Urban Neighborhoods: Five Points
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/633084745_mcuru-M.jpg)
In the 1920's, Five Points began as a commercial district catering to the rapidly growing residential areas surrounding it. Although officially a part of the Riverside-Avondale Historic District, Five Points has evolved into one of Jacksonville's most vibrant urban core districts in its own right.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-sep-urban-neighborhoods-five-points
Good piece. 5 Points is a nice little urban neighborhood in Jacksonville.
Th best area in the entire city.
BUT......i can't beleive the city or RAP hasn't gotten all those power lines underground yet, as Springfield has done on Main Street. That would make a world of difference.
I must say, I've never noticed the power lines. Instead all I see when I'm there is open businesses and people on the sidewalks.
5 Points is one of my favorites for sure and loved our time having an office in the Theatre building. Driving by that area the other day, I've got say I like the signage for the new BARK store that's going in. Looks simple and great.
Main Street had the benefit of a complete road reconstruction to facilitate the undergrounding of power lines. 5 Points only had resurfacing and sidewalk reconstruction. Also, retrofitting an existing roadway for underground utilities is incredibly expensive. It could have been done, but neither the city nor the businesses & property owners were able (willing?) to fund it.
http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/reference/rc12351.gif
Found this shot from 1953
This is one of the few areas in Jacksonville where the current photos resemble the historic photos.
The flashing light was a little cooler back then.....(BTW) what a fun place to watch drivers stress out!
It amazes me that all it takes is a blinking light to appear somewhat different, and all of a sudden people misunderstand "yellow" having the right of way, and "red" meaning to stop and yield to the right of way...
^ That is one of the greatest spots in the city to people and "driver" watch. Its amazing how many people screw it up.
IMO, the city should rebuild the intersection to make it more of a roundabout with at least a raised central median and a statue of some famous Jax native.
Agreed - didn't they recently complete street work there anyway?
what the heck it that guy wearing in the first photo?
Looks to be a ladies t-shirt with a patterned, illusion drape over the shoulders design, slightly soiled white jeans, rolled up mid-calf, and striped black and white pirate / wicked witch / tutu socks.
Good question JaxNative68, also at first glance I thought a girl in one of the pictures was wearing nothing but a towel...
Anyways, great article, it's nice to see some positives about Jacksonville for a change. Now wouldn't it be neat to have a Savannah-style trolley which connects 5 Points to the "convention center."
The new Bark Boutique is a really cool shop and a great addition to the collection of shops already here. With only 3 spots left on the entire strip it's great to see that business in this area is still growing.
thanks for the clarity breaburn, as earlier thought, my eyes do not deceive me.
Photo caption contest...2nd to last photo..is the girl in black looking at the girl in purple over her right shoulder and thinking "my boobs are better than your boobs"
Just add ELECTRIC STREETCAR! Instant perfection...
OCKLAWAHA
(http://i578.photobucket.com/albums/ss223/jacklshad/5Points002.jpg)
Here's the 5 Points Theatre Building in January of 2004.
The stucco was added in 1978 as an attempt to 'modernize' the appearance of the building.
Thank you Mike and Jack Shad. Thank you, thank you! Now there is only one of J. Brooks Haas's eyesores left in Riverside.
Wow, that's the first time I've seen what the theatre building looked like before the Shads got a hold of it. Beautiful job in that restoration, that's one hell of an Urban Facelift.
What a terrible looking fortress it appeared to be :o
The paint on that Fu Hao Bistro is not working, otherwise looking good =)
Quote from: Dog Walker on September 03, 2009, 04:06:52 PM
Thank you Mike and Jack Shad. Thank you, thank you! Now there is only one of J. Brooks Haas's eyesores left in Riverside.
I forgot that it looked that way in 04 and I have been driving by for the last ten or so years. Great retro fit job.
Quote from: nestliving on September 03, 2009, 01:23:51 PM
The new Bark Boutique is a really cool shop and a great addition to the collection of shops already here. With only 3 spots left on the entire strip it's great to see that business in this area is still growing.
Haven't been in what does Bark specialize in?
It's a hot dog stand :)
I was out there at the RAM for that Grandpa's Cough Medicine show. Small world. By the way, love what they have done under the bridge there. Such a simple amphitheater couldn't have cost a whole lot, but it's nice place to catch a concert. Someone needs to take notes on what they did right under the bridge and see if they can apply it to other parks and neighborhoods too.
