Downtown cam to move
All good things must end. Lease is up soon and we’ll be looking for a space that will allow us to hang our business sign—what a novel idea.
No secret we’re a mom & pop realty firm. But have you ever heard of a successful (long-term) real estate company w/o a sign on the building? We’ve been promised signage for many months; we even told the landlords to design the sign to their size, liking, etc. and we would pay for it: “Ah, it’s at the printer’s, it’s coming”. Don’t get me wrong: they’re great people, don’t come any better, but this is business, no problem.
I think anyone that knows my work, knows I’m not looking for a big neon sign, just something to let potential customers know we exist in the bricks & mortar world too, professionalism. Yea, I know, there are too many real estate firms downtown; well then there are also too many shops that sell bear statues, ‘Welcome to the Cabin’ carvings, and UT wind vanes. Economics should determine when there are too many RE firms downtown, not someone’s myopic attempt at hip-pocket zoning. Too much of anything gets weeded-out when competition becomes too tight.
Additionally, I think it’s a short-sighted argument: RE offices increase daily downtown human traffic and these humans (Realtors, their customers, & even lookie-loos) like to eat & shop too. Speaking for ourselves, we buy 99.9% of our closing gifts from downtown merchants and apparently we’re not the only ones. I hung out in a shop for about an hour Friday and no less than 5 agents stopped by to buy wine, expensive gadgets, etc.
I’ll do my best to find a good spot for the cam, but most downtown landlords won’t even consider renting to a real estate firm, even with the best of references. Which is idiotic because RE companies will simply start to swallow-up every palatable downtown morsel that hits the market. If you have a space for rent and our money’s as green as anyone else’s, please contact Shelley or me. Found a space.
On a high note, I’ll be installing and launching the newest Toccoa River cam Monday, July 2nd. IT’S LIVE! As with all my cams, I’ll be attempting to tweak/upgrade the image/video quality as I get a better handle on cam placement, etc. And don’t forget to check out my newer bird feeder cam.
Thanks for the support and for tuning-in over the years. Kip
sorry to hear about this problem…you’ve been so good for downtown BR..will watch for your return…
For us the web cam is like, the morning newspaper, the midafternoon snack and the bed time story, I check it all time, even on our last trip we stood in front of the camara and our son and friends at work saw us through the internet. Thanks to the camara we saw the snow and called everyone so they could see it too. When I talk about blue ridge to my friends I always tell them, check the web cam, so this is also advertisement for the town. I’m sure there is a good heart person out there that will allow you to put it up again. Thank you again for all this time we were able to be there, when we are really somewhere else, the feed me cam is great. Thank you again.
Oh no,,,,don’t say it is so!!!! I feel the same way about the webcam as Mercy does. The downtown webcam is so important to me and my sisters. We love it!!! It is a way of connecting us to Blue Ridge when we are not there. Good luck, I hope everything works out for you and your business. Thanks for allowing us to view the downtown cam this long. We hope and pray that it will not go away for good.
Hi my name is Dianna, and I am so sorrry to hear about the cam going dark. My Mom and I just found this cam, I am terminally ill and she is not very healthy either. We both have always wanted to live in a log cabin in the Blueridge Mtns. So my Mom is building me a small one, so I can have my dream. She is also going to build one for herself and my sister and her family. We are so excited!!!! So it has been WONDERFUL watching it helps to pass the time until the cabins are done!! OBTW we are moving from HEAT SOAKED Bonita Springs, Florida, we have been here for 18 long years. WE ARE BAKED ENOUGH We don’t have a lot of the green stuff, but if there is anything we can do to help keep the Cam going, please e-mail me. Sorry this is so long!! Well take care!
TTFN
Dianna
Sorry to hear about the dilemma with the downtown web cam. My wife and I ALWAYS enjoy looking at it (as we do all your other webcams). Hope things work out so you can get to place it somewhere else. Don’t give up.
My wife and I are very disappointed to know the web cam is going dark. We live in south Florida but our hearts are in our second home in Blairsville. Looking at your web cam brings us a little closer untill we can be back again. We check it at least twice a day every day and will miss it greatly. Hope you find a new home. Thanks for the memories.
