Spirits and Spirits, a ghost walk and eerie tales tour, will be held at 7 p.m. on Oct. 21, as a benefit for Develop New Albany.
The walk begins at Destinations Booksellers, 604 E. Spring St. Tickets are $10 and available
Thrill seekers, ghost enthusiasts, history geeks and the like will all be interested in this unique event. Walkers on the guided tour will be treated to stories of the city’s past inhabitants who still linger as well as tales of people settling their differences the only way they knew how: In the middle of the street. Stories may not be suitable for young children.
Along the tour, guests are invited to take a break at local establishments offering “distilled” spirits, some of which share space with the spirits of the past. Stops include the Windsor, Studio’s Grille and Pub, River City Winery, Bank Street Brew House and Hugh E. Birs.
The tour will be guided by Gregg Seidl, a New Albany native who also wrote “New Albany,” published in 2006, a collection of vintage images portraying the triumphs and tragedies of the residents of New Albany.
More information is available on the Web.
26 comments:
Ghost stories and some BOOOO-ze?!
Yeah, about everything concerning downtown is booze oriented it seems. Question, is that really progress?
That's a question, but not the best one. Here's another:
Q: How do lifestyle choices and entertainment options impact residents, visitors and future inhabitants, and how do we expand these options?
I just don't see many options, and I think if New Albany's downtown wants to continue growing, it better find some, especially for business sake. I think Wick's could shut the door on quite a few places by this time next year. It seemed to already be having a pretty substantial effect last Friday night.
Both Toast and Wick's will get a substantial boost at the beginning. So did Speakeasy, for that matter -- and look what they did with it.
There'll be changes in consumer behavior because of the many new spots, and that's to be expected, too. These things work in cycles -- always have, always will. But so long as the establishments present are differentiated and each offer something unique, they should be able to retain and develop a customer base, vastly increasing the odds of survival.
Examples:
Wick's does pizza. Unlike NABC on Plaza Drive, Wick's does not do the huge beer program. Unlike NABC on Plaza Drive, Wick's does music. And so on.
The Windsor gets boosts from its connection to the Grand, catering for the Grand, and having finer dining in a more traditional setting.
Stdio's benefits from well-executed comfort food and Trish's unparalleled connections with virtually everyone.
Steinert's has the youth vibe and live music. Its bar food is fine, too.
Toast does breakfast and lunch, then stops for the day. It does its menu, and does it well.
Connor's Place says it will be specializing in Sierra Nevada craft beers, has added food, and offers the option of fish from the Fish House right across the street (same owner).
Hugh E. Bir's might be the best regional example of an authentic honky tonk, and like Little Chef, Pastimes, Hitching Post and others, it has its crowd.
NABC has a brewery, River City a winery. In both cases, we're artisanal manufacturers and sell our wares in other places.
La Rosita's will be downtown by next March, or so I'm told.
All these add up to a diverse food, drink and entertainment district that has most of the bases covered. Yes, we have to market it. Yes, there are some issues with convincing Louisvillians to come across. Yes, we need more residential options downtown. But what we're developing has the makings of very good.
Will there be casualties? Almost surely. I believe they'll be fewer than many pundits think.
But everything you've mentioned is readily available in Louisville. We've argued this before, and I don't think either of us will change our minds, but I don't see Louisville customers coming to New Albany on a widely consistent basis for pizza, tacos and beer. I'm considering a move to Louisville so I can be closer to La Bamba.
You know exactly what we need, and it's called Cracker Barrel. That was a joke, sort of.
It's true that there's nothing much truly "new" under the sun in a two hundred mile radius, but that isn't the point.
The point is offering options with unique twists in a new setting. It can be a different vibe, and thus marketable even to those who are jaded.
Either we'll undertake this sales job, or things will be very difficult. What makes me optimistic is that the up-and-coming generations don't buy into the the old "rules" when it comes to matters like driving across a bridge.
Eating and drinking establishments open and close all the time. Not only all the time but everywhere. Look at Frankfort Ave. Bardstown Road. I don't think anyone considers those areas failures.
I don't think anyone expects a large percentage of patronage from Louisville. Still, a minuscule percentage of a huge market is significant.
It's a thin profit margin business. Under capitalization is the biggest reason for failures. Got to be able to weather the slow times.
Under capitalization ... there for a minute, I thought you were again accusing me of being a capitalist.
I guess my point is I keep hearing all these terms thrown out like progress, change, creativity. Sorry, but I just don't see more places to have a beer at as being anything progressive or new. New location yes, not anything unique, however. Newport isn't a success just because of its bars, it's because of its entertainment venues. If all we have to offer is beer, tacos and drunken tours of the same area, that will fade pretty quickly, even for locals.
