Is Coaches Corner Sports Bar another Landing failure?

[thelakelander]

I thought an office copy style business opened up in the old Bread & Butter spot?

[tufsu1]

maybe so...I just heard it would be somewhere on Laura St

[cline]

Maybe it's just my ignorance, but name an "unique" restaurant? Last time I checked, places like Capital Grille, and Cafe Laredos were pretty damn unique.

It is actually called Cantina Laredo.  And yes, if you like overpriced mexican food then I suppose this would be unique.  Personally, I prefer La Nopalera. 

[mtraininjax]

For once, I'd like a store to call itself "Here today, gone tomorrow"! Perfect store at the Landing, no matter what it sells!

[ChriswUfGator]

Wow... we must not go to the same landing.  I have never gotten a parking ticket... remember parking at meters is free after 6:00pm weekdays and all weekend... parking at the Landing itself is only 10 bucks for special events.  The ONLY time one might walk a whole six blocks to park is during the fireworks or something like that.  There is AMPLE cheap and free parking all over downtown at night and on weekends.  The very last thing needed anywhere downtown is more parking.

Holy smokes... six whole blocks??  Walking??

I go to the landing for lunch not really dinner, usually only when I have to do something downtown, so I never get to take advantage of the free meters. Parking is always a complete nightmare, and the meter maids are out in force during the daytime...

I mean, come on, I live in Riverside! If I wanted some good food I'll go to Biscotti's, the Brick, Orsay, Sterling's, Pastiche, 13 Gypsies, Al's, the Row, Espeto, FYC, Prima Piatti, Sumo Sushi, Crazy Sushi, Sushi Cafe, (too much sushi around here), Assault & Battery-River Pizza, Harpoon Louie's, Tom & Betty's, Mossfire Grill, Cool Moose, Kickbacks, and on and on and on.

Probably 3/4ths of the good eats in this city are within a mile of my house, so I'm never in a real rush to drive all the way to the landing and fight for parking, just to get some chicken wings and beer. Only time I've ever been to the landing at night was when we've been out in the boat and stopped in for drinks or dinner as the day gets late.

[ChriswUfGator]

Holy smokes... six whole blocks??  Walking??

lol. good point. That's the culture in Jax though. As much as it is the people (not liking or being used to walking places) it's also true that the city just isnt very walkable. Weather, scenery, sidewalks, etc. I know if I have the time I'll walk 40 blocks in NYC to avoid paying for the subway ride, but I'll circle for 10 minutes waiting to park to avoid walking 6 blocks in Jax.

+1.

This city is just not much fun to walk. When I'm in Boston visiting family I don't usually need a car, I have no problem walking everywhere. So much to see, it's fun. You've gone 2 miles before you even know it. There are some southern cities where the same is true, like Charleston and (to a lesser extent) Savannah. But Jacksonville is a different story, there's no 'incentive' to walk here.

Everything is so spread out that walking is impossible 9 times out of 10, and in the few instances where it is possible, there's nothing really to look at, and you get hit up by 17 people begging for money. And this is a unique thing around here, the beggars have an EGO on them...they get pissed if you say no, and make wisecracks and yell at you. Never really seen that attitude outside of JAX..."I'm better than you, but I still want you to give me money". Crazy.

Walking isn't fun around here.

[BridgeTroll]

Like I said... we must be going to two different downtowns and Landings...  I see easy parking especially at night.  Never have I gotten at ticket... and I park all over.  Beggars beg... in Boston, San Fran, name a big city downtown and I will find a panhandler in 5 minutes.

Chris... you live and work in Riverside... fair enough.  You have no desire or need to go downtown... fair enough.  No need to put down the other parts of the city that are trying to make it.  Instead of making up reasons NOT to go downtown on a weekend how about making up a reason to give it a try...

[ChriswUfGator]

Like I said... we must be going to two different downtowns and Landings...  I see easy parking especially at night.  Never have I gotten at ticket... and I park all over.  Beggars beg... in Boston, San Fran, name a big city downtown and I will find a panhandler in 5 minutes.

