jwazzz

Younker's closes its Rivertown store.

My sentiments exactly. Both of these properties have been slumping for years now - shame on the owners who have allowed this to happen and shame on city authorities for not taking action on this earlier. And I too have often wondered about the boarded-up building next to Richmond Stamping - prime location and yet it seems to be stuck in some kind of weird, late 1970's time warp.

Stopped in for my first visit last Friday afternoon and I'll echo the above statements about the building; it's beautiful - everything I was hoping for and more! I'll be willing to bet the 2nd floor "event" spaces will be the go to spot for gatherings for the foreseeable future. My only complaint was I left with a severe case of "sticker shock" - while the vendors chosen certainly have an outstanding supply of goods, it's not a place where I could shop except for special occasions and even then, I would have a hard time paying the prices they're asking. $32.00/lb for scallops at the fish place; $52.00/lb for one particular cut of beef at the butcher's. (It probably melts in your mouth but for that kind of money, I could go to The Chop House or Ruth's Chris and not have to worry about doing the dishes.) The selection offered at the deli section of the fresh pasta shop was nothing you couldn't find at D&W and when I asked the person working if the pasta salad I was paying $7.00/lb for was fresh, she said no and went on to say that it wasn't even made on site. I was a regular at Making Thyme when they were on Cherry - their prices have also gone up in the new location. The chocolatier and ice cream shops - great stuff but a limited selection, at best. Almost $4.00 for a croissant? Once again, tried one, it was delicious but I doubt if I'd be stopping by to pick up a couple dozen for an office meeting. And finally, Sweetielicious - I bought one of her pies; a cherry, peach, blueberry combo that was wonderful but it also set me back $25.00! Don't get me wrong - I've been anxiously waiting for the market since it was first announced and I will go back because I want to see this succeed - I just wish there had been some thought given to those of us whose pockets aren't quite so deep. (I think one of the vendors who got it right are the people from Art of the Table with their wine bar and cheese shop - great selection and price points that didn't make me do a double take.) And, I realize some of the examples I cited were at the very high end of the vendors offerings but those are the numbers many will carry away with them and talk about to their friends and families after they've visited the market. I don't know what the numbers were at todays Grand Opening festivities - I hope it was a resounding success but I'm afraid that for many, their first visit might also be their last for no other reason than they simply can't afford to shop there.

Awesome news - http://www.grbj.com/articles/77664-monroe-center-is-nearly-rebuilt

Won't be Bonefish - reliable sources told me a couple months ago they've signed a new lease on the E. Paris location and I can't imagine they'd add a second spot at Breton Village.

Mum's the word - thanks for sharing. Wow was right - I can picture Joe Peschi walking into that bar with a baseball bat...

You're not just going to leave us hanging, are you? Come on, Dad - you ended with a "Wow". Share with us - we won't tell a soul, promise.

Saw one mural in progress on the side of a building on Grandville, just south of the S-Curve - I'm assuming it's ArtPrize related. You're right, it seemed as though last year many of the large sculptures were already in place or being installed by this time.

They had a store on Ionia a while back - hope they have better luck with this location. They have awesome (if a bit pricey) clothing - many labels you can't find anywhere else in GR. Glad to see them coming back downtown.

I'll second that - Eastown, East Hills and (for lack of an all encompassing name) Wealthy from Union to Fuller offers some of the best eating in the city and I've got the expanding waistline to prove it.

They are installing the "waves" on the reflective glass base of HDVCH and I might have to eat a big slice of humble pie. Not long ago, I compared the design of the building to a casino and while I still have some issues with the overall appearance, I'm liking the "waves" - with the right lighting, this could become a real focal point for Michigan Hill. Does anyone know if the wave design will also be a part of the big blue skywalk?

Once again, I find myself in total agreement with you. Had D&W put this store @ Michigan and Fuller I think they would have had a huge hit on their hands. And while the new place @ Knapp and the East Beltline is nice enough, there is nothing that special about it to compel me to take the drive to shop there. The M/F location would have gotten 90% of my business - I would have gladly paid the higher prices for the convenience. Think they really missed the boat on this one.

through

range

Jason Mraz - A Beautiful Mess. Mraz is my favorite "new" artist - caught him on the Tonight Show about 7 or 8 years ago and was impressed enough to pick up his first album and was blown away by his writing and voice. That began what has amounted to a love affair with him and his music - he has grown with each new recording and is one of the few artists whose music actually improves when performed live. Do yourself a favor and pick up either "Tonight, Not Again" or "A Beautiful Mess" - both live cd/dvd sets for a good sampling of some of his best music and see if he doesn't become a favorite of yours as well.

Knob

Recently watched the Rolling Stones documentary about the making of Exile On Main St. so had to dust off my old copy. While I don't consider it to be their best (that is a 5-way tie between Let It Bleed/Sticky Fingers/Some Girls/Emotional Rescue and Tattoo You - make that 6-way, forgot Get Yer YaYa's Out) I'm loving it more with each new listen. Mick, Keith and band were arguably at the height of their creative powers when they recorded Exile and I'd sell my soul to to go back and spend that summer with them in the south of France.

Awesome recording - it has more than stood the test of time, may be more relevant now than when it was released back in the early '70's.

Actually, the downtown Jacobson's was (at least in it's final years) devoted to high end women's clothing and accessories. The Gaslight Village location was a full fledged Jacobson's department store with men's, women's and children's apparel as well as home furnishings.

Thanks for that correction concerning Jacobson's - you beat me to the punch. Jacobson's was indeed on the corner of Fulton and Sheldon and it was the downtown Ganto's store that was combined with Herpolsheimer's to create the City Centre Mall.

Totally agree with the idea of a new building to replace the old MNB ramp. Anything would be an improvement but something in the 10 - 15 story range would give some nice mass to that area. (Old MNB Building, Select Bank Building, Morton House and the new Gallery on Fulton. The addition of yet another building on that triangular lot would be the icing on the cake and there, I'd like to see maybe a 20-25 story tower. Someday, maybe..........

One more. http://www.mediaite.com/tv/bill-maher-tells-his-panel-the-one-story-thats-too-depressing-for-him-to-watch/

Shameless. http://www.mediaite.com/online/bp-buys-prime-online-space-message-manipulation/

I'm sure by now, everyone has seen these photos but I think they bear repeating. They should be plastered on billboards across the country and if they happen to be near a BP or Amoco gas station, even better. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/03/gulf-oil-spill-photos-ani_n_560813.html The CEO of BP should be forced to watch a continuous loop of these, Clockwork Orange style. I for one, cannot get these horrific images off my mind and this is only the beginning folks. Keep them in mind the next time you fill up your tank.

While I haven't tried the Eel yet because of all the mixed reviews, I remember when the Cheetah opened and like you, was less than impressed. Now, it is one of my favorite spots and they seem to be getting better al the time. Hopefully, this will be the case with the Eel.