Hoptinger opening in Riverside

[Downtown Osprey]

I think it looks good but only time will tell. Another rooftop bar would definitely start to put 5 points on the path towards being a nightlife destination.

?? Because it isn't already? I don't follow...

5 Points is ok but it is not the place to be in Jax at midnight on a Saturday night. The Beaches are way ahead. 5 Points could be a real destination for nightlife. Not just a few bars.

Different strokes I guess. Unless I'm being paid, I'm not going to the beach on Friday or Saturday night. The Beach crowd is definitely a younger vibe (or at least they think they just turned 21), where Riverside tends to be a little older. I'm just not a huge fan of Jax Beach culture - I feel like it's where ambition goes to die.

No offense to anyone out there, my personal opinion.

Ambition goes to die? What? I'm 27 and I've lived in both Riverside and the Beaches (where I grew up) I just happen to prefer living a couple blocks from the ocean. If you ask me there's much more to be excited about development wise at the beaches more than anywhere else in Jax.

[UNFurbanist]

Well I've been thinking that an organization should start up in order to promote the area as a whole anyways. Kinda like The Elbow district in DTJax. They could organize a first Friday event and basically market for the 5 points area.

[Tacachale]

I think it looks good but only time will tell. Another rooftop bar would definitely start to put 5 points on the path towards being a nightlife destination.

?? Because it isn't already? I don't follow...

5 Points is ok but it is not the place to be in Jax at midnight on a Saturday night. The Beaches are way ahead. 5 Points could be a real destination for nightlife. Not just a few bars.

Different strokes I guess. Unless I'm being paid, I'm not going to the beach on Friday or Saturday night. The Beach crowd is definitely a younger vibe (or at least they think they just turned 21), where Riverside tends to be a little older. I'm just not a huge fan of Jax Beach culture - I feel like it's where ambition goes to die.

No offense to anyone out there, my personal opinion.

Ambition goes to die? What? I'm 27 and I've lived in both Riverside and the Beaches (where I grew up) I just happen to prefer living a couple blocks from the ocean. If you ask me there's much more to be excited about development wise at the beaches more than anywhere else in Jax.

I grew up at the Beach too, and I'll say there's plenty to dislike about the culture of the area. Just as there's plenty to dislike about Riverside snobbery and pretentiousness. Both places have an obnoxious streak of exceptionalism and isolationism that stands in contrast to how much the neighborhood economies are based on attracting visitors.

One difference, I think, is that Riverside has a pretty good sense of itself, and what makes it a special place. You see that in the people who move there, the businesses that open up there, and the projects the neighborhood organizations take on. I don't get that at the Beach. The leadership often doesn't seem to get quite why the Beaches became an attractive neighborhood to begin with, beyond just being close to the ocean.

[UNFurbanist]

I think it looks good but only time will tell. Another rooftop bar would definitely start to put 5 points on the path towards being a nightlife destination.

?? Because it isn't already? I don't follow...

5 Points is ok but it is not the place to be in Jax at midnight on a Saturday night. The Beaches are way ahead. 5 Points could be a real destination for nightlife. Not just a few bars.

Different strokes I guess. Unless I'm being paid, I'm not going to the beach on Friday or Saturday night. The Beach crowd is definitely a younger vibe (or at least they think they just turned 21), where Riverside tends to be a little older. I'm just not a huge fan of Jax Beach culture - I feel like it's where ambition goes to die.

No offense to anyone out there, my personal opinion.

Ambition goes to die? What? I'm 27 and I've lived in both Riverside and the Beaches (where I grew up) I just happen to prefer living a couple blocks from the ocean. If you ask me there's much more to be excited about development wise at the beaches more than anywhere else in Jax.

I grew up at the Beach too, and I'll say there's plenty to dislike about the culture of the area. Just as there's plenty to dislike about Riverside snobbery and pretentiousness. Both places have an obnoxious streak of exceptionalism and isolationism that stands in contrast to how much the neighborhood economies are based on attracting visitors.

One difference, I think, is that Riverside has a pretty good sense of itself, and what makes it a special place. You see that in the people who move there, the businesses that open up there, and the projects the neighborhood organizations take on. I don't get that at the Beach. The leadership often doesn't seem to get quite why the Beaches became an attractive neighborhood to begin with, beyond just being close to the ocean.

As far as the leadership is concerned you're probably right. However, I think Jax Beach has a pretty good sense of its identity. It's surf culture/beach bum hippies and then rich families. Similar to the rich family/old money and hipster divide in Riverside. I will say though that the "Fletcher kids" are some of the most annoying people you'll meet. If you're from the other side of the ditch then you're a townie and they don't like you haha. Serious isolationism right there! At the end of the day, these two areas are definitely the cultural centers of the city and offer the only escape from the suburban blandness that is Jax.

