Ezekiel

I think the owners of Sonny's and/or Croc's were hoping to open an "oyster bar" next door at some point, it may be preparations for that. Why not stop in and ask?

Saw a car parked outside the former Rock Water Tavern (nee Spice of Life) recently around lunch time and stopped to see if they were open. They weren't, but the new owners were nice enough to give me a tour. They plan on re-opening as a sports bar with food, late nite DJ and occasional live music. They will keep the name Rock Water Tavern and plan on being open 11am -2 am Monday thru Saturday. My guess is they will open sometime this summer or when the colleges start back early Fall.

Arcadia is getting a Dollar General store across the street from the old mill. Article in the Herald-Journal. http://www.goupstate.com/article/20100618/ARTICLES/6181007/1086?Title=Dollar-General-store-coming-to-Arcadia-community

I'm not sure if this is the right thread to post this, but I was browsing the city's website and saw this on its New Developments page: http://www.cityofspartanburg.org/index.cfm?PageID=80&ParentPageID=78 "Stewart Park Activity Center {sodEmoji.|} Plans for an Activity Center started with a vision to improve conditions in the Highland neighborhood area in Spartanburg. The City has partnered with the Mary Black Foundation and the Highland's community on the</SPAN> $2.7 million project. The Activity Center will be a facility designed with meeting rooms, computer labs, and a kitchen. Staff will be hired to maintain the facility and shuttle buses will be available for transportation to other area Recreation Centers. The design phase of the project will take four months with construction to begin in 2010." I'm not sure where the Highland neighborhood is, but Highland Ave. lies a bit north of the Beacon, intersecting W. Henry St. between Forest St. and John B. White Blvd. It probably once connected with W. Main on the north end, but now ends in a cul-de-sac.

Good point. I bet someone will try as V-COM nears completion. Remember the Piedmont Steakhouse once occupied the building on the NW corner of Magnolia and Daniel Morgan. The old Baber-Rhyne building next to the train station had a sandwich shop for a long time, and the building across the street housed the Whistestop Cafe for a few years. The Baber-Rhyne might be a good spot for something new, especially if the city lets people park near the train station/railroad museum.

I agree, I wish they'd never disconnected Converse Street to begin with. I think it was done about ten years ago when the Marriott was under construction and developer Arthur Cleveland had plans for a 9-hole golf course in that area. I was looking at Spartanburg on Google Earth recently. The satellite photos are a few years old but reminded me that Converse St. not only previously went all the way to Daniel Morgan Ave. but was actually 4 lanes wide.

Yes, that is good news. I think it's worth highlighting that the article mentions crime in the area has declined 68% since the neighborhood association began its activities. Also, I think this area is near the planned Midtowne Heights housing project for which federal funding has been approved. (See other thread by that name).

Maybe they didn't like the peace sign....:-(

Here's the website for Blues Boulevard. Not much to the site yet, but it does say they're open Sunday afternoons and also mentions a full menu. Has anyone tried the food yet? http://www.bluesboulevardjazz.com/

The aerial photo in the Downtown Developments thread shows a large empty lot opposite Rockers on W. Main. I wonder who owns it and if it might become a parking lot.

No, but I've lived in Spartanburg County for 12 years and only recently became aware of where the Girl Scouts' property is. That must be a prime piece of real estate, being one of the few undeveloped tracts on the westside.

I don't know for sure, but my sense is that the Arcadia lofts are doing fairly well. I usually drive by there when I'm going to a movie on the westside, and the parking lot is usually about half full. I think the site's proximity to I-85, Business 85, I-26, and westside retail are all factors.

It's great to see an old building put to new use. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Wofford or Converse found a use for the renovated but largely vacant remnant of the Beaumont mill.

I'm curious what the $600,000 renovation entailed. If anyone here visits the new-and-improved Wild Wings, I'd love to hear your observations.

Poppy Square is one of the smaller shopping plazas near Pinewood Shopping Center. It's where Mr. Gatti's is.

And here's the H-J article on the planned jazz club: http://www.goupstate.com/article/20090606/ARTICLES/906061011

I'm not sure if anyone's mentioned this already, but there was an article in the Herald-Journal a few weeks ago about plans to open a jazz club downtown. I think it will be on Church Street a block or two south of Morgan Square?

Today I noticed a banner on the empty building where Breaktime Billiards used to be, next to Papa Sam's and across from the Chapman Cultural Center. The banner simply displayed the following web address: www.guesswhoscominghere.com When I got home I looked it up...I don't know what sort of business it is, but they want you to try and guess. So go ahead!

I've been there only for lunch, so I don't know. Next time I'm down there, I'll ask them to post their hours.

The restaurant on Asheville Highway is called La Casitas. I'm sorry about your experience at San Marcos.

El Molchajete in Duncan is probably the best Mexican restaurant in the county. I've seen buses enroute from mexico to Charlotte stop there to let everyone aboard eat, although i'm sure that's in part becasue it's so close to the highway. Still, everything I've had there has been good -- especially the oysters. Yes, there is a new Mexican restaurant on Asheville Highway, a block north of the old Harley dealership. I can't remember the name (it's Casa something) but it's in an old brick house that's been painted coral pink, you can't miss it. They serve traditional tamales in corn husks, among other things. But the one time I've been there, they were out of guacamole and all beers except Corona and Bud. You might also try San Marcos at the intersection of New Cut and Fairforest. There was a seafood restaurant there for awhile. It's not much on decor, but most of the customers are Hispanic. In fact, even the staff speaks limited English. But the food is good. :-)

Has anyone here been to the cigar bar at Church and Dunbar? I gather it has rather limited hours -- weekend evenings only? Do they have wine/beer/full bar? Coffee and dessert menu, perhaps?

While driving I-585 towards town yesterday, I happened to notice that the old motel next to Steak and Spirits (formerly Steak and Ale) is being demolished. I can't even remember what this motel was originally called, but its sign most recently read "Campus Place" as it was near USC Upstate. I couldn't tell whether the demolition work was being done by a private firm or by a government entity, but I'll try to find out.

Yes, a sign there says "Abbott Farms." They have several produce stands in the upstate, selling jams & jellies, cider, t-shirts and souvenirs. i think they're the ones who advertise free samples of peach salsa. :-)

Well, I don't know for sure. I'm not down there every day, but I've only seen one train cross Blackstock in the last 2-3 years, whereas I see trains running through Arcadia regularly.