"The Loft" on King

[blizz01]

Grand opening Saturday evening.  Don't know much about it, but the address suggests that it's by Walkers & they have a FB link.....



http://www.facebook.com/theloftjax

[longhaul]

...and a website, theloftjax.com

[Captain Zissou]

This is the place that has been on the construction update for like 8 months as a storefront on King. If memory serves..

[The Compound]

Its right next door to Park Place. Owned by the same guy that owns Walkers.

[Captain Zissou]

Check here....

http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/gallery/11432409_sShgC#803690899_C8fP3-A-LB

[Captain Zissou]

New favorite bar in town.  The decor is amazing, the music was upbeat and a enjoyable, the service was great, the crowd was diverse and fun.  All in all a great place and a great time.

[thelakelander]

The Loft opens on King Street in Riverside, adding after-dark appeal

By Laura Capitano

Riverside night life is growing, people, bursting at the seams. While the neighborhood's Five Points area has traditionally been considered its entertainment hub, a second pocket of action has been bubbling and fizzing several blocks away on King Street, gaining momentum as a leisure destination.

The liveliness of the King Street District, as locals are calling it, stems from the popularity of Kickbacks Gastropub, Park Place Lounge, Walkers Wine Bar and, most recently, The Loft bar and lounge. Vibrant night life is great to see along the formerly dull strip of locksmiths and Laundromats.

The Loft is the latest venture from Scott McAlister, who opened the nearby Walkers Wine Bar in May 2009. Less than a year later, McAlister is in opening mode all over again, a particularly impressive feat considering the renovations the space underwent to take it from the crumbling laundry facilities that lived there before to the open and eye-catching space it is today.

"The overall hope is to create a King Street District that has lots of options, so it can be someone's first choice of where to go for the evening and do a pub crawl on the same block," McAlister said of his commitment to the area. "We want people to think of the King Street District like they do Bay Street or the Beaches - as a destination."

McAlister maintained the minimalist, metropolitan design aesthetic seen at Walkers in the spacious new lounge. Inspired by the look of old St. Louis crate warehouses, McAlister stripped away decades of paneling, sheetrock and drop ceilings to expose original brick and girders. A circular, full-service bar sits at the center of the main room, while cozier, more private couch seating is tucked away under the stairs. Climb the stairs to The Loft's literal loft to find additional sofa seating and space at the rail to oversee the main floor action from above. The Loft is smoke-free, dimly lit and features New Wave and indie rock music selections.

Choice of music genre was a key decision for McAlister.

"Rarely do people want to stay at the exact same place all night and listen to the exact same music, so it's important that each place in the district have its own style and music. Walkers is for relaxing and for people to have a place to sit down and not have too much action around them. The Loft is more upbeat."

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/400563/laura-capitano/2010-04-23/loft-opens-king-street-riverside-adding-after-dark

[iluvolives]

I went to Loft last night with a group of friends- really cool inside with awesome service and music. The only issue is that, that part of King St. is really dark. With the exception of people sitting outside Kickbacks and the gas station on the corner- nothing was lit up. I think better light would make that corner feel a bit safer. Is that something the city could address oe would the bar owners have to take care of that?

[Miss Fixit]

JEA is already proposing that they eliminate half of existing street lights to save money, so additional lighting provided by the city seems doubtful!

[ChriswUfGator]

New favorite bar in town.  The decor is amazing, the music was upbeat and a enjoyable, the service was great, the crowd was diverse and fun.  All in all a great place and a great time.

Good service at a bar that has more than 2 people in it at a time is becoming increasingly difficult to find around here. Night before last, I waited 20+ minutes standing at the bar trying to get someone's attention to cash out a tab, while one of the two bartenders was flirting with a group of his friends, and the other one was making every effort to avoid eye contact with everyone at the bar and do as little work as possible. Finally he screwed up and got close enough that I could tap him on the arm and asked for my check, then he couldn't avoid me anymore. If that didn't work, I was going to walk out and call amex from the car on the way home and tell them to just cancel that card I gave them and send me a new one. Ridiculous.

[Coolyfett]

JEA is already proposing that they eliminate half of existing street lights to save money, so additional lighting provided by the city seems doubtful!

Jea having money issues?

[ChriswUfGator]

JEA is already proposing that they eliminate half of existing street lights to save money, so additional lighting provided by the city seems doubtful!

Jea having money issues?

I can't imagine how, after their rate increases.

It's so bad there is actually a group on Facebook now (to which I belong) called "People Against JEA's High Bills."

[TheProfessor]

The Loft is cool

[Sportmotor]

JEA is already proposing that they eliminate half of existing street lights to save money, so additional lighting provided by the city seems doubtful!

Jea having money issues?

I can't imagine how, after their rate increases.

It's so bad there is actually a group on Facebook now (to which I belong) called "People Against JEA's High Bills."

just wait, its going to get worse

[mtraininjax]

Loft is cool, way to go owners of Walker's wine bar.