[Tacachale]

I think it looks good but only time will tell. Another rooftop bar would definitely start to put 5 points on the path towards being a nightlife destination.

?? Because it isn't already? I don't follow...

5 Points is ok but it is not the place to be in Jax at midnight on a Saturday night. The Beaches are way ahead. 5 Points could be a real destination for nightlife. Not just a few bars.

Different strokes I guess. Unless I'm being paid, I'm not going to the beach on Friday or Saturday night. The Beach crowd is definitely a younger vibe (or at least they think they just turned 21), where Riverside tends to be a little older. I'm just not a huge fan of Jax Beach culture - I feel like it's where ambition goes to die.

No offense to anyone out there, my personal opinion.

Ambition goes to die? What? I'm 27 and I've lived in both Riverside and the Beaches (where I grew up) I just happen to prefer living a couple blocks from the ocean. If you ask me there's much more to be excited about development wise at the beaches more than anywhere else in Jax.

I grew up at the Beach too, and I'll say there's plenty to dislike about the culture of the area. Just as there's plenty to dislike about Riverside snobbery and pretentiousness. Both places have an obnoxious streak of exceptionalism and isolationism that stands in contrast to how much the neighborhood economies are based on attracting visitors.

One difference, I think, is that Riverside has a pretty good sense of itself, and what makes it a special place. You see that in the people who move there, the businesses that open up there, and the projects the neighborhood organizations take on. I don't get that at the Beach. The leadership often doesn't seem to get quite why the Beaches became an attractive neighborhood to begin with, beyond just being close to the ocean.

As far as the leadership is concerned you're probably right. However, I think Jax Beach has a pretty good sense of its identity. It's surf culture/beach bum hippies and then rich families. Similar to the rich family/old money and hipster divide in Riverside. I will say though that the "Fletcher kids" are some of the most annoying people you'll meet. If you're from the other side of the ditch then you're a townie and they don't like you haha. Serious isolationism right there! At the end of the day, these two areas are definitely the cultural centers of the city and offer the only escape from the suburban blandness that is Jax.

I'd argue that few people at the Beach really have a good idea about what makes the Beach the Beach. If they did, there'd be more of an effort to preserve old beach homes and less of a rush to throw up 3-story pastel monstrosities with street-facing garages instead of front doors and porches. The height restrictions would have come along with a plan for mixed-use zoning. There would be fewer strip malls and single-entry subdivisions, and more walkable, neighborhood-style development. In my mind, the Beaches risk becoming just another auto-centric bedroom suburb that happens to have good beach access and a nightlife strip for newly 21. Much of it is already like that, including all of Ponte Vedra.

[CCMjax]

I think it looks good but only time will tell. Another rooftop bar would definitely start to put 5 points on the path towards being a nightlife destination.

?? Because it isn't already? I don't follow...

5 Points is ok but it is not the place to be in Jax at midnight on a Saturday night. The Beaches are way ahead. 5 Points could be a real destination for nightlife. Not just a few bars.

Different strokes I guess. Unless I'm being paid, I'm not going to the beach on Friday or Saturday night. The Beach crowd is definitely a younger vibe (or at least they think they just turned 21), where Riverside tends to be a little older. I'm just not a huge fan of Jax Beach culture - I feel like it's where ambition goes to die.

No offense to anyone out there, my personal opinion.

Ambition goes to die? What? I'm 27 and I've lived in both Riverside and the Beaches (where I grew up) I just happen to prefer living a couple blocks from the ocean. If you ask me there's much more to be excited about development wise at the beaches more than anywhere else in Jax.

I grew up at the Beach too, and I'll say there's plenty to dislike about the culture of the area. Just as there's plenty to dislike about Riverside snobbery and pretentiousness. Both places have an obnoxious streak of exceptionalism and isolationism that stands in contrast to how much the neighborhood economies are based on attracting visitors.

One difference, I think, is that Riverside has a pretty good sense of itself, and what makes it a special place. You see that in the people who move there, the businesses that open up there, and the projects the neighborhood organizations take on. I don't get that at the Beach. The leadership often doesn't seem to get quite why the Beaches became an attractive neighborhood to begin with, beyond just being close to the ocean.

As far as the leadership is concerned you're probably right. However, I think Jax Beach has a pretty good sense of its identity. It's surf culture/beach bum hippies and then rich families. Similar to the rich family/old money and hipster divide in Riverside. I will say though that the "Fletcher kids" are some of the most annoying people you'll meet. If you're from the other side of the ditch then you're a townie and they don't like you haha. Serious isolationism right there! At the end of the day, these two areas are definitely the cultural centers of the city and offer the only escape from the suburban blandness that is Jax.