Chris... you live and work in Riverside... fair enough.  You have no desire or need to go downtown... fair enough.  No need to put down the other parts of the city that are trying to make it.  Instead of making up reasons NOT to go downtown on a weekend how about making up a reason to give it a try...

Noooo...the beggars aren't just a downtown thing, they're all around Riverside too. The Publix at Margaret and Park is especially terrible about that. I'm not trying to knock downtown, and I wasn't trying to say any one area of the city is better than another. And I know there are beggars everywhere, but it's their combative and arrogant attitude that's unique to Jacksonville.

I've never seen such rude and obnoxious panhandlers in BOS or anywhere else for that matter, compared to here. I've been asked for money in most major cities I've been to. Atlanta is notorious for that. But they're NICE and POLITE about it. If you don't have any money on you, then fine, they 'get it', and wish you a good day. They don't take it personally, and act like you just insulted their mother.

The Jacksonville bums will yell at you, make wisecracks, and call you an a$$hole if you "dare" to say "no". I've honestly never seen anything like it. They have an ego and a half on them, at the same time they're begging for your money. I'm going to go nuts if I get one more redneck screaming at me across a parking lot "Hey man...I ain't askin' for no handout...but...", before they go right on to ask for a handout, and then call me a d!ck or an a$$hole if I don't have any money on me.

[tufsu1]

in many caes, its not an ego problem....it's because they are mentally ill!

[mtraininjax]

Chris - How nice of you living in Riverside attending Orsay in Avondale. YEAH! 

[ChriswUfGator]

in many caes, its not an ego problem....it's because they are mentally ill!

I do agree with you there are a few obviously screwed up ones that wander around talking to themselves about vietnam and yelling incoherently at people. I'm not sure why our local government does nothing to help those folks, and everything to hassle them. I actually have given the one I usually see in my neighborhood with the big green duffle bag and the red jacket money before, because he obviously has "issues" and needs the help.

But those aren't the ones that really bother me. The rude ones are different. They're usually between 20-40yrs old, white guys, tattoo'd, and are perfectly coherent but are just plain old-fashioned a$$holes. They sit in a spot and when you walk by go "HEY MAN" to try and get your attention. If you just keep walking, they'll call you names and yell at you. If you make the mistake of stopping to see what they want, they'll invariably start with this B.S. "Now, I ain't askin' for no handout" line, and then go right on to ask for a handout.

If you dare to say "no", they'll call you names and act snarky as you're walking away. If you say you don't have any money, they'll call you a liar and say "well then how'd you get those groceries?". Then you have to explain "well I used a credit card...I don't carry cash", and then they'll still call you a liar. It's effin' ridiculous. That's the attitude/ego I was referring to.

[midnightblackrx]

the fact that no one goes downtown (except for the landing) and bums are EVERYWHERE the problem is magnified.  To have such a small downtown and so many bums is such a turnoff for so many people.  But I will say this, that the bums in Minneapolis are some of the most aggressive i've ever seen.  Maybe it's because the minority are the minority there and they think they can intimidate white folks into getting a handout but I've never felt the bums in Jacksonvlle were so tame until i went there.

[tufsu1]

agreed....walk around downtown during an ArtWalk (like tonight)....and the bums don't stand out so much

[CrysG]

I'm gonna have to agree with what some of the others are saying. I'm out in on the westside and since I work 95% from home, I almost never have to go into my building on the Southbank.

At this present time I see no reason to drive from the westside to downtown. I've lived for 12 years in Jacksonville and have never eaten a single thing at the Landing. I've gone to both Mavericks and Twisted Martini and all of the clubs down on Bay St.  They are nice but not something worth going every weekend. Growing up in a stone's throw of Baltimore, I know what the Landing could be and I know what's it's not.

I know the major drawing point that some have made are the views of the river. Yes it has views of the river but I can get that with a stroll to Memorial Park from the Sake House.

Overall I'm pro downtown and would like to have a reason to make a trek downtown to the core every week but I don't have a reason.

[CrysG]

Also with the beggers. While waiting on the corner to go towards my husband's building I was asked for money 3 times. To be a female and alone having men come towards you knowing that some may be mentally unstable scared the living f out of me.