restaurants and novelty stores down a street that ends at a courthouse.  The buildings and houses are really old even though they have been restored.

Another town square is about 10 minutes away and follows the same pattern, the historic section of Main St. with old houses and restored brick buildings containing well established businesses and restaurants with a couple of novelty shops thrown in.

About 15 minutes away is a third town square, but this one is modern.  The oldest shop is a little over 10 years old.  It is located on a major thoroughfare, so it is heavily trafficked. It is a shopping center with 20 different eating places and double that number of places to shop.  It's called a town center.

The town square 20 minutes away is much different from the other three.  It is actually called Town Square.  At its center is a courthouse, but it is fairly new about 20 years old.  Unlike the historic sections, honeycombed modern streets weave in and around stores - all kinds of stores.  But, they all have one thing in common.  Let me explain.

In a recent visit to this square, I ate in a Mexican food restaurant.  I split the food in the meal with another person, but I paid $40 for the one dish, $3.50 for teas, $8.99 for the appetizer, plus the obligatory tip of 20%.  I do have to say we were waited on hand and foot though.  We walked across the street to an apparel store.  T-shirts started at $125.  Polo shirts began at $189, and some of the silk shirts and other rare fabrics placed the shirts at above $350.

The ladies' store across the street had the same kind of offerings.  I didn't try the jewelry store, but the costume jewelry store had the prices of a jewelry store selling the normal stock of diamonds.  The cars in the two parking garages and designated parking areas bore the labels Audi, Infiniti, Lexus, Mercedes, Cadillac, and BMW.  A person can stay the night in the Hilton in the square if need be.  Businesses vary from Central Market and Whole Foods to Brighton, Sephora's, Soma's and Malouf's.  There are two fountain areas with trees and benches (miniature parks) where live music plays during the summer months fairly often.

I come often to this town square.  I particularly like eating at the Cheesecake Factory there and a hamburger place called Snuffer's.  I browse and occasionally buy a shirt from Brooks Brothers and another locally owned men's wear shop.  I have to do business there to register my cars and frequently use the postal services in the square.  Investment bankers have offices there if a person wants that service.

It's really refreshing to go there.  People are overly nice and easy-going.  The many stores and park areas are relaxing.  And I probably need to mention that this town square is different in another way.  Of all the towns and cities in the U.S,, this town square belongs to the 6th wealthiest city in the entire country.  I love going to my historic Oak and Main streets closer to my house to eat and shop on occasion.  I even like catching a movie and meal at the town center a quarter hour away.  But, there is nothing like the movie, shirt, or dinner from the Town Square just a short 20 minute journey down the road where the concepts of upscale, trendy, ungodly rich, and opulent are the norm.