CITIES SEEK RETURN TO MAIN STREET; PLANNERS HOPE TO REVITALIZE RETAIL DISTRICTS.

Byline: Teresa Jimenez Daily News Staff Writer

They are the places people often remember with nostalgia - where they could stop for an ice cream soda at the five-and-dime, hunt for the latest gadget at the hardware store and peek at the latest fashions in the department store windows.

The downtown districts people remember are making a comeback, but in a way that makes them more hip than the practical shopping areas of the past. Today, cities want the quaintness of a village with the stylishness of outdoor cafes, antique stores and upscale boutiques.

Simi Valley, Santa Clarita, Agoura Hills and Moorpark are among the cities striving to create a town center, each in its own way. They are encouraged by the phenomenal popularity of Santa Monica's Promenade and Pasadena's Old Town, two shopping strips once filled with thrift stores and appliance repair shops but now lined with trendy restaurants and retail stores that generate substantial tax revenue.

``You have the phenomenon of gentrification. Often, rents go up and chains go in,'' said Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, an associate professor of urban design at UCLA.

``Cities get an increase in their revenue tax bases. In Pasadena, the money from parking meters is amazing, so you can imagine the revenue. Second, there's an enhanced image of the area. What city wouldn't want to be an attraction of visitors?''

Recycling downtown

Unlike the indoor malls of the '80s - once the prize of any fledgling city - downtown districts can be created by cities of any size and demographic.

Better yet, they transform those failed, unattractive downtown areas from decades ago into pretty attractions.

``It's the ultimate recycling program,'' said Dinorah Hall, assistant coordinator for the California Main Street Program, a state program that helps cities revitalize older downtown districts. ``They do it for a lot of reasons - quality of life. Some have a lot invested in their downtown. A big part is tourism. Cities are trying to make themselves a destination.''

Often, the effort requires help from cities, who pay for new sidewalks, wood benches, old-style lampposts and tree-lined avenues - all designed to recall the days of yore.

Santa Clarita, for instance, wants to revitalize the heart of Newhall, where the buildings are old and lack architectural charm. The city will encourage property owners to add frontier western, Victorian or Spanish facades by offering discounted permit fees and speedy approval.

Across town in Valencia, The Newhall Land and Farming Company plans to create a village-style shopping experience from scratch. The new Town Center Drive will stretch from the existing indoor mall, and feature movie theaters, Ann Taylor, Kids Footlocker and Borders Books.

About 45 minutes away in Ventura County, the small city of Moorpark has made improvements to its downtown area. Though the buildings do not qualify for historic designation, the old-style architecture makes it a natural location for attracting visitors and locals alike.

Benches and trees have been added, and two new restaurants already have opened their doors around a theater that has long had its home in the area.

Thousand Oaks is considered flush with success. It has The Oaks Shopping Center and the popular Promenade at Westlake, an outdoor mall with an old European architectural look. But there, too, city officials and business owners want to turn Thousand Oaks Boulevard - the main thoroughfare before the Ventura Freeway was built - into an old town shopping district.

Simi Valley is creating a town center adjacent to its new $10 million police headquarters at Tapo Canyon Road and Alamo Street. The 146,000-square-foot, pedestrian-friendly mall is slated to have a 16-screen movie theater, along with a major chain bookstore, Starbucks and Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop.

And Agoura Hills, in the unenviable position of competing with its Westlake Village and Calabasas neighbors for attractive developments, has begun its own effort as well.

The city has drafted a design plan and approved zoning for an Agoura village. From there, the city hopes to lure a developer to transform the area.

Home-grown appeal

All share a similar vision and know not to expect an Old Town like the one in Pasadena. Instead, they are turning to creative, home-grown efforts.

In Moorpark, for example, the High Street area is small and limited. The city, which owns a stretch of property that once belonged to the railroad, must find uses compatible with a 100-foot-wide swath of land, said Nelson Miller, community development director for the city.

``We don't have large properties downtown. Our focus is, how can we revitalize existing businesses?'' Miller said. ``We have to come up with marketing ideas. Where some communities look at movie theaters, we can't do that. We don't have the land.''

Newhall Redevelopment Committee members realize they've only just begun work on a long-term project. Where Moorpark already has completed improvements such as wide sidewalks and special street lights, Newhall design decisions have just begun.

``We must do it incrementally. It won't be revitalized overnight. Monrovia has a great downtown and they started 20 years ago. We started about three years ago. It takes time,'' said Mary Merritt, a committee member who attended a Main Street conference last month. ``Main Street is the cutting edge of what people are doing right now. We want to continue the great heritage of downtown Newhall.''

Alternative experience

So, why do shoppers flock to these downtown areas, searching for coffee houses and bookstores, specialty housewares and clothing boutiques?

Theories abound, some in conflict with each other.

It could be rebellion from Generation Xers - made up mostly of people in their 20s, Hall said. Rather than shop at the malls made popular by baby boomers, where they may have spent much of their teen-age years themselves, those in their 20s have sought alternative shopping experiences, she said.

Hall also said that people want distinct experiences. A mall in California may not differ much from a mall in any other state. But a downtown area will almost always have unique features, she said.

``In a mall, you never really know what city you're in,'' Hall said. ``People don't want to be in the same place over and over again. They want different experiences.''

Fran Pavley, former mayor of Agoura Hills and an active resident, said she has her own theory for their popularity.

``The baby boomer generation finally has money and they've seen Europe,'' Pavley said. ``They want to bring that experience here. They see everyone sitting at outdoor tables at all hours, walking around shopping. That's my personal theory.''

Or it could be a desire for a little native Americana, said UCLA's Loukaitou-Sideris.

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PHOTO (1--2) Above, Santa Paula is revitalizing its downtown area to attract more businesses and shoppers. Left, the city envisions a pedestrian-friendly retail district similar to Santa Monica's Promenade and Pasadena's Old Town.

Myung J. Chun / Daily News