Very nice. So let’s take a trip down memory lane. Back when Decatur was “dead”, the first business on the right was Rice Gifts and Novelties, then Clark’s Records (some will say “Records? what the hell was that?) and finally Smiths Shoes. Not seen is Moodys Jewelry, Belks Department store, Shields Grocery and Meats, an insurance broker, and a few others that I do not recall. What we have today is a bar, another bar and restaurant, still another B&R, more bars, a chi-chi clothing store, an expensive bakery and finally, take a guess, a very good (according to the AJC food gurus) bar and restaurant.
Not that this was intentional, but in Old Decatur, the most prominent feature of this view would have been Decatur Presbyterian Church in the background, which is completely obliterated by the visual noise.
Yes indeed, a great postcard for modern Decatur.
With the exception of a department store, all of those types of businesses that you mentioned are still represented in downtown Decatur. Hell, we even still have a full service gas station. Also, in case you don’t know, Decatur CD has a pretty damn fine selection of, yes, vinyl records, new and used!
Moreover, I’d be willing to bet that, with a few exceptions, when adjusted for inflation and/or considered as percentage of income, the prices these businesses charge are no higher than those in the past, but with far greater variety and quality now. (And the best part is they’re not just for whites!)
“The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which represents the worldwide recording industry, released its annual statistics report Monday, and with it came the news that vinyl sales hit $177 million — an 18-percent uptick, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That’s the highest figure since 1997, when vinyl-friendly bands like Radiohead and Spiritualized released, respectively, “OK Computer” and “Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space.”
yep, i buy them all the time. the standard now seems to be you get the record (usually in the $18-25 range) and a free download of the album. pretty good deal. check out insound’s website for an idea of what’s available (most new releases as well as re-releases of more classic albums).
There also used to be the Sherwin-Williams Paints store on Ponce, which is where my Dad started his career. Does anyone have a photo that includes the storefront? He would get a big kick out of that.
“Not that this was intentional, but in Old Decatur, the most prominent feature of this view would have been Decatur Presbyterian Church in the background, which is completely obliterated by the visual noise.”
It would still be prominent in the view if this were a daytime shot. In the past it might have been prominent in a night shot too because most everything would have been shut down at night, thus no “visual noise” from a vibrantly lit plaza.
I never did tell y’all about the last City Meeting– the one where they approved the budget. Well, Chris showed up and had us all anticipating him giving his unvarnished take on the City’s spending on projects, etc. during the public input portion- but when the time came, he didn’t go up to speak! Talk about disappointment! Definitely, the commissioners felt let down– you could see it on their faces! Afterward, both the Mayor and Fred beelined over to check in with him. I thought one of them might feel his forehead to make sure he was alright! :0)
(Yes, I fussed at Chris in person about him not engaging folks on here– we’ll win him over one of these days!)
“Bars” are not allowed in Decatur. As far as I can tell, every place with a bar in the city also has a full working kitchen, thus making them restaurants (even Eddie’s!). The alcohol ordinance expressly ties on-premise consumption to restaurants.
People today don’t cook in as much as they used to and want to be out & about, and the market reflects that.
I am guessing you can’t see the church because the lens is purposely focused on the near field rather than the distance. Capturing the “visual noise” is the goal not a symptom of a society gone awry.
I worked at the Buck’s restaurant (then Mick’s) back in 1989-1992. 25 years ago (sigh). I don’t recall Decatur before Marta, but I have seen the evolution to what it is today. Mr B did not mention the check cashing places, the empty store fronts, and other businesses aimed at the working poor who used Marta on a daily basis. The square was not dead but rather moribund and a bit repulsive. We were scared to walk the square at 11pm to Trackside Tavern (pre Eddie’s). Perhaps it was wonderful before Marta, before the suburban flight, and the social upheaval of the 60s and 70s. But that day is long gone. And for many people, that is a good thing.
On a related note:
I just had a conversation with my son who is a bit rigid; he hates surprises and change. I tried to let him see that change is probably the only thing you can depend on. Being frustrated with a world that is not predictable and stable has made many people bitter. I don’t mean to slap that label on Mr B, I have never met him. I do see it in my family. I hope to NOT waste my dotage on sentimentality and bitterness.
Though I only vaguely remember downtown Decatur before MARTA, my parents would confirm that some businesses there still practiced segregation well into the 70s, long after it was illegal to do so. And I can personally remember the “whites only” Santa at North Dekalb Mall in the mid 70s.
