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Show AMERICAN FORK HIDDEN GEMS IN AMERICAN FORK BY ERICA LEMASTER PHOTOGRAPHY LANCE LARSEN American Fork Main Street offers a taste of culture to the community as well as passersby in the past, present and future. This main street, like many of the main and center streets in Utah county, is lined with early 20th century buildings that serve as mom and pop businesses, offering a wide variety of products and services. It is surprising how much culture is hidden from the naked eye of the preoccupied driver who passes through. American Fork Main Street is a central place where people can drop off their cars to get an oil change, and in the meantime, go to the bank, talk 4 I THE V MAGAZINE to their insurance agent, grab lunch, go to a hypnosis therapy session, buy a new outfit and pick up a gift for your roommate's birthday, all in time to get your car back from the mechanic and make it to your afternoon class. At one end of the road you find the historical Alpine Stake Tabernacle where religious meetings and gatherings are held. Just a block west, across from the Husband and Wife gift shop, a cafe and a mystic gypsy smoke shop sits beside a hypnosis therapy center. The American Fork City Planning Commission and Main Street American Fork Inc.have been working together to make updates to the street over the years. Their mission statement reads:"will revitalize American Fork's Main Street by cooperating with government, businesses, citizens, and other key groups to facilitate a healthy business district." The product of this mission can be clearly seen in the Alpine Valley Center Mall at the far west end of Main Street, as well as the recently built Good Earth Store at 336 W. Main Street which took the place of a house. However, some store owners plan to keep things the way they are, like the owner of the "Sticky Shoe" theater. "We bought the theater in 2003, and it has been operating as a live or film theater since it was built in the 1940's," said Phil Clegg, Utah Valley University's assistant Dean of students and owner of The Towne Cinemas Theater. The Town Cinemas Theater has a proven business model. "We don't plan on changing much, although we have put nearly $100,000 worth of improvements in the building since we bought it. Our plan is to keep offering quality, family-friendly entertainment and reasonable prices to Northern Utah County as long as there is a demand." American Fork Main Street is a diverse place. It contains new and old, spiritual and mystic. It also provides services for many types of people with different types of needs. It offers culture to everyone, and the people of American Fork plan to keep it that way, while updating some things in the process. |
