Couple weeks back, I put up a blog that I did not think City Park Grille would make it through the summer. If anyone thought that I wished that they would fail, they were wrong. Same with Best Buy at the Greendale Mall or Pharmasphere in the South Worcester Industrial Park. All of these businesses thriving would benefit all of us.
Since I have, at times, posted a listing of businesses that have closed, I can understand why readers may think I enjoy a business closing. Unless you own a business, however, you will never understand how much you want these businesses to survive. People that own businesses realize the blood, sweat, tears and the monies that have invested and want fellow business-owners to survive..
Sorry, but City Park Grille never stood a chance. Especially, if they did in fact pay $15,000 per month to lease the premises. I only hope the owner, if this is true, did not sign a personally guarantee. Downtown Worcester has breakfast/lunch market, there is no after-work market! That is exactly the market City park Grille needed, but it does not exist downtown and they realized that after 3 months.
We need to start attracting people to Worcester that are not of low-mod income income who can support restaurants like the City Park Grille. Maybe a housing policy that promotes market rate housing downtown would be beneficial for future City Park Grilles.
Same Time Next Year
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It’s been nearly a year since I wrote about the problems that come from
having 11 bosses who are not on the same page about anything, as well as
suggestion...
4 months ago
19 comments:
not totally correct Wild Will..Armsbey Abbey is an exceptional place to eat, drink and socialize
I never said Armsbey Abbey is not an exceptional place to eat??? At the same time I don't think it is an upscale streak house.
Paulie's right.
Then throw in three Alquist properties, three Niche properties, Evo...
Great restaurants do great in Worcester, City Park was not great. Even if their food was, the service was some of the worst in this hemisphere.
Brendan:
The Almquist and Niche have great restaurants. Armsbey Abbey is great. There are alot of great restaurants in the City?
This is about an upscale steak house downtown on the Commons. Just do not see a restaurant like this in this location making it.
That is all I am saying?
Morton's Steakhouse or 11 Chophouse could move into City Park and it will not succeed.
What is not being said here is that DownTown Worc has one huge bet on City Sq. One could assert what else is there to bet on for DT Worc., but strategically thinking minds always ask what happens when what was planned does not pan out once it is built.
For the 101st time, Worc is banking on new construction to change the city-scape, but what really has to change are the demographics. I have read twice in the last week that Bostons Downtown Crossing is just not making it as it should and what isnt being said is that for some reason(s) the shoppers are not showing up as expected. If an urban shopping mecca in Boston is running into headwinds, what happens to an as yet unbuilt new urban mecca 40 miles to the west?
BTW Re HANOVER and I think I may be repeating myself here again. Hanover Ins company steps up for:
a. The Hand It Over Theatre
b. The Tornadoes Hanvoer Field
c. City Square.
d. the city schools(?)
The payoff: a new expanded interstate highway interchange right in their front yard....all on the taxpayers dime. Call me suspicious, but I get a sense of a quid pro quo here.
In another time and place Legal Seafood could not succeed In Worcester. When their 10 year lease on Waldo St ran, they too ran in 1994 (Judy Light scared em away!).
I am not sure if Legal could be called an upscale seafood restaurant. (I would say yes or if not very, very close). And In 1994Worc's demographics were better than they are now.
Anoterh sidebar.......how's that Hand It Over Theatre Restaurant coming along and I am wondering.......did they per chance have any agreements with the city about installing a restaurant there by a future date certain. The Hand It Over Theatre opened in March, 2008 ('07?). Two or Three years down the road now and the artzy fartzy gang realizes it's tough to make it in business w/o a gazzilion dollars in gov't subsidies. Next up, Worc proposes financial subsidies to get this restaurant off the drawing board?
That's just where you and I would have to agree to disagree. ;)
I think if Grill 23 came to that spot they would hit it out of the park. We can't use the old 'location, location, location' maxim, when the majority of Worcester restaurant goers drive to their destination; City Park had 12 million garage spots and valet at their disposal. More so when we know a fair number of regular Worcester diners are from the 'burbs.
There's no doubt they closed for a reason, all I'm suggesting is by assuming that reason was the location and not one of a million other variables, we're just feeding a narrative that 'downtown Worcester is bad for business' when it may not be the location at all. My take, which is worth absolutely nothing since I don't know the details either, is two restaurants made a go at that spot and neither had a decent marketing plan or the service that stood a chance of stealing focus from other more established dinning spots.
That said, 15k a month seems absurd in an area where class A office space costs about as much as a parking meter.
did you read D Williamson's Franklin and MAin Column, that is most peopels perception of downtown, including me and I should know better
Traveler, it's more than just a perception. It is in fact a reality.
Many Worcesterites want to head of town for their dining experience. After spending a work week living and/or working in Worcester, most have an inclination to want to head east where they do not have to observe multitudes of tattoo'ed bozos, pajama people, urban wear in need of suspenders, and low riders cruising Main St all evening.
Call it what you will, this is reality for Worcester in 2010.
I am thinking about calling for seccession for certain areas of Worc that are solidly middle class. A new city of Northwestern Worc may be in the future. Kinda like East Providence, a separate municipality. Is North Providence also a city unto itself?
Did anyone catch Mayor Obrien on Polito thsi morning. I did but only for a minute or two. The topic was thsi ROTC guy and thsi alleged issue of non payment of dues to the pinkie ring union thugs of the UAW & MTA.
When asked about the situation, JOB says his only issue is the fact that we're spening billions in militray costs overseas and why cant the miliary pony up for this ROTC guys entire salary and not just 1/2 of it . The city evidently pays the other 1/2, thus the problems?
I mean Jesus, Mary & Joseph you might think from listeing to JOB that Worc schools dont get any other money from Washington. The reality is they probably get millions and JOB is B++++ing b/c the city has to pony up 1/2 the salary for an ROTC guy. Once agian a dyed in the wool McGovernite.
