Salt Lake:Official development news thread - Part 2 - Page 41

delts145 · #**801** Posted **Jul 29, 2009, 3:50 PM**

I agree Rick, I think we'll be able see a major change as far as a major increase in options, including classy options over the next four years. That window surrounding CCC and everything else thats going on downtown keeps gaining momentum. CCC and it's ancillary effect cannot be stressed enough.

Stenar · #**802** Posted **Jul 29, 2009, 5:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by East2Westback

Things are always happening when you go to cities. You actively search for the night life. Certainly one of the best parts of going to a city. You are focused on finding them.

I travel a lot in what I do. SLC is way better than when I lived there but I am sorry, it is not close to any of the major cities.

Hey, I am not saying it is not making great strides because it is light years beyond when I lived there. In the large cities the nightlife is in your face.

It is all relative to what nightlife means to you. Up there with NYC, SF, Berlin,
London, Boston...Sydney, Seattl.e CHICAGO??? I do not think so!

It certainly is more active in SLC. It is just active with a sedative.

Just my opinion. Not a challenge.

Oh, I forgot Boston on my list of cities I'd been to clubs at.

hehe

Ummm... yep, SLC's nightlife ranks right up there. I'm not sure what you consider nightlife, but after living in NYC for over 2 years, I don't see how NYC's nightlife was any more in anyone's face than nightlife in SLC. Most of the clubs in NYC are hidden away in the meatpacking district, Alphabet City, Hell's Kitchen. They're not any more in one's face than in SLC. Once inside the clubs, the same kinds of things go on in any bar, club, etc. in NYC, Boston, SF as they do in SLC.

delts145 · #**803** Posted **Jul 29, 2009, 5:10 PM**

One thing is for sure... As far as accessible nightlife, I don't know of any metro in the U.S. with a cooler Main Street than Park City. I really think that Forbes exibits a large dose of ignorance, when it comes to our metro resorts, and the proximity of our outdoor life, which really blows the doors off of most of the 40 metros cited.

DMTower · #**804** Posted **Jul 29, 2009, 7:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stenar

Oh, I forgot Boston on my list of cities I'd been to clubs at.

hehe

Ummm... yep, SLC's nightlife ranks right up there. I'm not sure what you consider nightlife, but after living in NYC for over 2 years, I don't see how NYC's nightlife was any more in anyone's face than nightlife in SLC. Most of the clubs in NYC are hidden away in the meatpacking district, Alphabet City, Hell's Kitchen. They're not any more in one's face than in SLC. Once inside the clubs, the same kinds of things go on in any bar, club, etc. in NYC, Boston, SF as they do in SLC.

I think as far as your average bar goes, SLC has the same as most other cities... but there are some bars in larger cities that go above and beyond as far as venue, production, and what is allowed to take place inside... for one thing, the resident DJ's in many clubs in larger cities are world renowned, whereas SLC might only see these DJ's once every few years, if at all. Another thing that happens in larger cities that does not happen here is nudity in bars... I remember going out in SF a few years ago and staring in unbelief as several of the guys in the bar walked around in the buff while engaged in several other activities that would be illegal here. SLC is also seeing more and more fancy bars pop up, but we don't as of yet have what I would call an iconic venue that our city is known for... Park City has HarryO's, which has gained some reputability from Sundance, but that's about as close as it gets.

Future Mayor · #**805** Posted **Jul 29, 2009, 8:30 PM**

Has anyone created any 3-D renderings of the three buildings between 237 S State and 257 S State, between the childrens theater and the Broadway tower? I doubt it but it doesn't hurt to ask.

If so please PM me.

cololi · #**806** Posted **Jul 29, 2009, 9:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMTower

ISLC is also seeing more and more fancy bars pop up, but we don't as of yet have what I would call an iconic venue that our city is known for... Park City has HarryO's, which has gained some reputability from Sundance, but that's about as close as it gets.

I would say the Zephyr was very, very close to being that. I saw some high profile artists there, often giving impromptu types of performaces, i.e. not on the schedule, but they were in town, so why not. I also think the Depot could be that, but it just doesn't feel "iconic".

Stenar · #**807** Posted **Jul 29, 2009, 9:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMTower

I think as far as your average bar goes, SLC has the same as most other cities... but there are some bars in larger cities that go above and beyond as far as venue, production, and what is allowed to take place inside... for one thing, the resident DJ's in many clubs in larger cities are world renowned, whereas SLC might only see these DJ's once every few years, if at all. Another thing that happens in larger cities that does not happen here is nudity in bars... I remember going out in SF a few years ago and staring in unbelief as several of the guys in the bar walked around in the buff while engaged in several other activities that would be illegal here. SLC is also seeing more and more fancy bars pop up, but we don't as of yet have what I would call an iconic venue that our city is known for... Park City has HarryO's, which has gained some reputability from Sundance, but that's about as close as it gets.

