DOWNTOWN AFTER DARK

Downtown is a dismal place after dark. The prostitutes, transvestites, drunks and transients crawl out of their holes once the sun sets. The day and night experience evokes the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde contrasts. As has been said before, Brownsville is a tale of two cities. When will the downtown renaissance take place? Not anytime soon. That is the sad truth.

After six, there are no restaurants open. The police enforce tranquility, but there is no reason for any families or professionals to venture into Brownsville's underbelly.

"It's a place for the lost and the losers," opined Don Pedro, the venerable voice of the dying daily known as The Brownsville Herald. "All downtowns suffered the same fate when businesses moved to the suburbs, but many cities rediscovered their roots and return their downtowns to their past glories. That accomplishment has eluded our leaders.

"The majority of our residents don't give a damn about downtown. They have the same attitude toward downtown as they do toward Matamoros: It just ain't worth the effort."