A door on the side of a downtown conglomerate of stores, the front not back door, has a sign telling delivery drivers to deposit items in back — but the sign is flipped upside down since the tape slipped. A blipped language I don’t speak.
But that’s not the only thing that’s flipped in the downtown. Lots of stores are either open as we speak, or will be soon. We’re talking still in May, maybe, and mostly earlier than later. While we wait with baited breath for the full opening of Max’s Social House. And a pub or another hub music club.
Newly open for business is 2nd Street Mercantile, showing the new vision of owner Vicki Wallace and the various vendors with different types of goods she is bringing in. Yes, to the variety of people who have happened in and remarked that the inventory is different, from the former store at the location in the middle of the 500 block of — what would you expect — Second Street, named At House, has by its owner been consolidated with another across the street, named The 715. It’s had its front door propped open to welcome you and the warm weather.
A couple of doors up from 2nd Street Mercantile, Kelly’s pub and grill also has had its door propped, but for a different reason — bringing in from a large van more construction items for an opening soon. They are holding firm to a promise to make it in May, probably well before the end. So you can buy a sleeveless shirt before they’re gone, or more likely a different trinket or keepsake, then have lunch or dinner too.
Or, again across the street, nearly directly, Urban Olive and Vine, which sadly closed almost exactly a year ago after the passing of ill co-owner Carol Trainor, promises to re-open, as per its sign on its door, in late spring or early summer. So we don’t have long to wait for another much differing music and eating option to hit around the mid-downtown. We’ve missed, those among us who had opted for different kinds of jazz, having a place to go.
But now for music, as for Max’s, which started its redo from Ziggy’s and completed its purchase of Hop N Barrel late last year, there a couple of weeks ago was a barrel of fun going on as there were three big metal vats that had been used for brewing sitting out between the two buildings. (For wooden beer barrels you would have to go to Milwaukee.) So hey, they have been removed, but progress is being made — however, plywood on the front windows still obscures sight of stepladders in the closed downstairs. But as two fans said as they sat on the steps next to the front door, which is not in operation, there still are bands (plural) on many days upstairs.
Less is the progress with the empty two-fold area that housed the shoe store downtown, or the bigger grassy lot that has long set vacant, which replaces the building that was most known for housing a scuba shop, which would be hopping this time of year.
But this is spring, and with it comes hopes of renewal and renewed opportunities. For commerce and summer fun.