BOOMER PERSPECTIVE
| 2013 Winter | story by HANK BOOTH | photos by STEVEN HERTZOG |

 untitled

When it comes to retail shopping districts, just about everybody thinks ours here in Lawrence is pretty darn good. A recent Topeka Capital Journal poll said our downtown was the best in NE Kansas. It must have been hard for the Cap Journal Editors to print that one. Even a national publication gave us top marks for our downtown and all that it provides. Now we’re in the process of making it even better with major new projects that will provide apartments and town homes right in the middle of everything.

Calls are coming in regularly at the DLI office from people ready to sign contracts for living quarters, months before they are even ready to show. East Lawrence, Old West Lawrence and other nearby neighborhoods are looking much more attractive to local realtors. Just a few blocks from downtown the Warehouse Arts District is being created out of the ashes of the old East Lawrence industrial district and it will be a sensational boon to the downtown. It started with the rebuilding of an old warehouse, the Poehler Building, into affordable apartments that were all leased during the first day they were displayed. Creative arts studios, built in an old popcorn packaging plant and entrepreneurial offices, cubicles and work stations are in strong demand at the renovated Cider Gallery which is also open for business as a site for parties, receptions and meetings. On the century-old stonewalls of that building, art creations of nationally known artists are on display. Hooked to all of that is the renovation of the Santa Fe Train Depot. Wrap it all up and the package is a downtown business district that is a natural draw for all ages, but Boomers really like the idea of living right in the middle of the action.

It certainly isn’t the Massachusetts Street I grew up with, pedaling the old Schwinn bike from one end to the other, often stopping for a quick refreshing pause at one of the soda fountains at Round Corner Drugs at the north end at 8th and Mass (now Intorno Restaurant and Intorno means round corner, by the way), Raney’s Drugs in the middle, and Rankin’s Drug Store on the south end at 11th and Mass. Just thinking about the changes at those three locations gives a snapshot of the evolving market place that is downtown Lawrence.

When I was a kid, nobody had a better toy department than Malott’s Hardware and I worked for Ruby and Dar Malott putting those toys together when I was a teenager. Guys went to Ober’s (Boy Scout stuff upstairs), Lawrence Surplus for jeans where the owner Hal Keltz seemed to always have a partially smoked cigar stuck in the corner of his mouth, Campbell’s Men’s’ Wear and Whitenight’s. The ladies found their fashions at The Jay Shoppe, Terrells, and of course, Weaver’s. Shoe stores were plentiful, The Royal College Shoppe, owner Bunny Black personally swept the sidewalk out front every morning, Gordon’s Shoe Store, Ober’s, Weaver’s (again), and Arensberg’s (still there).

There are a few other of the old classics still around with Ernst and Son Hardware at the top of the list and the son is still behind the counter.

The old movie theaters where Saturday afternoon matinees cost a quarter now house other entertainment venues. The Jayhawk Theater is now Liberty Hall and back in my college days was the wonderful Red Dog where we saw Ike and Tina Turner, the Kingsmen (remember “Louie, Louie”?) and many other national acts and great local groups like the Fabulous Flippers. The Granada is still the Granada, but the movies have been replaced by bands of all kinds. Across the street was The Varsity and it’s now a clothing store. The balcony of the old Varsity was a great place to take a date as “necking” was ok. If a guy’s date said she only wanted to sit downstairs he knew he was out of luck.

Downtown Lawrence had maintained a state of constant evolution and today is a classic mixture of retail shopping with specialty shops of all kinds, fine eateries with varied menus and late night bar stops for the younger generation. Add in the latest development of new housing and you can live a trip down the elevator and a short walk to anything you might want to sample. The “Boomer’s” are going to love it. The Final Friday’s Art displays have been added to KU and Fine Arts events to bring visitors to town from all over the Midwest. When they get a firsthand look at what’s going on in downtown they’ll want to stay and find a place to live. The future is bright for business throughout the city, but downtown will be a magnet. ■

Share.

