« January 23, 2005 - January 29, 2005 | Main | February 6, 2005 - February 12, 2005 »
February 4, 2005
Since when does dining in an alley provide a great view?
The answer? When you focus on designing great alleys.
Narrow, pedestrian-only streets (paseos) are becoming quite popular. They help focus attention on people, the most interesting subject matter to the human eye. This 'people stage' is made more dramatic with a terminating building(s).
Building facades that feature human-scaled, human-designed detailing are that much more appealing to - humans, especially if you intend to look at it longer than a minute or two. The same goes for the materials used on the ground, which is why brick (and cobblestone) make a huge difference. Good lighting design helps to highlight the best of those details, including the dining area.
Next blog - San Francisco's hidden Parisian alley experience.
Posted by Neil | Link to Article
February 3, 2005
Why the renewed popularity in the small car?
The MINI Cooper is one of the biggest automotive success stories in the last few years. BMW announces a 1-Series to come to the U.S. Volvo plans an even smaller car than the smallest car they've introduced in a decade. Mercedes is even planning a new brand called Smart, where two Smart cars can fit in one parking space. Honda, Ford are following suit. Chevy already has the Aveo.
What's going on here? While a lot of it has to do with rising gas prices, Americans aren't buying these cars because they're driving them on the freeways. No, they're buying these because they aren't driving them on the freeways, and for the first time in a long time, they don't have to, because city downtowns are back, becoming more desirable than the suburbs for the first time in 50 years.
That means you'll see more pedestrian-oriented places like above, such as where only a small car feels comfortable (for a change). It may also be why so many European car companies are listed above - they understand the pedestrian-first market very well.
Posted by Neil | Link to Article
February 2, 2005
What happens when places are designed for people?
You get places like this. The scene seems so natural, but it's actually very unnatural here in the U.S. (the shot is in Paris).
First of all, there'd be a line of cars parked alongside the curb, which would immediately block any view more than 10' in front of you. This is one reason why waterfront seating seems so dramatic by comparison. The buildings on the opposite side of the street would be pushed back and largely out of the picture, mainly because the street here won't accomodate four (or even two) lanes of traffic.
The furniture, wall design, the lighting and even the awning prioritize design and craftsmanship, something the U.S. is better at in software than in real estate. Granted, this generally raises costs, but not if you know a thing or two about shabby chic.
Posted by Neil | Link to Article
February 1, 2005
Every main street needs a Ben's Chili Bowl
In addition to the new and exciting restaurants and shops (eg the CakeLoves) that can spark a downtown revival, you need the neighborhood institutions, the ones that withstood the riots, the mass exodus to the burbs, urban renewal and the relentless unpredictability of keeping a restaurant open. Why? Because it not only provides a sense of history and place, but a sense of security that the same people have been in the same place for so long.
Easier said than done, but Ben's Chili Bowl, serving the city's best chili for over 40 years, is just that. It opened in 1958 on what was a thriving "Black Broadway" in Washington DC's 14th and U neighborhood, serving the likes of Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Bessie Smith, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Nat King Cole, Redd Foxx, Dick Gregory, Martin Luther King Jr., or Bill Cosby at “the Bowl.” Now that's history.
That history has been further preserved two ways: the city renamed an adacent alley, Ben Ali Way, after the founder (retired); and Ben's wife, Virginia, still works the counter with her two sons, who now run the business.
Posted by Neil | Link to Article
January 31, 2005
What happens when a lawyer has a career change?
There's nothing more important to a great downtown/main street than the entrepreneurs who open that signature restaurant or venue that starts a chain reaction of quality venues behind it.
Warren Brown had dual degrees in law and public health from George Washington University, but hated his work as a lawyer for the federal government. Meanwhile, friends and family loved anything he baked. So he did what most lawyers do - quit his job and opened a bakery.
A few awards and an Oprah appearance later, CakeLove has helped spark a revival of the 14th and U neighborhood downtown in Washington DC.
Posted by Neil | Link to Article