I am SO disappointed!!!! Our second home is in Blue Ridge and my husband and I are on the website all the time just to see what’s happening in our favorite town… We are addicted! Looking forward to you finding a new home for the cam… just can’t imagine not being able to check in on downtown. Email us as well if there is anyway we can help. Thanks for all the enjoyment you have provided for us : )
Man!!! I hate that the camera is going away..I have a cabin at Cherry Log and its so neat to pull up the webcam and see whats going on. Also let me know if I can do anything to help. I have certainly enjoyed the cam…Best of Luck to you.
My daughter is in Denver and she has the web cam bookmarked, my wife and I check it at least three times a week, Its been great to check at Christmas and other great times. We will really miss it.
You might check with the guys at Gatewood Hall gift shop they seem to be real community oriented nice guys and I bet would enjoy having the camera hanging outside their shop.
Remember when the greedy powers that be ran the arts festival out of town. Well here is another brilliant decision.
Well, so much for the greedy Landlords of Blueridge. Whenever something good pops up in town some Grinch has to shoot it down. My wife and I were just there a week ago calling everyone to get a glance at us on the cam. You would have thought we were on the “Today Show” Come on up to Warne NC, we are friendly and we love realtors. With out you guys we would have never found our “Piece of Heaven”
Surprised and disappointed are the words to describe how we feel. Both my husband and I enjoy looking at your webcam to view downtown Blue Ridge from our home in Florida. Although we don’t get up to Blue Ridge as much as we would like, the webcam provides us with a snippet of why we enjoy the Blue Ridge area as much as we do. You have a wonderful website and the webcams add to it’s charm. In fact, we miss the Cohutta webcam as well. We hope you are able to resolve the dilemma of the webcam and/or signage on your property.
man o man, i just dont know how i will make through the day without being able to log on and see whats going on in blue ridge. why is it that
every good thing must come to an end! have you considered selling
ad time to local merchants to pay for the expense of the web cam? with all the viewers daily, it is most ceartinly the next best thing to being there
and would provide good exposure and marketing to all involved! like all floridians we look forward to seeing your web cam daily, and it would be a shame to see it go!
j. p. naples florida
Count me in on the long list of Floridians who watch your cam. Ive never been to Blue Ridge but after a year of viewing your cams, I’m ready for my first visit in the fall. Did the city fathers and mothers ever think that the webcam could draw new visitors? Oh well, I still hope to make it in the fall. If possible try and keep some kind of webcam going= somewhere in that area!
I’m from Florida and view the cams on your site everyday, even at work I look to see whats going on. I have friends who live in Blue Ridge and when they visit down town they call me so I can see them. I plan to move to Blue Ridge in the need future and have also used this realtor to look for my next home. I just hope you’re able to find a new resting spot for the cam. If it wasn’t for the cam and being able to see all the things that go on in Blue Ridge and view all the homes in the area I woun’t be relocating. I’m sure the cam has brought dollars to all the downtown shops. Its like a ride in a park, you just have to ride it while in the park. Thinge like this make one stop and think, do I want to move to a place like every other place where greed is the last factor.
Has anyone throught to take donations to help with the cost to operate it. I’m sure there are alot of people who would donate for this. Anyway I hope it all works out for everyone.
Thanks Wayne Suttles of North Port Florida
Disappointment regarding the possibility of WEB cam going dark is a huge understatement. But the bigger question is, what is going on? Having to move your business is no small deal. (Loss of that WEB cam locations isn’t either), but where and/or who is the problem.
It almost sounds like someone, I assume the landlord, doesn’t want you, or possibly a real estate office, in that building. Does the landlord feel that not having a sign will drive you out? If so, WHY!
I’m certain you don’t need us to tell you how popular your downtown cam is, you probably have the stats.
If someone needs a letter in protest, just let me know. If you are being forced to leave over not having a sign someone needs wake up and get you a sign.
Lee
It’s official: we’re moving our business out of downtown Blue Ridge and this cam will need a new spot if it is to remain downtown. Additionally, friends and building-mates that take advantage of our free wifi hotspot should start making plans for an alternate Internet connection prior to August 1st.
