Urban Jacksonville

Friday, May 25th around 7:00 ART House will have it’s grand opening in San Marco. Grab some bubbly and fresh treats and meet owner Mia (sounds like mee-uh) Clark. So what is ART House?

The concept for ArtHouse was inspired by Savannah’s own shopSCAD. Like shopSCAD, ArtHouse is a smallish “gallery store” featuring local art & design objects which will be displayed using a personal collection of vintage and contemporary furnishings and accessories.

…it’s not at all like a traditional white-walled gallery space. The shop will carry all sorts of handmade artwork including paper crafts, prints, illustrations, paintings, wall hangings, clothing, purses, jewelry, household goods, you name it.

I first met Mia when we were doing research for Assemble and she’s very friendly, so stop in and say hi. I’ll be there with my wife so head down to San Marco for a unique retail concept. For more information check out this Art House interview with Mia compliments of Josh at Inertia.

ART House is located on 1506 Hendricks Ave (Map), between the Jaxcore Skate Shop and Jackrabbits, in San Marco.

A Publix store designed to fit it’s surroundings

It’s a news story battle royale! Two stories caught my eye yesterday so I decided to pit them against each other to see who would come out victorious. There is no evaluation criteria, only your opinion counts. It can be based on newsworthy-ness, writing, or just rep your block. Vote for the story you like best.

Publix inks deal to open San Marco store
San Marco finally has it’s grocery store. While it’s not Whole Foods, a Publix is not so shabby. Too bad residents have to wait till 09 to roll down the Greenwise aisle. This will be Jacksonville’s first “urban core” Publix location, a representative said. So does this mean the storefront will extend all the way to the sidewalk and forgo the traditional parking in the front, shopping in the back layout. If so this news story might be worthy of your vote.

Urban Connectivity: Hogans Creek parks
There aren’t many too many times Springfield can go up against San Marco and come out victorious. This may be one of them. This latest article in the Metro Jacksonville series on urban connectivity is informative and insightful. It focuses a spotlight on our city’s neglect of possibly the most valuable park asset in the Jacksonville.

Over the last decade, there has been an increased focus on the lack of greenspace within the downtown core. This has resulted in the city focusing on finding away to destroy landmarks like Friendship Fountain and spending millions of dollars in the process to create new, yet disconnected, public spaces along the St. Johns River. In the meantime, Jacksonville’s premier chain of parks and it’s many positive features, including its connection to the St. Johns River has become an undervalued and neglected public space.

Its been proven that green space can also lead to greater social cohesiveness. Well maintained park-areas, such as those lining Hogans Creek are not only are used more often, but also strengthen neighborhood social ties. In addition, these settings can encourage a sense of ownership and empowerment in the community. A higher priority should be given to restoring the creek and parks because of its large scale, historical assets, number of cultural and educational establishments lining its borders and it potentially being the glue to draw residents from Springfield and Downtown together.

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tags: jacksonville, springfield, hogans creek, san marco, publix

I seriously doubt it, but I just couldn’t resist the headline. You may have seen an up-tick in graffiti in San Marco lately. If not have a look around you’ll see it. Although some people may interpret the tagging a gang related, it is probably just a few bored kids.

One thing that it notable is the recent crossing out of a few tags. This could escalate into a cross out war, which would create more graffiti. This passage explains the basis of a cross out war:

When a new writer starts to build up a profile, they are noticed. Their name, their style and their connections are appraised by other writers, some of whom may decide the new kid on the block is a toy or an enemy by their affiliation with another crew, and begin to cross them out, or cap their pieces. For a graffiti writer, this can be a very deep insult. To cross another writer’s name is to negate them and their claim to space, their identity, and their style. To cross another writer out is to incite a war on the wall, one that can be taken to a physical level if the disagreement progresses enough.

AKIT, a writer in London describes her reaction to being crossed out to Nancy Macdonald: “I was just like, ‘Oh my god, fuck, oh no!’… [They’re saying] ‘You’re shit, you’re nothing.’” (104) When a writer’s name has been crossed, it is not just another mark on the wall. It is a sign of not only extreme disrespect, but also an invitation to further conflict. “Retaliation is the normal response to getting one’s name crossed out,” Macdonald asserts, and often an escalating conflict ensues. Source: Graffiti and Urban Space

Related Links:
The Newspaper of the Streets
Graffiti and Urban Space
San Marco graffiti set

tags: jacksonville, graffiti, san marco

Photo credit: Glynnish (not at Jackrabbits)

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists with Vague Angels, live at Jack Rabbits, November 22nd, 2006 - by Lola Lariscy

I first found out a few months ago that Ted Leo was coming to Jack Rabbits. I jumped up and down. I squealed. I wondered if it was too early to buy tickets. I told everyone I knew, despite no one I know liking the same music I do. I quietly thanked the powers that be that the day after would be a holiday because I knew it would be an intense show and I wouldn’t want to get up so early the next morning.

