The intersection of Cedar and Lee Roads in Cleveland Heights is a hub for films, trendy restaurants and artisan shops. About a dozen of those businesses are embracing the digital currency Bitcoin to drum up attention, and maybe some real-world business.
I think these 'Bitcoin Boulevards' are a logical progression, and it'll be cool to see more places popping up. I think all it takes is one store in a particular area to accept BTC and that piques the interest of surrounding ones who want to keep up and draw more customers, so then others follow suit, and before you know it you've got another Bitcoin Boulevard sprung up from nowhere.
It’s the first so-called Bitcoin Boulevard in the U.S., after another in the Netherlands. From the Here & Now Contributors Network, Tony Ganzer of WCPN in reports.
Where is the one in Holland? I'll probably be going back there later in the year and would love to spend some coins instead of Euros.
The Hague:
http://www.bitcoinboulevard.nl/ . Just had a video conference with them yesterday, and sent .001 BTC from Ohio to The Hague over skype. Bitcoin is revolutionary.
https://twitter.com/BTCBoulevardUS/status/464134106729951233/photo/1Yes, the nice thing about this concept is that is is community organized. The merchants are the ones that see the value, and they are not "bitcoiners" per se. I did very little initial cold-calling, but had every resource available to them for when they needed it. Bitcoin sold itself, when they had the material presented to them. They made this decision largely on their own, and then we worked together to make it happen. They are businesspersons who see a possible way to increase their margins, and lower the obstructions caused by aging payment infrastructures. For Lisa at Revive, she sees this as a potential way to get her payments to her artisans across the globe, without all the hassle (and fees) they often have to endure with government, banks, exchanges, wire transfers, etc.
These merchants know they are not in this for a windfall of Bitcoins, although any new income from this would be nice of course. They see the potential Bitcoin holds for their individual and collective futures, are embracing a new technology, and celebrating grass roots innovation.
