Main Street Matters By Michelle Owens - Executive Director, Tybee Island Development Authority/Main Street
If you were a crazy person, who would you stalk?
Everyone has some unobtainable paragon of greatness they love so much they can’t get enough of that person. It might be a fictional superhero or the
original Charlie’s Angels (those successive angels don’t count). Could be someone who died before you were born, or a time traveling outlander in a kilt. Let your
imagination go free on this one.
Now imagine this object of your obsession paid a visit to Tybee Island and through some epic twist of fate, you got to legit stalk them by playing tour guide for
the day.
“Well hello, James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser, welcome to Tybee Island. May I call you Jamie?”
You want to wow this person with the best of Tybee so they’ll come back and hang out with you again. What places, stories, and facts would you share with
them? What’s so special about this island, that the locals are willing to endure flooded roads that sometimes cut us off from the mainland, an invasion of outsiders
during peak season, and months where we sit in the dark of night and tiptoe around sea turtle nests?
“Why yes, Jamie, we do have to turn off the lights. It’s the Tybee turtle law. Would you like to see our hatchlings?”
A similar fun and inspiring visioning exercise was recently completed by the Tybee Island Main Street Board of Directors, during our annual planning meeting.
As we tried to determine how to best serve everyone who loves Tybee during the upcoming year, we pondered the island’s unique features and characteristics. We
know we have the best beaches. But what else have we got?
This awesome group of volunteers devote countless hours toward improving the quality of life on Tybee by hosting events, promoting local businesses, and
beautifying the area. They have lived and/or worked on Tybee Island for many years, and know the quirks, nooks and crannies well. Their contributions were
compelling and in some cases, unexpected. Here’s a roundup of our top 3 Tybee assets:
We’re hyperlocal
A whopping 99.9 percent of our businesses are “unchained.” No franchises or big box retailers operate here with the exception of one fast food restaurant. The
spirit of entrepreneurship is strong on the island, as is the inclination to buy local. This means the shopping experience you get on Tybee is unlike any you’d get
elsewhere. As someone pointed out, even most of the bartenders on the island are locals! I once read a book called “The Geography of Nowhere,” in which the
author William Howard Kunstler asserted that local cities and towns were all beginning to look like nowhere in particular because their landscapes consisted of
blocks and blocks of the same chains and franchises. That’s not Tybee.
We’re candy-coated
Tybee cottages are gems from the past that give the island a fun and funky flavor. An article in the 2019 Holiday edition of Southern Flavor magazine captured the
essence of Tybee architecture with its description: “You’ll know you’ve arrived when you cross the Lazaretto Creek Bridge and are met with an explosion of tropical
color. Everything on Tybee seems candy-coated, and cottages are surrounded by white picket fences and hammocks arranged between palm trees.” Geez, who’d
ever want to leave that behind?
We’re Tybee Strong
Tybee population dwindles from 30,000 in peak season to 3,000 during off season, but community festivals, events and celebrations still draw a crowd. We love
to show up and support one another regardless of politics, religion or – dare I say it – fashion choices. Despite what some outsiders may think, Tybee is a very
family-oriented and caring community. As one of our visioning participants stated, “It takes an island.”
Those are just our top three. I know there are many more to be shared. Our board is curious to hear what you have to say. Who would you stalk? What would you
show them to keep them coming back again and again? Let us know on our Facebook page, Tybee Island Main Street.
TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | FEB 2020 31