While SLC obviously doesn't have full nudity in bars, neither does NYC or most other cities I've been to.

In other larger cities, the bars are usually smaller than SLC because real estate is so expensive.

I don't know if any current venues do, but when Axis and Club Naked were open, they would bring in world renowned DJs at least once per month. And frankly, I usually wasn't impressed / thought the music by many of the local DJs was as good or better than what the imported DJs were playing.

DMTower · #**808** Posted **Jul 29, 2009, 10:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stenar

I don't know if any current venues do, but when Axis and Club Naked were open, they would bring in world renowned DJs at least once per month. And frankly, I usually wasn't impressed / thought the music by many of the local DJs was as good or better than what the imported DJs were playing.

We do have some pretty decent DJ's here, but a lot of the stuff they are playing in their sets is actually created by famous DJ's from other parts of the globe. Salt Lake has actually churned out a few really famous DJ's over the years, including Kaskade and DJ Brett Henrichsen. They don't stay here as resident DJ's though because we're still not quite on that level. We are definitely getting there though... I know of at least one local DJ who has recently won national recognition.

urbanboy · #**809** Posted **Jul 29, 2009, 11:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stenar

While SLC obviously doesn't have full nudity in bars, neither does NYC or most other cities I've been to.

Washington DC has at least one.

Zionide · #**810** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 1:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbanboy

Washington DC has at least one.

I've been to clubs with full nudity in NYC, Vegas, DC, Atlanta, Charlotte, Portland, LA, and San Francisco.

I didn't know it wasn't allowed in NYC.... there must always be a few operating anyway, as I've been to at least a half-dozen there over the years.

Do Denver, Chicago, Boston, Seattle allow nude performers in clubs?

Smuttynose1 · #**811** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 4:51 AM**

I would argue that a good measure of a city's nightlife is not how many clubs it has that have cages or allow nudity - in fact, I'd argue that's a pretty terrible measure of quality.

How about how many good beer bars does the city have? How many microbrew pubs? How many bars with solid live music (and preferably no cover) How many legitimate Irish pubs are in town? How many spots with a solid late-night menu? How many decent pubs can a single girl pop into for a beer and not have to worry about being attacked? Is the nightlife concentrated in walkable areas?

I think there's no question SLC has been held back by the old membership law and now potentially the restaurant/bar license cap, and, of course the city's silly two-bar-per-block rule.

I haven't been able to find a real Irish pub in the city, which is certainly a departure from Boston which must have over 100.

But hopefully the tide is turning, the microbrew scene seems healthy and even thriving, and places like the new BeerHive are a solid step in the right direction.

Stenar · #**812** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 8:20 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smuttynose1

I would argue that a good measure of a city's nightlife is not how many clubs it has that have cages or allow nudity - in fact, I'd argue that's a pretty terrible measure of quality.

How about how many good beer bars does the city have? How many microbrew pubs? How many bars with solid live music (and preferably no cover) How many legitimate Irish pubs are in town? How many spots with a solid late-night menu? How many decent pubs can a single girl pop into for a beer and not have to worry about being attacked? Is the nightlife concentrated in walkable areas?

I think there's no question SLC has been held back by the old membership law and now potentially the restaurant/bar license cap, and, of course the city's silly two-bar-per-block rule.

I haven't been able to find a real Irish pub in the city, which is certainly a departure from Boston which must have over 100.

But hopefully the tide is turning, the microbrew scene seems healthy and even thriving, and places like the new BeerHive are a solid step in the right direction.

I guess if you like to drink a lot of beer, those are all important, but since I have no interest in beer, none of those things concern me when considering nightlife.

paddyirishman · #**813** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 1:21 PM**

Smutty, there are no Irish bars in SLC. Im from Dublin and god knows i've looked. Piper down claims to be an Irish bar and has a Union Jack flag outside. Thats probably the most ridiculous thing i've seen in a so called Irish bar.

WeST · #**814** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 2:40 PM**

Something Wicked This Way Comes
An arts district one block from temple square will either save main street or become its biggest folly yet.

By Geoff Griffin
http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/article-8644-something-wicked-this-way-comes.html?current_page=1

"It’s a tall order, and some aren’t so sure it can be achieved without exacting a price— particularly upon existing arts organizations and facilities that are limping along in the current economy. Additionally, the project will need to co-exist within a grand scheme in which the LDS Church exerts a stronger presence downtown through its City Creek project. Most have to ask if government-funded centers for performing arts and indie film will become an extension of Temple Square, or “Temple Sprawl” as some call it, complete with vanilla, family-friendly overtones? Or will a performing arts center breathe life, grit and passion back into downtown’s almost lifeless corpse?"

But John Caywood, Kingsbury Hall operations manager, begs to differ, arguing if Becker’s performing arts center is built, and touring Broadway shows end up there rather than at Kingsbury, his facility could lose about $400,000 per year.

