On any given day, Staunton’s downtown is teeming with people dining, shopping and taking in a play, but officials there say it was not an overnight success story.

Julie Markowitz, executive director of the Staunton Downtown Development Association, said the city has been fortunate to have preserved many of its historic buildings.

Leo Tolstoy famously observed a telling distinction between happy and unhappy families. It is reversed for towns: Unhappy towns are all alike, but every happy town is each happy in its own way. Well, almost. Some ingredients are common, but less so the mixes that stir towns to life. That which rouses one community might not rouse another.

Former Staunton City Councilman and Mayor John Avoli outlined the steps the Queen City took to revitalize its downtown and offered suggestions for Waynesboro to do the same during Tuesday’s River City 2020 meeting at Reo Distribution.