The plastic sheeting has come down to reveal the forthcoming Dueling Grounds Cafe at Destinations Booksellers, located just blocks east of Sweet Stuff at 604 E. Spring.
Lunchtime was clear yesterday, so Gregg Rochman and I investigated the scene at the debuting Toast On Market (East Market opposite the Grand). New Albany's branch of Toast boasts a stunning contemporary interior coexisting with exposed brick providing historic accents. The menu is identical to
Well, is it?
The common theme of those in attendance at last evening's Block Party was something approximating incredulity. There were at least three hundred people in the middle of a newly paved street having fun on a Wednesday evening in downtown New Albany. I thought the last Waterfront Wednesday (
The vibe was celebratory and positive, just the sort of occurrence that public savants like Dan Coffey and Steve Price always avoid so as not to contradict their gloom and doom scenarios. It's their loss (and, unfortunately, ours, since they're unable to separate their personal prejudices from what passes for public policy meant to apply to all, not some).
Wick's Pizza is next on the horizon. By the time Harvest Homecoming is through, most of the elements will be in place. Now all we need is Councilman Bob Caesar's permission to operate in the vicinity of his mercantile turf. I'll be working on that one, and will explain in a future posting. By the way, has anyone seen Coffey's hoary abacus lately?
And so it is that six years after Mrs. Confidential agreed to our first Five Year Plan downtown, it has become possible for me to begin a free day with breakfast and a Bloody Mary, then continue imbibing, eating, listening and conversing through a whole day, drinking straight through into afternoon and evening, and never once depart from walking - from my home, into downtown, and back.
There's always more to be done. But that's fairly impressive, isn't it?
Overheard:
ReplyDeleteCitizen: This is Wednesday night. The street's packed. There are all kinds of people and multiple vendors here, most of whom weren't here a year or two ago. And you know what the best part is? Because they're local, all this money stays in the community.
Councilman: Huh. I'd never thought of it that way.
See budget troubles below.
The short answer, though, is yes, it's impressive. A few years ago, I cracked that we'd all look like idiots or geniuses in a few years. There's still some pretty obvious trees obstructing the view, but the forest is looking pretty smart these days.
On a side note, a longtime local retailer came around last night to thank the block party organizers. His sales were up owing to the mass of people. That's smart, classy, and stands in direct contrast to the responses of some others who stand to benefit if they'd free themselves from their own self-imposed limits.