Condos, of course. That’s what’s to become of the one-time bastion of boho in the ’burg, a run-down strip of storefronts that housed some of city’s most fiercely indie businesses, ranging from hip (Surreal Bowl, Daddy Kool) to archaically frumpy (Woodies Hatbox). For years, this little stretch was a place where folks with very little money and no inclination to join the official workforce could plunk down a bit of rent and try their hand at a dream. We’ll miss the spent vibe of the place, the meandering kids, the unhurried shopkeepers. And what to make of this condo project? The market has slowed; they’re talking about a glut. It’ll be an even bigger shame if developers mow the half-block down and just let it sit. At least they didn’t take the State Theatre.
This article appears in Sep 13-19, 2006.