Main Street is called that for a reason; it’s the main hub of any town or city. That’s why every place in America seemingly has one. Sometimes it’s a bit confusing, driving through a town and stumbling upon their version of Main Street. You inevitably begin to compare it to the Main Street of your own town or city. In a weird way, America is a like an endless competition between Main Streets; which one is better, which one is more effective, are there plenty of businesses, etc. These are just some of the questions we ask when it comes to Main Streets.

Every city’s Main Street is like a first impression; it’s what tourists and visitors judge a city on. Ruidoso is no different and there is a heated debate going on regarding what should be done with it, as discussed in this Ruidoso News article, which talks about the New Mexico MainStreet Program.

Diane Stallings writes, “MainStreet created a capital outlay set-aside for arts and culturally designated communities and $50 million was funded by the state legislature for e-based development, where businesses sell outside of a regional area and pull new money into a district.”

While not quite the physical Main Street, the MainStreet Program nevertheless maintains that spirit of Main Street. That every community should have the proper Main Street infrastructure in place that brings money in as opposed to money pouring out; a place that gives off a great first impression to visitors and townsfolks alike. With the MainStreet Program, communities all across the state, including Ruidoso, are figuring out what works and what doesn’t with their Main Streets. At Innsbrook Condos, that is something we can get behind! A town or city is only as strong as its Main Street; a shabby Main street means a shabby town.