What I inferred from the comment about the”visual noise” obscuring the view of the church was a personal, symbolic interpretation, which was arrived at in order to express a belief that things were better when most people went to church and only degenerates drank in bars.
whatever happened to turning the upper level into an al fresco plaza for the restaurants along the row? i thought that was a great idea, though I could imagine the logistics and expanded demands on the kitchens could make it tricky.
Rick, your right, dining on the Plaza is a great idea. Because of Decaturs ‘Square’ layout, this idea could be unique compared to other parts of the intown metro Atl. Nothing like it anywhere that I’m aware of.
The plazas in Europe are amazing at night with the liveliness of huge outdoor eating spaces. Often times the tables are served out of tiny kitchens.
especially with the lovely summer weather we’ve been having, the restaurants who could pull this off would be making money hand over fist.
and yes, having enjoyed lots of meals in Europe like this, l have no doubt people would love it here. i can feel the breeze and hear the strolling musicians now . . .
While not exactly what you’re talking about, one of the cool things to do on a pleasant weekend night is walk from Brickstore to Mac MacGee’s – as you come over the top of the Marta plaza you will see dozens of people sitting and standing on the steps in front of Iberian Pig, just hanging out with a drink while they presumably wait for a table. It is alive and social and spontaneous. A very cool public scene that describes what Decatur is, very well.
The “visual noise” is those damn fences blocking our sidewalk in front of the Presbyterian church. Will they ever come down? Seems like between the relandscaping of the church and the community center remodel, the south side of Sycamore has been partially impassable for more than a year.
Clark’s Records also had a great selection of popular sheet music, which was quite a treat for young pianists who weren’t that crazy about classical music.
Clark’s Music was owned and operated by Mayo Clark and his wife, and by his son Harry Clark. Mayo would always greet folks by saying “It’s a beautiful day!”
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LOVE this–it should be a postcard!!
I would definitely buy this as a postcard!
Very nice. So let’s take a trip down memory lane. Back when Decatur was “dead”, the first business on the right was Rice Gifts and Novelties, then Clark’s Records (some will say “Records? what the hell was that?) and finally Smiths Shoes. Not seen is Moodys Jewelry, Belks Department store, Shields Grocery and Meats, an insurance broker, and a few others that I do not recall. What we have today is a bar, another bar and restaurant, still another B&R, more bars, a chi-chi clothing store, an expensive bakery and finally, take a guess, a very good (according to the AJC food gurus) bar and restaurant.
Not that this was intentional, but in Old Decatur, the most prominent feature of this view would have been Decatur Presbyterian Church in the background, which is completely obliterated by the visual noise.
Yes indeed, a great postcard for modern Decatur.
With the exception of a department store, all of those types of businesses that you mentioned are still represented in downtown Decatur. Hell, we even still have a full service gas station. Also, in case you don’t know, Decatur CD has a pretty damn fine selection of, yes, vinyl records, new and used!
Moreover, I’d be willing to bet that, with a few exceptions, when adjusted for inflation and/or considered as percentage of income, the prices these businesses charge are no higher than those in the past, but with far greater variety and quality now. (And the best part is they’re not just for whites!)
But hey, nostalgia’s an easy pastime.
How could they have new vinyl records? Seriously, are they still made?
“The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which represents the worldwide recording industry, released its annual statistics report Monday, and with it came the news that vinyl sales hit $177 million — an 18-percent uptick, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That’s the highest figure since 1997, when vinyl-friendly bands like Radiohead and Spiritualized released, respectively, “OK Computer” and “Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/10/vinyl-record-sales_n_3053364.html
I stand corrected.
yep, i buy them all the time. the standard now seems to be you get the record (usually in the $18-25 range) and a free download of the album. pretty good deal. check out insound’s website for an idea of what’s available (most new releases as well as re-releases of more classic albums).
There also used to be the Sherwin-Williams Paints store on Ponce, which is where my Dad started his career. Does anyone have a photo that includes the storefront? He would get a big kick out of that.
“Not that this was intentional, but in Old Decatur, the most prominent feature of this view would have been Decatur Presbyterian Church in the background, which is completely obliterated by the visual noise.”
It would still be prominent in the view if this were a daytime shot. In the past it might have been prominent in a night shot too because most everything would have been shut down at night, thus no “visual noise” from a vibrantly lit plaza.
Send in the trolls….