Ohhhhh dear lord, so confusing . . . . . I'm left pondering . . . . what would Johnny Utah (aka Keanu Reeves in Point Break) do?  Would he chose the Beach or Riverside?  I know what Bodhi (aka Patrick Swayze) would do.  In fact I think I saw him catching a cat nap under the pier on his surf board last time I was at Jax Beach.

"Go back to the Valley Bro!"  or in Jax Beach's case "Go back to the SJTC bro-brah!"

[FlaBoy]

Well I've been thinking that an organization should start up in order to promote the area as a whole anyways. Kinda like The Elbow district in DTJax. They could organize a first Friday event and basically market for the 5 points area.

Maybe a committee on RAP could handle it? I know the Optimist Club in St. Pete hosts their First Friday.

[FlaBoy]

They should really do a "First Friday" in 5 Points like is done in St. Pete or Orlando. They are hugely successful. Jax has not had a place with enough bars on a single strip to make something like that happen. Maybe now is the time.

They used to have a pretty awesome First Fridays thing going on many years ago.  They were always a good time, and there were far fewer bars and "night spots" than there are now.

Who used to host it? An organization?

[Steve]

Well I've been thinking that an organization should start up in order to promote the area as a whole anyways. Kinda like The Elbow district in DTJax. They could organize a first Friday event and basically market for the 5 points area.

Maybe a committee on RAP could handle it? I know the Optimist Club in St. Pete hosts their First Friday.

I think this is something the Five Points Merchants Association should do.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Ohhhhh dear lord, so confusing . . . . . I'm left pondering . . . . what would Johnny Utah (aka Keanu Reeves in Point Break) do?  Would he chose the Beach or Riverside?  I know what Bodhi (aka Patrick Swayze) would do.  In fact I think I saw him catching a cat nap under the pier on his surf board last time I was at Jax Beach.

"Go back to the Valley Bro!"  or in Jax Beach's case "Go back to the SJTC bro-brah!"

Hahahahaha....  I find this reference amusing because I flipped past this particular movie around 11:30 on cable last night and finally made it to bed just after 1am.  One of the few that will snag me every damn time.

[BoldCityRealist]

They should really do a "First Friday" in 5 Points like is done in St. Pete or Orlando. They are hugely successful. Jax has not had a place with enough bars on a single strip to make something like that happen. Maybe now is the time.

They used to have a pretty awesome First Fridays thing going on many years ago.  They were always a good time, and there were far fewer bars and "night spots" than there are now.

Who used to host it? An organization?

I think it was mostly Anomaly, Violet, Edge City and Riverside Liquor getting it together of their own volition.  Anomaly is no longer open and RSL moved to King St. 

Also, from what I knew, I don't think the various merchants get along well enough to organize something like that.

Complete shame. If they could all rally together, it would make 5 Points so much better for businesses, residents and visitors.

[CCMjax]

Ohhhhh dear lord, so confusing . . . . . I'm left pondering . . . . what would Johnny Utah (aka Keanu Reeves in Point Break) do?  Would he chose the Beach or Riverside?  I know what Bodhi (aka Patrick Swayze) would do.  In fact I think I saw him catching a cat nap under the pier on his surf board last time I was at Jax Beach.

"Go back to the Valley Bro!"  or in Jax Beach's case "Go back to the SJTC bro-brah!"

Hahahahaha....  I find this reference amusing because I flipped past this particular movie around 11:30 on cable last night and finally made it to bed just after 1am.  One of the few that will snag me every damn time.

You are not alone my friend . . . you are not alone.  If it's on, I must watch.

[UNFurbanist]

They should really do a "First Friday" in 5 Points like is done in St. Pete or Orlando. They are hugely successful. Jax has not had a place with enough bars on a single strip to make something like that happen. Maybe now is the time.

They used to have a pretty awesome First Fridays thing going on many years ago.  They were always a good time, and there were far fewer bars and "night spots" than there are now.

Who used to host it? An organization?

I think it was mostly Anomaly, Violet, Edge City and Riverside Liquor getting it together of their own volition.  Anomaly is no longer open and RSL moved to King St. 

Also, from what I knew, I don't think the various merchants get along well enough to organize something like that.

Complete shame. If they could all rally together, it would make 5 Points so much better for businesses, residents and visitors.

Maybe Hoptinger can lead the charge!

[FlaBoy]

There are just a lot of new possible nightlife destinations that have moved in in the last 18 months even.

[mtraininjax]

Damn Steve - You could have torn it down and built new for what this junk is costing you.....

1037 Park St., renovation of existing building for Hoptinger Bier Garden and Sausage House in Peterson's Five & Dime, $250,000, 5,196 square feet, Flint Construction.

Of course, then we would not have had all the pretty pictures and controversy on the front of the building....gotta keep struggling paint artists going....