They've branded themselves as "The Village" and gone for an Old World charm. One of the issues for them is that the Main Street, in this case, La Mesa Boulevard, is bisected by a very wide street and railroad tracks. As you can see from the first picture, the area across the tracks (straight ahead in this shot) also looks much more modern.
My first suggestion is to tie in the area visually with large banners, benches, trees, and plantings so it's absolutely clear that The Village continues across the tracks. If done well, this could almost make the tracks disappear. Alternately, they could stop trying to overcome the divide.
This photo shows the "entrance" to The Village from the main drag (you would turn right at the light). There's no sense of welcome, arrival, or entry here. I'd suggest either an arch or a large kiosk with a You-Are-Here map, so people know they've come to the right place.
A pole or weights at the bottom of each banner would keep this from happening in the wind.
Banners are great, but size does matter. Larger banners would link the street more strongly.
This is a fun little shopping area and with a few more touches could offer more of a branded experience, which would transfer to all the businesses on the street. Here are two posts about local businesses on this street: Handful of Wildflowers and Aubrey Rose Tea Room.
Tip of the day: If you have a large location like this, think about it as a zone in Disneyland, and theme in all the elements to create an impression.
Technorati Tags: customer experience, customer service, Main Street, first impression, La Mesa CA, consultant