Do we know if JOB has ever had areal job?
Jahn, I guess I was just imagining the packed house at the Abbey tonight then? Maybe your bridge club is having a hard time finding new blood, but solid establishments seem to be doing just fine with both local and out of town patrons. But I can't imagine you would like the place much considering the owners both have full sleeves, how dare "bozos" like that run a business not in line with your delicate, puritan sensibilities. You sir, are a world class, grade A idiot and precisely the reason Worcester has the rep it does.
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Hey Bill, were you not just bitching about morons posting garbage online anonymously? Why not avoid the hypocrisy and out this fool? He's doing nothing but dragging your blog down into a gutter of barely comprehensible doublespeak.
It's Phil Palmieri and Pedone who still belong to the bridge club, not me. See yesterdays T&G CSX story. I no longer play bridge. To my great dismay The Cavendish Club was closed and subsequently razed in the early 1990's.
I assume a "full sleeve" is both arms all inked up or maybe it's some kinda new mixed drink the college kids go for? TY for enhancing my urban vocabulary.
Puritan sensibilities...surely you jest. I have not been to the Plymouth Rock since I was in the 3rd grade
Hypocrisy, no. Worcester reality, yes.
Brendan, yes "this fool" has probably been around this town a bit longer than you. Long enough to know the city demographics are at a breaking point right now and IMO still heading downhill. A successful, vibrant, finacially viable urban locale cannot be achieved given the direction Worcester is headed in. That is not hypocrisy, thats reality.
Dare I ask for details on your tatt's? [g]
you gotta love a guy who can hold his own when it comes to smack..you can Senor Pedro Jahn:>)
I'll be happy to show you all my ink in person whenever you're willing to come out from behind Randells veil.
I'm sure you have been here longer, age being what it is and time machines being what they are not. So with all your wisdom, what exactly are you seeing as problematic with the cities demographics compared to the 80's/90's? Today we have a larger population, higher number of college degrees, less violent crime, higher median incomes (still lower than they should be), improved housing stock and far better selection of entertainment options for those of us who have stuck it out. Is everything perfect? Of course not, but where is this dilapidated war zone your narrative seems to be describing? When I look at my kids school, all I see are middle class parents who chose to live here, including many transplants, because it's a safe, affordable community. Instead of telling people who are actually engaged with the city that they're wrong and the city sucks, maybe you should get out of your car once in awhile and see what you're missing. The rest of us are having a good time out here and don't mind the extra company. The sooner we get people to acknowledge what is working the sooner we can start working on the things that are not.
good come back BM...
I have had the pleasure to sit and talk with Brendan and Jahn--he does exist.
The ironic thing is they would have great time discussing this stuff
"The ironic thing is they would have great time discussing this stuff"
quite easily the biggest problemo in this city..very few talking to each other abouts it move forward
Brendan, Brendan, Brendan, my fined feathered friend........
"what exactly are you seeing as problematic with the cities demographics compared to the 80's/90's?"
We need More middle and upper middle income Worcesterites.
"Today we have a larger population"
Last I heard we're duking it out with Providence for 2nd largest city in NE. Werent we the second largest city in New england since the Pilgrims landed? Worc's population although higher than in years past still hasnt kept up with population growth in general. We also need to look at the quality of the alleged population, not just the quantity. Paulie gladly invites you to spend a few hot July and August, mid summer weekends abutting 224 Chandler. Comprende'?
"Today we have... higher number of college degrees".
What about college degrees as a %'age of Worc's population instead of as an absolute numbre'? Frankly we should have far more college graduates given that colleges may in fact be Worc's biggest industry. Another frequent blogger on this website claims all the college kids fly the coop from Worc. once they graduate
"Today we have... less violent crime"
Could be, I dont know. Says who, Gemme?
"Today we have... higher median incomes (still lower than they should be),"
MMMMM...so what ..Median incomes go up almost every year (last 2 yrs maybe not) Problem is too many Worcesterites have no income and isnt median income calculated from those who actually have incomes.
"Today we have...improved housing stock"
Every community has improved housing stock vs the past. It is almost mandated by new constr codes. Problem is far too much of our new housing stock is costing the taxpayers excessive amts of money and is being populated by low income dwellers. I'd love to see figures for Worc that show how many new dwelling units were created in the last 25 years and how many of those are categorized as low income housing.
"Today we have a far better selection of entertainment."
AGREED....!!!!! The suburbanites love to come to the heavily taxpayer subsidized Hand It Over Theatre. Worcesterites too.
"Is everything perfect? Of course not..."
AGREED....!!! I am not looking for perfection.
"but where is this dilapidated war zone your narrative seems to be describing?"
Not sure I ever described a dilapidated war zone. My issues are more the amimate objects vs. the inanimate objects and also how the city spends money.
"When I look at my kids school, all I see are middle class parents who chose to live here, including many transplants, because it's a safe, affordable community"
Many of those middle class people can only afford to live in Worc. If & when they could afford the suburbs and they still have school aged kids they may well opt for suburbia. Please witness many of the highly paid cops and teachers who do just that.
I do agree we are reasonably safe city relative to other cities. Relative to suburbia we're more unsafe.
"maybe you should get out of your car once in awhile and see what you're missing."
I DO....!!!! My trips to downtown are often to City Hall. I park in library parking lot and make the trek across the Common. Enough said.
"The rest of us are having a good time out here...."
My good times are going to the bridge club and hoping I get lucky [g]. You should join the Geritol for Lunch Bunch one of these days for bridge and lunch. [g]
Brendan i welcome your add'l response. This will be my last one on this thread. Too much time responding.
Thanx.
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