Walking down Main Street in Beacon leads to some unwelcome sights.

Garbage overflowing the trash cans:

Main Street is beginning to look like an abandoned lot, with all the weeds and grass growing in the tree beds and cracks in the brickwork:

In front of the old Citizen Bank, the landlord is letting the planted area in front go wild:

And we are also suffering from excess stickers and posters on poles, so people can’t read the signs:

Maybe Beacon needs a Main Street Association — under a charter with the City and supported by fees from Main Street landlords — that would manage the street upkeep, and institute a more regular and more comprehensive approach. How much worse can it get? (Note: I did not include photos of dog waste, but I could have.)

In an upcoming post, I will summarize what would be involved in a Main Street Association — a Business Improvement District in New York regulations — and why it might lead to a better Main Street for Beacon.