This is not to discount the impressive changes the Brady, Blue Dome, and East Villages have gone through, but before we hang our hat on the "ghost town" evidence, we need to know what time of day, and which day those pictures were taken. Maybe it was a Sunday morning?
In 2007 mode, the First Pres parking lot looks full.
But it's the ghost town in 2016 mode.
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1491702,-95.9874362,3a,75y,11.82h,83.18t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sBIA85MZX3mWZZ0lbUcBIcw!2e0!5s20071101T000000!7i3328!8i1664Just as I say that though, I noticed this fun example. Here are four images of the parking lot between 8th and 9th, Main and Boston, taken from the same vantage point.
2007 -
totally empty2011 -
less than half full2014 -
almost full2016 -
packed!google street view is fun
The church lot full pretty much confirms it is Sunday and the sun looks like it is close to noon.
In the Blue Dome or Brady, even on Sunday mornings/early afternoon there are far more cars than what the 2007 street view had. I never realized how desolate the Brady District used to be but I guess I didn't really consider the Brady District until after it started picking up steam.
