On our way back from Palm Coast we stopped in DeLand, which I had long wanted to visit because of its acclaimed main street. In 2017 it was designated “America’s Main Street,” and I am something of a connoisseur of main streets. Once, visiting a magazine editor in Marin County, I was asked what I’d liked to see that afternoon – the options included Muir Woods – and I suggested a stroll through downtown San Anselmo (the editor’s hometown).
The entry into DeLand was promising, down a leafy street that took us past Stetson University, and we found a parking spot at one end of the famous main street (aka Woodland Blvd.). It was attractive, lined with two- and three-story buildings; many of the businesses hunkered under large awnings. There were no empty storefronts – always a good sign – and one used bookstore, earning it a “Swick’s Main Street” designation, though it took me a while to find a book I wished to buy. My new rule is never walk out of an independent bookstore empty-handed.
The only thing the street seemed to lack was people. It was after lunch hour, and perhaps DeLand is experiencing 100 percent employment, and Stetson has the world's most diligent students, but the place had a somewhat lonely feel. This was made even more noticeable by the traffic, which was tremendous. Cars and trucks flowed in a constant stream but few of them stopped. Of course this made it, unfortunately, a very American main street.