395 Comments

  1. I really like men who know what they want and look forward to horny conversations! If you like hot cam girls with big breasts, you’ve come to the right place.

  2. к чему снится лучшая подруга с которой поссорились снится бывшая девушка с которой давно расстались молитва от плохих людей для сына
    видеть во сне сырое мясо птицы, сырое мясо курицы во сне приснилась лодка пустая

  3. You can join in the webcam chat with the girls directly with your own cam. We offer you cam chat with sound. So you have your hands free and can whisper your fantasies into the hottest sex chat for free ear and hear the women moaning and smacking in front of the webcam.

  4. It seemed plain that she would by no means care for one individual quite than one other; she was evidently fairly indifferent to him; they seemed to come very near, after which they were as far apart as ever again; and her gesture as she turned away had been oddly stunning.

  5. Everything is very open with a clear clarification of the issues. It was truly informative. Your website is extremely helpful. Thank you for sharing.

  6. An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who had been doing a little research on this. And he in fact ordered me dinner because I stumbled upon it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending some time to talk about this issue here on your website.

  7. After checking out a few of the articles on your web page, I seriously appreciate your way of blogging. I added it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back soon. Take a look at my website as well and tell me what you think.

  8. нағашы туралы әдемі сөздер, нағашы туралы тілек динамики 20
    см урал, динамики 120 мм білім
    беру жүйесіндегі реформалар, қазақстандағы білім беру жүйесі эссе жалғыздықта
    қалдырмайтын жан серігім ремикс скачать, досым скачать жолдасбек
    абдиханов текст

  9. Nonetheless, purple-orange glass beads excavated from the Indus Valley Civilization dated before 1700 BC (possibly as early as 1900 BC) predate sustained glass manufacturing, which appeared around 1600 BC in Mesopotamia and 1500 BC in Egypt.

  10. You ought to be a part of a contest for one of the most useful websites on the net. I’m going to highly recommend this website!

  11. Handheld electric fashions-much like an orbital sander however with a larger head-are sometimes extra inexpensive than lengthy-reach variations, but a ladder is required to succeed in the highest of walls.

  12. Hi there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it’s really informative. I am going to watch out for brussels. I will be grateful if you continue this in future. A lot of people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!

  13. They revealed that ESPN had been unable to verify claims that its roster contained NCAA Division I faculty prospects, they usually could not find any mention of Bishop Sycamore or its players in any recruiting databases.

  14. The one exception to this is you probably have a chlorination unit through which case this must be the last merchandise before the water returns to the pool so that concentrated chlorine doesn’t go through the heat pump as this could cause premature corrosion to the heat exchanger.

  15. Hi there! This article could not be written much better! Going through this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He continually kept talking about this. I am going to forward this article to him. Pretty sure he’s going to have a great read. Thanks for sharing!

  16. Good day! I could have sworn I’ve visited your blog before but after looking at a few of the posts I realized it’s new to me. Regardless, I’m definitely happy I stumbled upon it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back frequently.

  17. I have been browsing online more than three hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It?s pretty worth enough for me. Personally, if all webmasters and bloggers made good content as you did, the internet will be a lot more useful than ever before.

  18. Excellent post. I was checking continuously this blog and I’m impressed! Extremely helpful information specially the last part 🙂 I care for such info much. I was seeking this particular information for a very long time. Thank you and best of luck.

  19. к чему снятся ссорящиеся родители заговор для руководителя к чему снится
    покойная мама целует в губы
    к чему сниться свадебная шляпа гороскоп
    для близнецов на неделю для женщин от
    павла глобы

  20. If you’re in search of a measurement larger than 14 and getting just a little teed off due to the sharp rise in price for somewhat extra materials, then you need to examine right here for a tremendous supply of inexpensive dresses.

  21. It’s possible you’ll not have room for this many cabinets, however strive a triptych (three-part) mirrored cabinet on one wall with the same mannequin on the other or adjoining wall, and see how the space opens up.