Things always happen for a reason, and this is no exception. We’re excited about our new location (some will think we’ve gone mad) and I’ll provide the details after the ink dries. I will say it happens to be another fun spot (’funner’ IMO) for an outdoor webcam; I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thanks to all for the awesome comments. I’d be lying if I said they didn’t influence our decision. Furthermore, we haven’t had a single offer from a downtown landlord, no surprise there. What’s surprising is some of the merchant attitude we’re getting for making a business decision that had to be made; we must have a business sign and we must move to get one and it’s impractical/impossible for the cam to stay where it is, nothing personal. If you don’t like lurking and reading about the way I see it, start typing or please stay off the blog, but I did feel that the blog contributors and loyal cam watchers that aren’t just concerned with their bottom-line here deserved an honest explanation.
We did get an offer to buy the cam for $200 from a merchant buddy: base price for this cam is $2500, plus $500 for the outdoor enclosure, $300 for the mounting bracket, $250 for the low-voltage converter box, $70/month for dedicated IP broadband, host +bandwidth fees, plus the little red button I push to make it work forever w/o constant maintenance and upgrades—priceless but non-existent. Some folks got married on 07-07-07 for good luck: we got outta town & bought our own building…palindrome ridgeblue rivertoccoa
>>My Mom and I just found this cam, I am terminally ill and she is not very healthy either. We both have always wanted to live in a log cabin in the Blueridge Mtns. So my Mom is building me a small one, so I can have my dream. She is also going to build one for herself and my sister and her family. We are so excited!
Dianna, I’m so happy that someone like you found this blog. I guess I should have said that blueridgewebcam.com will always point to something pretty cool as long as I’m around, just might not be downtown. I know you’ll find your dreams if they’re in the mountains.
I’m another Floridian who looks at the web cam at least once a day (sometimes more). This is terrible news. Let us know if there is anything we can do!
I enjoy the Downtown cam, it gives me a chance to check the weather and see the area I will be retiring. I have a cabin in Blue Ridge and I think downtown Blue Ridge will miss your cam and all the good things that it project to outsiders. Good luck with your new cam location.
Dennis Rich
I will miss the downtown cam also, we’re coming down soon to see our cabin be finished and it is a lifetime dream come true, have to say the real estate agent we are using is a lovely person who has truly helped us make this happen, and we hope to stay friends with her. So there!
Can’t wait to see your new spot for the cam, I see rain in Blue Ridge today! Good luck with your new endeavors!
Put the WEB cam up at the public areas -Park or library or Arts Center. Maybe the coffee shop. Have you tried Prelude to a Spa location or the other side of the tracks- they may be more hospitable!! I know it is not in center of town but at least itis still in town and will still show the area to potential visitors.
Funny you should mention that. We had an offer in on a building next to Prelude to a Spa a few moons ago. Perhaps not the most perfect place for the cam but nonetheless front-and-center for the train IMO. All I’ll say is a ‘better’ offer (you guessed it: won’t be a real estate office) won out; we then discovered the downtown landlorditude, the newfound merchantitude from some, and frankly, we came to the realization that our business would do better where we thrive in our lives—beyond city limits, be it ATL or lil’ ol’ Blue Ridge.
This blog will also be steered more in that direction with regard to my posts, though I’ll of course most likely always introduce a controversial guest article, not to mention an occasional gripe or snide reply of my own. However, I would like to write/discuss more about what really makes this place great: the fun, crazy, outdoor, 42% National Forest part of Blue Ridge & Fannin. My pen has become a bit too sharp and my flyrod way too dusty!
I am willing to put the cam (at my expense & terms) most anywhere with an interesting downtown view and a paid broadband connection. However, I’m not betting on a new downtown spot, nor should anyone else. It was controversial when it started, and it seems it’s even more so in the end…
i have been to your beautiful town and love it dearly, have been down your street and to the train station. please don’t turn the cam off. when i come up to mineral bluff, i want to stand in front of it and wave hello to the people down here!!!