I would’ve gone anyway, regardless of what I had to do the next day. It would’ve been worth it, too. It was worth the $13 at the door (it would’ve been worth more). It was worth the cigarette smoke all around, it was worth navigating the uneven floor of Jack Rabbits.

While I left a greater fan of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists than I began, I’m sorry to say I didn’t leave a fan of the opening act, Vague Angels. I wanted to, Ted Leo really seemed to like them; he talked them up quite a bit during his show. I just found them musically to be out of sync (during one song I swear the drummer was playing a different song. I was thinking maybe he got the wrong playlist? Maybe it’s like in school when you get a standardized test and the person next to you gets a different test so you can’t cheat?).

I also felt like I was being suffocated by the monotony of the singer’s voice. It seemed like an aesthetic choice on the singer’s part, like he was consciously trying to channel Lou Reed. It was an aesthetic choice that didn’t grab me, though. While Lou Reed is monotonous, he also infuses his songs with a lot of charm to make up for what he lacks in vocal delivery. Plus Reed is an original. Vague Angels seemed to be led by an emo-haired boy dirging over several layers of slow-core disharmony. The music did pick up from slow-core to mid-core; I found the later songs in the set (they only played 5 or 6) to be more favorable, but I just couldn’t get past his delivery.

I can’t remember if the songs on their Vague Angels Myspace page are the same songs they played, but I will say that the musicianship is much tighter in the recorded songs than in the live set (which could be due to technical issues). His voice is a little punchier in the song “I Did Not Find You…” on Myspace, but this is not indicative of his singing during the concert. It’s really just a matter of taste; other people will feel that his vocals fit the songs perfectly. A review quoted on their label’s website cites their music as “harmoniously rich”, but they also note that it’s “droning”, which I think is what turned me off to it. Of course since I just found out that the singer, Chris Leo, is Ted Leo’s brother, I’m trying really hard to be more positive. I might like his writing.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists put on the show I knew they would. Their show started fast, stayed fast and didn’t falter. Leo completely engaged the audience; even when he was tuning he was still talking to us. The audience responded back too, which after seeing dozens of shows in Jacksonville, I know isn’t a given. Leo was quick to respond to our “suggestions” (one of which was a request for the B-52’s song “Rock Lobster”).

Later, he was talking for a minute between songs and a concerned concert-goer yelled out “Less talkin’ and more rockin’”. (Yes, we’re representing the best of Jax at every step). It seemed like the guy probably just wanted a little attention, and he got it. Leo stopped in his tracks and jokingly informed the concerned concert-goer that he can (paraphrasing) go out the fucking door, or something like that. It made me laugh, and it showed that Leo has a good sense of humor. That wasn’t his only interaction with the audience: at one point he invited a girl from the front row to get up and play the guitar. I’m not sure how the exchange started–she was in the front row and I couldn’t hear what she’d said to get Leo’s attention. She had this wonderfully blase attitude, though; the guitar was strung over her and it was almost as big as she was (she was a very petite woman). She was calmly puffing on her cigarette while she tried to figure out the chords. She played a bit of one of Leo’s songs, but couldn’t remember the whole thing so he took the guitar back after a minute or so. Personalizing the show like that helped make the night memorable for us and I hope for the band also. I swear I caught Ted Leo smiling at a girl in front of me who was tearing up the dance floor. I’d been talking to her before the show and I’d had no idea how much a fan she was: she’d been so calm and demure. As soon as Ted Leo let into his guitar, though, she was throwing up her arms in the air, bouncing around and singing every one of the lyrics. I only know about half the lyrics. I was totally shown up!

If you’re inclined to dance at all, then you couldn’t help but dance the entire time. I danced to every song (even towards the end of the show when I couldn’t feel my feet anymore). I couldn’t be as carefree as I wanted to, though, because of that pesky uneven floor. I seemed to be on a continental divide. My right foot was about two inches higher than my left foot. I could’ve changed places, but man, I was right in front of Ted Leo. I wasn’t going anywhere. So, I tread the divide between the two floor levels, and I was mindful that I didn’t fall off the shelf. In the front row, directly in front of Leo were two guys who seemed to be into the music, but they weren’t looking at the stage at all; they were taking pictures of each other the whole time. I got the sense that they were just really excited to have cameras and be able to take pictures of themselves. Maybe they wanted to document their own, personal experiences of the show. It was strange, but again it was one of those things that made the show unique. Maybe when Ted Leo remembers Jacksonville he’ll remember the “less talkin’” guy, the girl who played the guitar, the girl who sashayed around with her arms in the air and the two guys who were at their own show.

I’ll remember those things, but I’ll also remember that the Pharmacists played great and played almost every song I knew. They started the set with the powerhouse “Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone”. Definitely one of my favorites; I was extremely excited when he dedicated it to Jacksonville. I got the sense he did that because it’s such an energetic song and we were such an energetic audience. I don’t think he was trying to imply that the rude boys have gone to Jacksonville. I know he had a good impression of Jacksonville, though, because he said after playing in huge arenas with Death Cab For Cutie, he and his band walked in to Jack Rabbits, looked around and said “Fuck Yeah”. I understood what he meant: Jack Rabbits is small, smoky, uneven and the bathrooms may not always work, but it’s part of my extended home. As Ted Leo said, he knows where he’s appreciated. They played a few new songs, and despite never hearing the new songs before, I never wanted to sit down.