“For us, that’s the difference between operating in the black and operating in the red,” he says.

Furthermore, some in the existing arts community wonder why there’s any need to improve on what has come about organically. “I take exception to the term ‘cultural district,’” says Jerry Rapier, producing director of Plan-B Theater Company. “One already exists. The Rose Wagner, Capitol Theatre and Abravanel Hall are all within a block of each other.”

If these projects became a reality, how would you develop the old Trib building? (Speaking to Vasilios Priskos)
It will be extremely difficult to develop the Tribune properties without knowing how the project will look next door. We are hoping that a developer will be chosen, and physical issues can be resolved. At that point, a residential use with retail on the main level would be appropriate. But, the property still is in good shape to be refitted for office use. We will develop the property to meet the need of the current market. My vote is for residential; my partner’s vote is for office. Either way, it will be very rewarding to put the building back into use.

Future Mayor · #**815** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 3:38 PM**

For several years there was a local promoter that had a group called I Love Ibiza and would bring in the biggest house dj's in the world to The W lounge and occasionally The Vortex. This occurred nearly monthly for over three years. DJ's such as Grant Nelson, Roger Sanchez, Hector Romero, just to name a few.

That promoter has moved back to SLC and in the last year has once again brought in 3 or 4 world renowned house DJ's.

There is a local DJ that moved here from Miami and has an amazing passion for House music and is on a crusade to build up the house music scene in SLC to heights not know since the I Love Ibiza monthly parties several years ago. He has many events that he promotes and organizes.

I won't go into detail about the events or his future plans, because this is a development thread. I will say that the nightlife scene is healthy and is continually growing.

One thing we have to remember is that just because I may not be a hip hop music fan doesn't mean that a hip hop music club doesn't add to the nightlife of the city. A true night life needs a variety which I really think SLC does a good job of providing. The only draw back is the lack of concentration of nightlife in one particular "club district" But there is something out there in the downtown area for nearly everyone.

scottharding · #**816** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 4:47 PM**

I'm glad you posted the City Weekly Article about the arts district, WEST. I read that yesterday. While I love the notion of the performing arts center on Main and Regent street, I think its opponents have a legit case against it. I'm not saying I think the new theatre is a bad idea, I just hope everyone knows what they're doing before moving forward. However, there seems to be very little drawback at all to the new Film center at the old Utah Theatre. The only downside seems to be the possible abandonment of the Tower Theatre, but hopefully the Salt Lake film society could still operate it as well as the Broadway cinemas and share the Film Center with Spyhop and the SLFC. Seems like a great possibility for SLC to really be one of the first cities to develop a real film network for viewers and filmmakers alike.
Also, good to hear about the Trib building. I've been wondering about it lately.

East2Westback · #**817** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 4:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by anyiliang

I think you hit the nail on the head. Now that the baby boomer's are retiring, I think that you will see a large influx of older people moving or living in DT SLC. I think that most of them will be LDS because of all of the facilities that are located in a central area. I dont think any other major city in the States can offer what SLC has to offer older people, but then again this is for certain group of people. I dont really see non-LDS older people living in DT SLC.

"I dont really see non-LDS older people living in DT SLC." That does not make any sense. Living downtown is always a desirable no matter what city.

Please give me the reasons that you think the downtown would be livable for older LDS people and not for non LDS older people Hilarious.

Green Bro · #**818** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 5:24 PM**

SLC night life is alright. It obviously could be better.

Las Vegas I think has the best, I just got back from there, and wow, it was an amazing time.

Of course you got Los Angeles/Hollywood but SLC could get a lot better.

Another city that has a great night life that many people don't know about is Portland. That city is amazing.

Stenar · #**819** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 5:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Green Bro

Another city that has a great night life that many people don't know about is Portland. That city is amazing.

Uhhh... hmmm... I guess we all have our own ideas of nightlife because my father lived in Portland for 20 years, I spent lots of summers, vacations and lived there for a year and I always experienced Portland as having the worst nightlife of any major city I'd ever been to.

WASDEN · #**820** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 6:31 PM**

I moved to Vegas a month ago and I'm missing the SLC night scene- over Vegas I know! I remember getting stopped a couple months ago (at Lumpy's downtown) so the doorman could make sure that my teeshirt "had a design on it." Huh??? "no plain teeshirts allowed." Seriously! Thats how unpretentious the SLC club scene is- I love it! Try claiming your "teeshit has a design on it" at some of these other clubs. Not only do you wait in intolerable lines, its also waaay over priced and you gotta have an entourage of skankies if you want in. So I can see why the reasons I love going out in SLC are problably the same reasons that cause some folks to scorn. But what I miss the most about living downtown SLC- we never had to worry about how we would get home cuz we could walk.