witulski

Bwahahahaa, "Phoenix" building. I didn't realize that was what it was being called. That's nice.

Watching the HDVCH take shape on top of the hill is pretty exciting... but I gotta step into this thread to say, I am really bummed that the giant spire has been cancelled. I am actually surprised there didn't seem to be any discussion about that here after it was mentioned, because I thought that would be a pretty exciting addition to town and got to looking forward to it.

Neat! Is that the half-house, half-storefront that says something like "Big John's BBQ and Ice CREAM" or something like that? Wonder if the future holds anything more.

Wow, reading this thread and the "What's Next for Grand Rapids" thread makes me want to just merge them together. Streetcars seem like such a brilliant next step for this town, they'd really increase the "city" feel in a way that it seems bus rapid transit couldn't.

Lansing, though smaller than GR, happens to have 40,000 people who stay up 'til 4am living right nearby. GR, on the other hand, just got its first significant college buildings downtown in the last couple of years. Predictably, it looks like nightlife is growing, and also predictably, businesses are catching on. Ten years ago, you'd never have seen anyone selling pizza on the street in GR - it won't be long before the brick and mortar businesses figure it out too.

For what it's worth, I was downtown on Saturday night trying out some new video equipment, and the facade of Johnny's Lunch really caught my eye. The neo-retro design really struck a chord with me. I was certainly excited to see something like that downtown - it reminded me of something I'd see in Denver or Chicago. My curiosity was piqued enough to check out their website - they've been family owned in upstate NY since 1936, until just last year when they decided to franchise. Apparently they signed an impressive 75-store deal right off the bat, as far as they can find it's the largest initial franchise deal anyone's ever come out with. GR is only about the fourth one to open. I'm looking forward to eating there. The current trend may be to scoff at "just dogs and burgers", but I have a great appreciation for those simple foods, especially when they have a pedigree all the way back to the '30s. Certainly I was sorry to hear of the Olive Express closing and wish I'd gotten to try the shawarma and tabouli, but Johnny's Lunch caught my eye as a charming place.

SPUI Neat. Only 60 in the US right now.

Oooh, I really like the look of that "Let's Go" ad. I haven't seen any on buses or billboards yet - that's the first I've seen. NICE font choice (really been getting nerdy over fonts lately). And the colors and layout have a real crispness and freshness I really like. I've read you all lampooning KIAS for a little while now, and honestly, the tiny mention of it on downtowngr.org is the first I've ever seen or heard of it outside of here. I guess they really were doing a good job of keeping it a secret. Anyway, I hope I catch a Let's Go ad on a bus or billboard somewhere. Right now I can say I'm really liking the look of it.