We are deeply saddened by the potential loss of the cam. Part of the reason we bought land outside Blue Ridge was the obvious friendliness and community spirit it both displayed and engendered. We enjoyed watching the visitors, the events, and the traffic often.
Has the community considered what a loss this will be? Perhaps the Chamber, the railroad, or the city itself should take over this great promotional tool. This should not be controversial but instead seen as an excellent example of how promotion can be done subtly but powerfully.
Kip. Just wanted to thank you for installing the video cam on the Toccoa River. It was worth it all for my brother who is in Afganistan to see his 2 children playing and waving to him from the river. Now all the world can see our beautiful Toccoa River. Good Luck and Thanks again for everything you have done.
Kip thank you so much for the time you have given us with the web cam. You have provided me with memories that no one can take away such as the night last February with the snow fall, various street shots, etc. It has given me great mental comfort at times to take a trip to Blue Ridge as simply as going to this web page. You’ll never know what that means to me. Just know that you have made a difference on some very stressful days and nights. Thank you.
The Chamber of Commerce should really step up and help facilitate keeping the downtown webcam up and running. Maybe someone local could start some “save the web cam” sign up sheet. My family and I in Florida have loved watching the webcam. We own a cabin in Mineral Bluff and I check this site almost daily.
Hello Kip and Betty!
Of course I will be more than happy to host the web cam!
I am so sorry I had not seen this post sooner, please let me know if you still need to move it, and not to worry I will keep it live and safe!
Lilia Montoya
Prelude to a Spa
http://www.preludetoaspa.com
706-946-6595
Kip, Betty…
I am going to post this again (not sure where my last post went)
Yes, I will love to host the webcam! I will keep it safe and live for as long as I can!
So sorry I didn’t check this board for the last couple of weeks and was out of touch with everything… but your webcam kept my dreams alive before I moved permantely to Blue Ridge and open the store. Everyone who knows me outside of Blue Ridge has at least once peek into that street and watched it and dream of moving here with me. Believe me it will be an honor to have it in my shop.
Let me know what do you need, or give me a call to set everything up.
You are right, the view will be different (I have to say I like West Main very much), but now you will get to see the train every day!
In any case lets talk.
Bye
Lilia Montoya
Prelude to a Spa
706-946-6595
prelude@preludetoaspa.com
http://www.preludetoaspa.com
My hats off to Lilia Montoya for agreeing to take the downtown web cam and place it on her store.You have cheered up alot of people.Thank you.
Do you want one on the other side of the tracks? What’s involved in having another cam? We are next to the fire station. 706.455.7768 John
You can run but you can never hide, Hootie!
You can run Norman, but you can never hide.
KIP, TOMORROW IS AUGUST 1ST… PLEASE SHARE WITH US WHERE YOUR NEW OFFICE WILL BE LOCATED AND ALSO YOUR PLANS FOR THE DOWNTOWN CAM, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE IMPORTANT TO MANY “WATCHERS” BOTH LOCAL AND LONG DISTANT. I CAN’T BELIEVE THE THINKING OF THE “DOWNTOWN POWERS” NOT TO STEP IN AND OFFER YOU THEIR ASSISTANCE TO KEEP THE DAMM THING WHERE IT BELONGS (RAILROAD, SHOPS ECT) FUNNY THING IS THAT BEFORE I MOVED TO THE AREA LAST DECEMBER(FROM FLORIDA) WE CHECKED YOUR CAM EVERY MORNING AND EVENING… SINCE MOVING HERE WE CHECK IT EVERY MORNING AND EVENING! I FOR ONE (AND MANY WHO DON’T HAVE THE TIME, WON’T TAKE THE TIME OR DON’T WANT TO GET ENVOLVED) WOULD REALLY MISS THIS COOL “SERVICE”! WHATEVER, GOOD LUCK AND I FOR ONE WILL SEND ANY BUSINESS THAT I CAN YOUR WAY. PS: I ALSO REALLY ENJOY YOUR COMMENTS AND COMMENTARIES ON THE LOCAL AND AREA ISSUES. RANDY WANNER
I’m headed back from vacation and will update the status then. There are a few offers that I need to follow-up on here and will do so upon my return. Thanks everyone.