Sometimes it takes the impressions of outsiders to remind us of positive aspects of our community. And, sometimes too it takes those same impressions to remind us of things that we need to work on.

So it was with First Impressions report by eight residents of Oshkosh.
The report had glowing accounts of the physical beauty of our area — including Riverside Park — and it included positive impressions of downtown La Crosse and city neighborhoods.

The visitors also noted the importance of having downtown as a neighborhood as well as a business, government and entertainment center.

But there was a downside. The number of billboards was noted, and some of the visitors believed that they detracted from the natural beauty of the area, and from the ambience of the historic downtown.

And there was litter downtown, and a lack of newer housing in many neighborhoods. Some visitors wondered if La Crosse was taking advantage of upper stories of downtown buildings by putting apartments up there.

But most of the reaction was positive. Consider this comment about downtown: “I commend the city of La Crosse for its support of mixed-use and urban living apartments in the downtown area.”

That same comment continued on the topic of neighborhoods in general: “I believe the city of La Crosse has realized the importance of strong neighborhoods and that a tax base can be maintained if there is pride in the neighborhoods and that quality housing stock is maintained. The city needs to take care with its zoning and design standards for multiple housing units and ensure that their presence is an addition to a neighborhood, not a detriment.”

Most of the comments were along those lines — considerable praise for the city, but also some pointed suggestions for improvement.

The First Impressions program was a good way to understand how outsiders see the city, and some of the areas that need improvement.

Now, let’s get to work.

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