Quote from: lindab on September 03, 2009, 07:21:52 PM
It's a hot dog stand :)
I was guessing dog groomer..but really?
The whole area under the approach to the Fuller Warren Bridge for the Riverside Arts Market was designed by architect Melanie Bishop, the wife of city councilman, Bill Bishop. It is incredibly efficient use of the space and was also very economical to build. Just brilliant! I think she is now designing an expansion of the market up Peninsular Place to the Riverside Park.
The whole concept of the Market from the initial idea, to the coordination of several government agencies and private companies, to the design should indeed be used as an example.
Melanie Bishop is an architect. I don't think Bill Bishop is. I think she did all of that terrific work for nothing, too. Her use of berms, required by the elevation change, as stadium seating is absolutely brilliant.
Dr. Wayne Wood has been working on the idea of the Riverside Arts Market for over fifteen years; ever since he saw the preliminary plans for the replacement of the Fuller Warren Bridge. He was inspired by a similar space he saw in Portland, OR.
He managed to bring together the Florida DOT, and the City of Jacksonville together with Fidelity National, which uses the leased space as parking during the week and who gave a grant and with First Guaranty Bank which also put up money and allows the use of their parking lot for the Market. I think JEA was even involved too since there is a huge sewer system lift station on the site as well. I am sure there was some federal grant money in there to. Knowing Wayne, he might have even gotten the Corp of Engineers and the Inland Navigation District into the act!
The Riverside Arts Market would not have happened without the vision, quiet persistence and persuasiveness of one person, Wayne Wood.
Wayne Wood also created the Riverside/Avondale Preservation Society and the Riverside/Avondale Historic District, the first historic district in Jacksonville.
Go to the Market on a Saturday. Look for the distinguished looking, gray-haired guy in an Arts Market T-shirt wearing some sort of weird hat or headdress. Thank him for the Market. That's Wayne Wood.
He has the ability to inspire people and get them to work together to a goal. Just ask Melanie Bishop, Doug Coleman and Tony Allegretti and a host of others.
I don't mean to diminish anyone's contributions to the Market, especially Tony Allighretti's. There are a lot of different people's visions, ideas and accomplishments in there and everyone involved deserves reputation points. Wayne Wood's ideas and team building were the core that was built on and he was involved until the opening and beyond.
I loved the photos. I used to live in the Clearwater area and now have been living in SC for two years. I plan to return to FL for school and to check out the east coast now. If I attend school on Blanding Blvd where is a safe place to live nearby?
Happy Hour at the Derby House? Sounds odd. I thought they were just a breakfast/lunch greasy spoon type place.
Derby House is expanding its offerings. They even have live music on their deck on Friday nights.
Quote from: Dog Walker on September 14, 2009, 11:18:12 AM
Derby House is expanding its offerings. They even have live music on their deck on Friday nights.
When they expand the number of waitress visits you get during your meal from 2 to at least 3 or 4, I'll go. ;D
Re. Dr. Wood, Tony Allegretti et al. Dr. Wood remains hugely involved in the market--he manages the RAM website, books all of the street performers, comes up with all the crazy theme ideas (be on the lookout for Viking Day everyone!), fields a lot of the PR interview requests, and generally just keeps it humming. Tony is doing an awesome job of applying RAMROD's vision (they're the folks who really got this up and running--the group includes Wayne Wood, Cindy Guy, Pamela Tellis, Doug Colman and Teresa Fish) to a terrific organizational structure he's developed, including a first-of-its-kind internet-based reservation system. I just learned RAM has been selected as one of 12 markets IN THE COUNTRY to host the Toyota Farm to Table event--super cool. It's happening in October. Details will I'm sure be forthcoming.
Just shows you what a small group of people with vision, determination and persistence can do! Thanks and congratulations to them all!
All of those people have other lives. How in the world do they find the time and energy?
Quote from: Dog Walker link=topic=6001.msg 98201#msg 98201 date=1253470027
Just shows you what a small group of people with vision, determination and persistence can do! Thanks and congratulations to them all!
All of those people have other lives. How in the world do they find the time and energy?
Dog Walker I agree.............vision, determination and persistence appears to be the key to it all! The whole of us can benefit from that point of view!
Riverside Arts Market is one of the best things to come to Jax in a while. Thoroughly enjoyable for the entire family. Thanks to everyone involved.
I think that trolly or more public transportation is a great idea..
Quote from: JaxNative68 on September 03, 2009, 01:10:24 PM
what the heck it that guy wearing in the first photo?
Maybe he's a DANCER ???