Quote:
Originally Posted by jaysb
It's really evident on the blocks immediately surrounding market (esp on 3rd)
Once you get up north of Arch it gets really nice again. Shame they can't seem to get that all cleaned up. I've been meaning to get over to check the vibes on 1st Friday but it's been a tough sell with the kids.
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Not to hijack but yeah. 1st Friday is NOTHING like it used to be. It was a festival vibe when we moved in 2015. Now it's dead.
I think the problem is that the residents of OC aren't enough (or are the wrong demographic) to sustain a restaurant/bar district. People don't go out during the week and weekends can be a $hit-show. And the way it is now, there aren't a ton of people in town saying "hey, lets go to Old City!" Unless you want coffee or a wedding dress. Covid took a MASSIVE toll, causing many neighborhood anchors to leave. They filled in with crap that pushes the decision to invest in the area into the "nope" column. Even Stephen Starr bailed. And his HQ is right above the OG Continental, which has sat vacant for years now. At the moment, the front step is home to a rotation of homeless people ranging from passed out to straight up hostile.
Like I said, I don't see a path forward. More and more anchors will leave and be replaced with Hookah joints.