Trolling for Jesus!
Chris trolls for trolls and doesn’t respond.
I never did tell y’all about the last City Meeting– the one where they approved the budget. Well, Chris showed up and had us all anticipating him giving his unvarnished take on the City’s spending on projects, etc. during the public input portion- but when the time came, he didn’t go up to speak! Talk about disappointment! Definitely, the commissioners felt let down– you could see it on their faces! Afterward, both the Mayor and Fred beelined over to check in with him. I thought one of them might feel his forehead to make sure he was alright! :0)
(Yes, I fussed at Chris in person about him not engaging folks on here– we’ll win him over one of these days!)
“Bars” are not allowed in Decatur. As far as I can tell, every place with a bar in the city also has a full working kitchen, thus making them restaurants (even Eddie’s!). The alcohol ordinance expressly ties on-premise consumption to restaurants.
People today don’t cook in as much as they used to and want to be out & about, and the market reflects that.
I am guessing you can’t see the church because the lens is purposely focused on the near field rather than the distance. Capturing the “visual noise” is the goal not a symptom of a society gone awry.
I worked at the Buck’s restaurant (then Mick’s) back in 1989-1992. 25 years ago (sigh). I don’t recall Decatur before Marta, but I have seen the evolution to what it is today. Mr B did not mention the check cashing places, the empty store fronts, and other businesses aimed at the working poor who used Marta on a daily basis. The square was not dead but rather moribund and a bit repulsive. We were scared to walk the square at 11pm to Trackside Tavern (pre Eddie’s). Perhaps it was wonderful before Marta, before the suburban flight, and the social upheaval of the 60s and 70s. But that day is long gone. And for many people, that is a good thing.
On a related note:
I just had a conversation with my son who is a bit rigid; he hates surprises and change. I tried to let him see that change is probably the only thing you can depend on. Being frustrated with a world that is not predictable and stable has made many people bitter. I don’t mean to slap that label on Mr B, I have never met him. I do see it in my family. I hope to NOT waste my dotage on sentimentality and bitterness.
Though I only vaguely remember downtown Decatur before MARTA, my parents would confirm that some businesses there still practiced segregation well into the 70s, long after it was illegal to do so. And I can personally remember the “whites only” Santa at North Dekalb Mall in the mid 70s.
What I inferred from the comment about the”visual noise” obscuring the view of the church was a personal, symbolic interpretation, which was arrived at in order to express a belief that things were better when most people went to church and only degenerates drank in bars.
Why does Mr. B hate us so much?
But he loves our kids!
Speak for yourself– he loves me! :0)
lovely shot.
whatever happened to turning the upper level into an al fresco plaza for the restaurants along the row? i thought that was a great idea, though I could imagine the logistics and expanded demands on the kitchens could make it tricky.
Rick, your right, dining on the Plaza is a great idea. Because of Decaturs ‘Square’ layout, this idea could be unique compared to other parts of the intown metro Atl. Nothing like it anywhere that I’m aware of.
The plazas in Europe are amazing at night with the liveliness of huge outdoor eating spaces. Often times the tables are served out of tiny kitchens.
especially with the lovely summer weather we’ve been having, the restaurants who could pull this off would be making money hand over fist.
and yes, having enjoyed lots of meals in Europe like this, l have no doubt people would love it here. i can feel the breeze and hear the strolling musicians now . . .
While not exactly what you’re talking about, one of the cool things to do on a pleasant weekend night is walk from Brickstore to Mac MacGee’s – as you come over the top of the Marta plaza you will see dozens of people sitting and standing on the steps in front of Iberian Pig, just hanging out with a drink while they presumably wait for a table. It is alive and social and spontaneous. A very cool public scene that describes what Decatur is, very well.
The “visual noise” is those damn fences blocking our sidewalk in front of the Presbyterian church. Will they ever come down? Seems like between the relandscaping of the church and the community center remodel, the south side of Sycamore has been partially impassable for more than a year.
That landscape project does seem to be taking an inordinately long time. DIdn’t it start last fall?
Clark’s Records also had a great selection of popular sheet music, which was quite a treat for young pianists who weren’t that crazy about classical music.
I believe it was Clark’s Music
Just received a pic of the old Clark’s Music from a reader. Look for it in a bit!
Clark’s Music was owned and operated by Mayo Clark and his wife, and by his son Harry Clark. Mayo would always greet folks by saying “It’s a beautiful day!”