They’re the kind of band that I’m genuinely grateful I know about. They’re labeled a punk band in a lot of reviews, and while they have that blistering energy, the songs have the most intricate (and often extraordinary) melodies of any punk band I’ve heard. Leo’s voice is just gorgeous. Their base is firmly in rock, though; Leo’s guitar sounds like a banshee when he’s playing and several times he was so enraptured in the guitar part that he turned towards the back of the stage and got lost in his own guitarist-ness. I can’t blame him; he’s an excellent player and I found myself getting lost in the sound, also.

While some music just can’t transfer live (which may have interfered with my appreciation of the opening band), the Pharmacists’ songs were heightened in a live environment. Their music is made to be played live. I always suspected that they would put on an exceptional, eventful show, and I was right. They definitely know how to be musicians and performers. They’ve also always been great about having music available for download on their website and Myspace (how do you think someone as poor as I am heard of them?)

Ted Leo - Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?
Ted Leo - Some Beginners Mind

tags: jacksonville, ted leo and the pharmacists, vauge angels, jackrabbits, san marco

Owen Holmes will be hosting a benefit for Uncommon Grounds in San Marco. Here are the details:

Tuesday the 17th at TSI. Help out Uncommon Grounds, San Marco’s only family-owned coffee shop. They’ve been hit pretty hard by the construction at Hendricks and Atlantic. If they don’t raise a considerable sum of money by Friday (they’re making efforts too, of course), they’ll go under, and a unique local biz will be promptly replaced by another a. wal-greens, b. cash-a-check, or c. starbucks.

Owner and San Marco resident Diane Lee, who’s done everything short of selling her car to stay afloat, is confident that if she can make it over this hump, she’ll be set - the construction at that intersection will be done in December (supposedly), the weather will be getting cooler (rendering coffee more lucrative), and St. Joe will soon break ground on a six-story mixed-use development across the street from the shop.

Come hear good bands, drink good drinks and feel good about yourself. Feel free to donate that jug of change and lint sitting in your closet. (I hear NPR’s pledge drive is going just fine.)

Owen.

tags: jacksonville, san marco, uncommon grounds

This Saturday San Marco Preservation Society is hosting the Dog Days of Summer event. This is a very similar event to Dog Days in the Park going on in Springfield on September 30th. Dog Days will be held in Fletcher Park, located at 1652 Atlantic Boulevard, just east of San Marco Square.

There will be dog frisbee, a demonstration by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, best dog costume and best tricks contest.

Schedule of events:

• 10:00 ­ San Jose Episcopal Day School Band perform
• 11:00 - Disc-Connected K-9s perform
• 11:30 - Jacksonville Sheriff¹s Office K-9 Unit demonstration
• 12:00 - Best Costume, Best Tricks and Mr. & Miss San Barko beauty pageant

Pet adoption agencies, rescue agencies and the Humane Society will also be on site. There is no charge for admission. Polite, leashed dogs are welcome, no retractable leashes and scoop your own poop!

tags: jacksonville, san marco, dog days of summer

Raspberries and cauliflower from San Marco Health Foods

About a week ago, Mackenzie and I joined the San Marco Health Foods Organic Produce Club. It’s a small operation on Thacker Avenue in San Marco. Mackenzie brought home our first order of organic groceries yesterday. $45 dollars once a week gets you 20lbs of organic fruits and vegetables. We are splitting the goods with Mackenzie’s parents so it only cost us about $22 dollars.

The bag

Here is what our $22 landed us:

1 bunch of red grapes
1 cucumber
1/2 a cauliflower
1/2 a bag of green beans
2 large red onions
3 medium green peppers
3 peaches
1 6oz package of raspberries

Unpacking the bag

In terms of *pricing they offer small ($25 > 10lbs), medium ($45 > 20lbs) and large ($65 > 30lbs) orders. We are on a weekly plan and they do offer a bi-weekly option. *This is from what we remember, price > weight may vary a little.

The upside to being in “tha club” is you should save money on your produce bill because there’s no middle man. When it can, the club buys its produce from local farmers. You can can feel good knowing that more of you money is going to local farmers and less is going to big grocery chains. In addition, the club buys fruits and veggies in bulk, this should save you money too.

For us it’s nice because San Marco is closer to Springfield than the Publix in Riverside or the Native Sun in “GULP”, Mandarin or Baymeadows. We pretty much got our money’s worth just on the peaches. The last time I was at Publix, they were charging $6 for four organic peaches.

San Marco Health Foods Organic Produce Club
1609 Thacker Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida 32207
422-8085
sanmarcohealthfoods[at]yahoo[dot]com

tags: jacksonville, san marco health foods, organic grocery