Urban Jacksonville

It took three years, but Karen Mathis’ predictions for Springfield retail relief have finally arrived in the form of a new Walgreens store at 8th and Davis. Seen here as just an empty lot, the Walgreens will be a welcome addition to the the neighborhood. I could see that placing being mobbed by snack starved Shandsies. What a great place, in walking distance, to get basics.

One thing Karen Mathis didn’t see coming was the Downtown Winn Dixie renovations, which I also see as part of the Springfield retail mix. Personally the Walgreens won’t be as game-changing as it would have been had it arrived before the Winn Dixie upgrades. The Winn Dixie experience has improved so much that being halfway between the new Walgreens and the Winn Dixie will result in a case-by-case decision on when to go to either.

Blueblocker Sunglasses as Walgreens?
Check.
Point Walgreens.
Walgreens draws first blood.

So far no word on opening day festivities.

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Tags: walgreens

Thanks to Brian Gray and The Outerbox for tipping us off to this bad ass show in Springfield this Friday.

This upcoming Friday is the River City Soul Company kick off party at Shantytown. Music, art, and good time to be had by all…did I mention this event is free? No cover? What? Thats what Im talking about! Featured artists include Squiddust, Toy Crusher, Grant Thornton, Leader 1, Brian Gray, Ellie Hoffman, Bo Dillard, Edbot5000, and more TBA. Check out the line up of bands too! For more info check out the myspace account for The River City Soul Company.

SAMBA Meeting Thursday the 12th

Cathy Hagan, Area Director of the University of North Florida Small Business Development Center, and Joe Whitaker of the JEDC, will be the main speakers for this month’s Springfield Area Merchants & Business Association general meeting. The speakers will share information on programs and incentive opportunities for small business development in the Springfield area.

6 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
1748 North Main Street
Carl’s Main Street Restaurant
The corner of Main & 8th Streets.

Make reservations yo! Call 219-7499 or e-mail urbansouth at hotmail.com by 3:00 p.m. Thursday, June 12th.

Royal Treatment Records, Burro Bags, Zombie Bikes and gone, but not forgotten, Inertia. That’s what most people call 1520 Main Street in Springfield. Hardly anyone ever calls it The Buyers Market Lodge, but that was the original name, current name, future name, who knows. Tony Allegretti gives a nice history of The Buyers Market Lodge. Long live Main Street! Here are a few excerpts:

The Buyers Market Lodge was a concept/brainchild/idea that Triclops (owner of some bar on 6th - Shantytown) and I and our benevolent landlord (SRG) came up with to do three things. (1) Create a “place” on Main St, (2) create a few no to low paying green collar jobs, and (3) create a shopping experience of simple yet sometimes hard to find things the new urbanist (really any body, but it sounds sweeter) would want and need.

Matt and Chris (Burro Bags) hand craft these custom bags to your specs (if you wish) and they use recycled materials. Right now they’re kickin vinyl from billboards. Who said clear channel was rubbish? Now you can wear clear channel’s rubbish! They also pad bags for electronics/computers etc.

the real soft spot in my heart is the zombie bikes. These guys are solid. My daughters bike was swiped and she is just learning to ride. I dropped in to the shop (its like the taxi teevee show only greasier) and walked out with a spider man special. Under $20 and built to spill.

Thanks for the history lesson Tony!

More on The Buyers Market Lodge Complex
Polo Is My Life - Bury Your Bike Festival

Tags: burro bags, buyers market lodge, shantytown, srg, zombie bikes

I talked with Matt Bort the 1st and Chris Williams from Burro Bags, a messenger bag store in Springfield. Burro Bags is having their grand opening this Friday, May 16th from 6:00 to 10:00 at 1520 Main Street in Springfield.

Podcast Episode #15: Burro Bags Grand Opening May 16th (42:56)
Subscribe to the Urban Jacksonville podcast

Chris

Matt

Tags: burro bags, messenger bags

I talked about Nest Living earlier this month. They’re having a grand opening party tonight, Thursday April 24th. It’s an amazing retail experience. The store is merchandised really well and the owner, Shaan Batten, is a super friendly guy. Head over there and say hi!

Nestliving is a design studio located in the Five Points shopping district of Jacksonville, Florida. We sell quality design products from lines such as Modernica, MASH Studio, Unison, Heath Ceramics, Iittala, Offi, MAKU Furnishings, Vitra, Tonfisk, Cavern Home, Playsam, Tivoli Audio, Geneva and Vessel Architectural Pottery. Our online store offers free shipping to the mainland USA

The grand opening starts at 6:00pm and lasts until 9:00. Super DJ Caz/Prince Rainier will be on the one’s and two’s spinning what he calls “Sophisticated Funk”. Sounds good to me! Plus there will be beer and wine for all. Nest Living will be offering a 10% discount on any Modernica Fiberglass chairs (above).

nest-living.com
email: info@nest-living.com
phone: 904.356.5151

Tags: modern furniture, nest living

I stopped by Foolish Boutique on Saturday and introduced myself to one of the owners, David Lofton. David’s a cool guy who keeps prices for all the merchandise in his head. We talked for 15 minutes or so and he filled me in the store, it’s retail vision and why there are no price tags and any of the clothes.

Foolish is a collaboration between Jason Wells and David Lofton. They carry clothes and sneakers from brands like Rock Smith, Alife and Creative Recreation.

I was happy when David said is most of their customers shop online, then pick up merchandise in the store. It’s a pretty innovative retail model and means Foolish doesn’t have to rely as much on foot traffic, which is a good thing.

There’s not on online store in the traditional sense where you can add things to your cart and purchase online. When new merchandise arrives, David will post photos on the Foolish website. Most people call the store with the sizes and styles they want and those items get set aside until they can get to the store.

Foolish is a great example of a growing movement to bring things to Jacksonville you routinely find in big cities like Atlanta, Chicago and NYC. Jacksonville is more than ready for this type of retail store and I anticipate they are going to be very successful.

Foolish Boutique
131a East Bay Street
425-3802
foolishboutiques.com
myspace.com/foolishboutiques

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Tags: foolish boutique, sneakers, tshirts

My friend Shaan Batten just opened a new store in Five Points called Nest Living. Shaan says:

I wanted to create a retail environment that I’d want to shop in. A place that has a definite style but one that could be tailored to suit a variety of personal tastes. I surrounded myself with what I think are some of the greatest products on the market at the moment.

I hung out with Shaan Friday and we discussed doing an interview in the future about how we can move Five Points retail forward. Keep an eye out for that. Until then check out the photos below, visit the new Nest Living website and shop and swing by Final Friday’s in Five Points on April 4th from 6:00-9:00.

• Art throughout the street provided by Bogda.
• Raglands will have Saketinis and a free showing of ‘Dark Crystal’ in their lounge @ 10PM
• A Vegan Bake Sale!
• DJ Roy will be spinning @ Anomaly! Plus free libations and a cool and quick craft to do!
• Stop and have a glass of wine and learn block printing taught by local artist Brittni Wood @ Violet.
• Nest Living will have 10% off all media players.
• Grand Opening of Flux Gallery, a great new addition to 5 Points!

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Nestliving – furniture + light etc
1020 Park Street
Jacksonville, FL 32204 (Map)
904.356.5151

Tags: books, furniture, modern, nest living, pottery, textiles