It's a start, Daniel. For the 30+ years that I have been in Floyd County, this is the most sustained activity that I have seen in downtown New Albany. That's progress. Now, if "it" just stops and doesn't continue to develop(who knows in what way)then we go back to the regressive days of the past that so many in New Albany hold dear. To the detriment of us all.
NA,
Funny that you should mention that. I was going to compliment you on your grand analysis of the downtown establishments from a capitlist's point of view. Then I decided to go with a different thought.
I know this spook walk sort of idea has been discussed for a while, kudos to pulling it off DNA!
And there's nothing wrong with booze being involved in activities. Hell, it's probably a good thing, maybe people will see that people can enjoy alcohol in a responsible moderate way and just 'cause there's beer around doesn't mean you have to get sh*t-faced.
Progress, just a pour away....
Daniel,
Is it the alcohol or would you feel the same way with, say, 6 fast food and a couple CB look-a-likes as new venues?
Mmm...cracker barrel.
I don't know, I've done so many unemployment stories lately that I guess I confuse my knowledge with what other people would know. Jobs here suck right now, the infrastructure sucks, our budgets are getting slashed left and right, most people here can't afford to pay more taxes even if they wanted to. I can't. Industries have moved away, a few have opened in their place, but not many. The only ones I really see behind the downtown bar district progress are the ones making money off of it.
I know what's coming, two or three references to books written 10 years ago about how important bars and food places are to attracting businesses and industries, but I don't see tangible evidence of that here.
Things seem to be improving, people are excited, great. That's truly good news. But if all we are going to become is a glorified bar corner, what have we really done? What mark have we left for future generations? What example are we setting? It's like we're building a house on the sand.
Conversely, given th gloom and doom, what mark is anyone, anywhere hoping to leave for future generations?
And, sorry, but I don't buy the "can't afford to pay higher taxes" bit. Some can't. Some never will. I can, and I will. All I need is a politician with spine.
Might as well look for a unicorn behind Steinert's.
Daniel,
Do you expect it to happen over night?
Oh, and I ain't read none of them there books you talkin' about.
I, too, would like to see a broader selection with a little less emphasis on the alcohol. If any of the mentioned establishments had to depend on customers like me, they would be out of business very soon. We eat out quite a bit but the amount that we spend on alcohol is minor in comparison.
new analysis?
wow. Can people handle the truth here?
I’m shocked Daniel S.
One point about lifestyle improvement(quality of living stuff) is that they aren’t usually costly, bike lane, street lights intact, ... at least not compared to cleaning up, say brownfields.
I’m agreeing with your meta analysis but not your issue with general urban amenities like food, drink, shop, bank, etc. I’m not aware of any places where the local food and drink industry sustains the economy. It helps, but I agree focusing so much attention on it without a boarder discussion of our real economy and what it will need to be healthy goes no where.
"What mark have we left for future generations?" Daniel S.
ah, to dream of a day when we have the luxury to plan for future generations...
Has anyone calculated how long it will take to just clean up from the "marks" left by the last 3 generations?
I'm hoping we can speed through that...
Gotta start somewhere. I don't want to live in Dodge City, where we have 1 cop and 13 saloons lined up along 1 street. As for cleanups, that's not my line of expertise. How long would it take or is too far gone?
"How long would it take or is too far gone?"
Is that the headline of your award-winning news piece you're proposing to editors?
Ha. I've had some good headlines, most of them get scrapped though. A good ecological piece would always be welcomed.
Daniel,
You know I respect your opinions, and U tii have a few concerns over the number of bars opening downtown *basically because I just dont like to drink*
However, I would have to say that there what a Sh*tpile of people downtown yesterday evening that would disagree.
It was actually rally difficult to find a parking space to try out Wicks (at least te Hoosier version, been to Bardstown road plenty), It was also a good mix of Indiana tags on the cars as well as Kentucky.
Regardless if there was alcohol or not involved this has been a great lift to our local economy, moeny is being spent here, and a lot of money is staying here now.
Jobs are being created, here, and jobs are being created elsewhere because of here.
Its a good thing...
Why was Wick’s packed the first day it was open?
Was it because no one had heard of it, because no Hoosier had ever left Indiana to dine in Louisville?
Wick’s was packed because people in Indiana often eat in Kentucky. So what if there’s never a Kentucky tag parked in front of Wick’s? Many, if not most, of the people who are eating there are eating there INSTEAD of crossing the bridge and eating in Louisville.
The same could be said for the revitalized White House Center. A comment was made that some of the tenants were there because they had downsized. Could the same not be said for any other large office building? Relocating businesses now have more choices on where to set up shop, whether they’re relocating because of downsizing, new growth, or some other reason. Any business in the White House Center could have downsized and gone to Jeffersonville or Louisville. Any business there could have paid less rent for a lesser quality building elsewhere in New Albany. But all the businesses in the White House Center are there because they believe it is the best decision for their business, and they’re voting with their dollars.
Post a Comment