  22. Together with one or two favourite pieces — the bed, say, and a chest you have had since childhood — odds and ends accumulate, similar to a rocker that will not do within the living room or an outdated portrait.

  23. I’m amazed, I have to admit. Rarely do I encounter a blog that’s both equally educative and amusing, and without a doubt, you’ve hit the nail on the head. The problem is an issue that too few folks are speaking intelligently about. I am very happy I found this during my hunt for something regarding this.

  24. Hi! I just wish to offer you a big thumbs up for the excellent information you’ve got right here on this post. I’ll be returning to your website for more soon.

  25. Many thanks for sharing these wonderful discussions. In addition, the best travel in addition to medical insurance system can often relieve those considerations that come with visiting abroad. Any medical crisis can rapidly become extremely expensive and that’s likely to quickly impose a financial stress on the family finances. Having in place the great travel insurance program prior to leaving is worth the time and effort. Thanks a lot

  26. Also I believe that mesothelioma cancer is a uncommon form of most cancers that is normally found in all those previously subjected to asbestos. Cancerous cellular material form inside mesothelium, which is a protective lining which covers most of the body’s internal organs. These cells ordinarily form inside the lining of your lungs, abdominal area, or the sac which encircles the heart. Thanks for expressing your ideas.

  27. Hello there! This article couldn’t be written much better! Looking at this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He constantly kept talking about this. I most certainly will forward this post to him. Fairly certain he’ll have a very good read. Thanks for sharing!

  28. The most effective room: Each suite here is set up in a cluster of 4 rooms: Consider miniature houses dotting the property, every with two separated lodging on the decrease level and two on the higher.

  29. Here, the heat-hued wood and the stonework fabricated of native Idaho quartzite (a metamorphic rock consisting primarily of quartz in interlocking grains) create an analogous search for a great room where skiers collect.

  30. I will immediately grab your rss as I can’t find your e-mail subscription link or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly let me know in order that I could subscribe. Thanks.

  31. Having read this I believed it was very informative. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this content together. I once again find myself personally spending a significant amount of time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worth it!

  32. подработка в пинске свежие вакансии с ежедневной оплатой работа
    в такси максим оператором на дому удаленно удаленная работа на дому посуточно ищу подработку вечерняя уборка

  33. I have to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this blog. I’m hoping to view the same high-grade content by you later on as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my very own blog now 😉

  34. Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thank you so much, However I am encountering problems with your RSS. I don’t understand why I am unable to join it. Is there anyone else having similar RSS problems? Anyone that knows the solution will you kindly respond? Thanks!!

  35. I have figured out some new issues from your site about pcs. Another thing I’ve always imagined is that laptop computers have become an item that each family must have for several reasons. They offer convenient ways to organize the home, pay bills, search for information, study, pay attention to music and in many cases watch television shows. An innovative approach to complete all of these tasks is by using a notebook. These pcs are portable ones, small, strong and lightweight.

  36. 410076 260299Ive been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this blog. Thank you, I will try and check back far more often. How often you update your web internet site? 284123

  37. Right here is the right webpage for anyone who wants to find out about this topic. You understand a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I personally would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a fresh spin on a topic which has been written about for a long time. Excellent stuff, just excellent.

  38. Qualified power effectivity enhancements are the following constructing envelope elements installed on or in your important home that you simply owned throughout 2023 situated in the United States if the unique use of the part begins with you, the part can be expected to remain in use at the least 5 years, and the element meets certain power standards.

  39. I really love your website.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you create this site yourself? Please reply back as I’m hoping to create my own blog and would like to know where you got this from or exactly what the theme is called. Many thanks!

  40. After looking over a handful of the articles on your web page, I seriously appreciate your way of writing a blog. I added it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back in the near future. Please check out my website as well and tell me your opinion.

Leave A Reply

Contact to Listing Owner

Captcha Code