No one is out this weekend...

Its amazing. This is a nice summer night and the bars and restaurants are empty. I see very few people going out.

Im starting to see more shuttered businesses and empty places with "for lease" signs.

 

You need to move out of the stix. Chicago is hopping. Bars and restaraunts are packed.

 

The scary part is that Im talking about Sunset Blvd in Hollywood. I went to the Katana last night and they were so desperate for people to get in that they were not checking ids at the door.

I walked around until mid-night last night (a friday night) and there were very few people out.

At 8000 Sunset, the Virgin megastore has been shuttered for a while with a big for-lease sign on it. There was a coffee shop there a while back that is now empty.

 

That is only because the people in Chicago have more available credit left on their plastic..... :eek:



In Vegas near my home in The Lakes area by Summerlin I have noticed a definite slow down over last summer (30% I would say)......here at my place in Austin it seems about a 10% to 20% slow down around town over last year.....the signs are there.

 

Lots of people out here in Pacific Beach. I just wandered by some bars at 8pm and they are mostly packed already. Hell, they were probably packed at noon! No time frame for drinking in this town apparently.

Still spending like mad here. i don't know where these people get their money. It is a vacation spot however.

 

Did you at least see Eddie Murphy out late last night? :eek:

 

All I've seen to indicate an economic problem is a foreclosed home on my street thats been for sale for 4 months, and the outlet mall here just north of Houston is over half empty storefronts. That's it.
If the economy is so bad, howcome the car dealerships haven't folded? RV dealers are open, resturants doing good business, Wal-Mart's still open 24/7.

 

^ Just wait until credit starts drying up.

 

Not at the places I go.

Business as usual.

 

In Austin 95% of car dealers in town have reported LOWER sales figures year over year to the Austin Association of Car Dealers. Every friend I have in the car business is WAY OFF last years income levels which is sad to see.

1) Less deals

2) Lower gross per deal

3) Many more turndowns for credit

....all has been adding up to a rough year for the people I know in the car business.