23rd
Stephanie McDuff
Kansan Corespondent
Paris' Champs-Elysees, Las Vegas' gambling strip, Chicago' magnificent mile of shops, and Lawrence's fast food row. Each of these cities have a street which sets it apart from all the rest. For Lawrence it is a major commercial street which serves as the only true thoroughfare from east to west and houses 37 restaurants in a 2.5 mile stretch, 23rd Street.
With the help of this street and the many citizens which frequent these restaurants, Lawrence was ranked in the top 25 of fast food consumption per capita in 1991, according to an article in USA Today in November of
1991.
Debbie Moore, assistant director of economic development for the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, said that several factors explain why 23rd street is so commercial. One is as a result of the streets close proximity to campus more students are likely to frequent that area of town. Another factor, Moore said was because 23rd is the only true thoroughfare in Lawrence connecting east to west.
Leanne Brown, Olathe sophomore, lives in an apartment off 23rd Street so she often uses that street. Brown said that having so many fast food restaurants and other businesses along that strip makes 23rd really convenient. Brown said
this is especially helpful if she doesn't want to cook. Brown said that although she does like the convenience of 23rd Street,the busy traffic on the street can sometimes be discouraging.
Heavy traffic on 23rd Street can also be an inhibitor to Shane Brethour, Wolffforth, Texas junior. Brethour said that because of the busy traffic and small width of the street along 23rd street he only frequents the businesses along the strip about once a week. Despite the fact that he dislikes the traffic congestion, he actually drives down 23rd Street about once a day to get to the KU campus.
When considering 23rd Street's current traffic congestion problem, it is hard to imagine
how much worse it could have been had the city planners gone according to the original proposal for the street. Originally 23rd Street was supposed to be a two-lane rather than a fourlane road. Moore said that the planners did change their minds and decided to make it the fourlane road used today.
Busy traffic is not the only problem with 23rd Street said Kurt Fulghan, Mississippi junior. "23rd street doesn't have much character," said Fulghan. He said that although he prefers Massachusetts Street to 23rd Street, for this reason, he still shops on 23rd Street once every three days because of the street's convenience.
22RD STREET
April 30,1996
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