It was a good feel in the air tonight as City Council and a couple dozen folks from the community gathered in Lachenauer Plaza on Court Street to redidcate the 40 + year old fountain following a paint job by local artist Jeff Rule.
The project by the local Arts Council solicited over a dozen designs for the fountain and City Council chose Mr. Rule's blue and green circles.
There was a ripple of excitement as the water was turned on.....
Finally, Watertown did something avante garde....
20 comments:
Looks like the shower curtain my mom had in the 80's.
It would look better if the brick were replaced with native limestone.
Maybe we could get him to fix that disaster on the Empsal building.
So upbeat
This brings a little modern art to Court Street.
If we can only get the clock fixed
Maybe you should have Doc. Brown rig a wire connecting the clock to the other side of state street during a thunderstorm. That should fix things
Alas, the highly successful urban renewal program of the Lachenauer era is complete. The newly painted fountain will be sure to draw crowds to the revitalized downtown. Thanks to the avante garde movement! How soon will the following businesses return?---Empsall's Dep't. Store, Empsalls mens Store, Boys & Mens Specialty, Herr's, Smith & Percy, Mason's, Nugent's, Woolworth's, WT Grant, Cahill's, NY Florist, Bennett's Florist, Switzer & Hutchings, Conde's, Bradley hardware, S & S Market, Franklin Fruit Market, Law's, Herrick's, Bonadio's, Grant Drugs, Richard's, Holstein's, Stitt's, Kamargo, Cohen Furniture, Houseshold Merit, Kriff's, Montgomery ward, Carl's Auto, Kelly Hat Shop, the Roosevelt Hotel, Robinson's, the American Hotel, Henry's, Louis Rose Jewelers, JC Penney, the Olympic/Avon,Town & Liberty Theaters, the Londraville/Barkley/ LaRock and DeCastro barber Shops, the stand-alone newsstant on the North side of the Square, Rozzie, the popcorn stands on the North and West sides of the Square, the Home Food Cafeteria, Angel's, Don Sack's Bike & Hobby Shop, Victory Diner, Mohican Market & Bakery, Ray's Jewelers, Mr. Peanut, JR Miller's, Shultze's Cigar Store, Lewis Men's Shop, the Freeman bus stops on every side of the Square as well as Court and Arsenal Streets, Star Cab, the Sugar Bowl, Palace Luncheonette, Kallen's Furriers, Sidney Miller/Allens, Bewow & Monroe, Endicott Johnson and Park Ellitharpe shoe stores---------just to name a few! We can't wait for the next step in our "new" downtown. Hey! The crowds may even mean a return of the cop on the American Corner! Jeff, maybe you can refresh the memories of the newcomers!
Let's not forget the Karmelcorn Shop, Parisian Shop, the busy Woolworth elevators, the Greyhound station at JB Wise Place, the Commodore, Newberry's and the Pet Shop, the hosiery store at the American Corner, Robinson's card Shop, Severances, the Electric Building a/k/a the LeRay Hotel, a clean and full Lincoln Building, the Lincoln League, the bustling Elks Club, Jasper's, Rand's, the Bee Hive store, Rothschild's Jewelers, Max Alpert Clothing, Star Clothing, Markson's, Gordon's, Epstein's Clothing, the Globe Store, the Pontiac dealer on Court Street, Town Motors, Vrooman's Marine, WATN, real banks like Jeff Savings, Watn Savings & Loan, the Watertown National and NNY Trust Co., Willie Gee's, Klein's All Sports, the Sports Shack and the news stand next to the Arsenal Street Fire Station---just to name a few more. Ahhhh...but progress came to watertown, didn't it!
You people have to get a life. Stop living in the past and and do something to make tomorrow a little better. I think the fountain looks fine. Watertown naysayers have always doomed this town. It has been awhile since I have seen such negativity.
Dialogue is healthy! The city has done its job downtown----now it is up to the private sector to do its part! Downtown was vibrant, as noted above, it could be again with some creative thinking and a spirit of entrepreneurship!
R.I.P to all those places you mention.Along with you and your negative post......
Looks like some are missing the point!
Yeah the downtown has become a haven for low-income apts and cheap commercial space, Thanks NOW.
Low income apartments
Drugs
Low lifes
vs.
Vibrant retail.
Which is preferable? Hmmmmm.
8:15 , you really crack me up, that was good; 9:22 and 9:49, did you really say all that in one breath?, if so ,you definitely beat out the "ultimate Jreckie".
Isn't the real issue here the city father's vision for downtown? Is it to have a NOW-dominated low income haven? Or is it to create a revitalized shopping district with specialty shops and restaurants? We have created an atmosphere for the latter---perhaps some creative incentives for the private sector could bring back some retail foot traffic-----the stores that are gone are gone forever, but the prior writer was simply illustrating that there was once vitality in the center city----look at what Kingston has done---why cannot we do something similar?
There is a place for the Arsenal Street corridor businesses, of course. But the modern shopper is attracted to the neighborhood (a/k/a downtown)retail atmosphere...........give them what they want and they will come.........think about this....would Olive Garden, Tilted Kilt or Texas Roadhouse fail because they were downtown? Would Kohls, Bed Bath & Beyond, Pier 1 or Panera? No....they are destination businesses and they will draw customers wherever they are located. C'mon folks, look at success stories beyond I-81.
Look at our glorious past, respect it, learn from it..........and move forward! Be creative! Dare to innovate! Encourage entrepreneurship! Offer incentives to business! NOW is great, for sure, at building ghettos for those who need society's helping hands.........those same energies can build a retail center as well.
The future is in plastics Man. Don't look back You'll turn into salt.
9:22 and 9:49, I'm not sure what your point was, but that was FUN. I've re-read your posts three times. Its great just thinking about those old places. With the days of the mall I don't see how we can bring much of it back. But I sure thank you for putting in the effort to think through this list. That brought back some great memories of a fine Watertown. Now we have a strip where people can cut in and out of traffic and flip each other off. Our kids will never know what they missed. But then again the kids all moved out of state, or will soon enough.
Thanks again for those two posts.
Sorry, one more thing. Wasn't there a pet shop in that walkway under Fannie Farmer's candy shop? I think I remember going in there and buying a fish for my aquarium. Then I remember trying to catch a glimpse of the go go dancers in the Woodruff Hotel next door. Did this happen or was it a dream? Help me out, guys.
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