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| In Jacksonville on business so I decided to check out the Jacksonville Landing, the festival marketplace that at one time was the center of a resurgent downtown. It opened with so much potential and indeed at one time it was packed with shops and restaurants. To be fair it was a Monday night, but the place is pretty sad. Relatively few retail stores remain and a lot of the restaurants are shuttered. The place is probably busy with downtown office workers at lunch time. Voodoo Ultra Lounge is pictured here on the lower level facing the St. Johns River. It's in business but just not on a Monday night. It opened a few months ago and offers DJ's and dancing. |
Located upstairs, Mavericks Rock N' Honky Tonk is located roughly where the Jacksonville location of short-lived Club Paris used to operate. As the name might lead you to believe, the venue features Country music and Southern Rock.
Cute sign by the door.
This is my city. The Landing, once very successful, has suffered from a tragic lack of parking. Recently the owner asked the city for redevelopment funds, but he was turned down. Now he has publicly stated that he will turn his attention to his other retail shopping malls where he has more potential and more interest. So The Landing continues to languish, a victim of a number of issues. It is interesting to note that The Landing also suffers from some of the things we have seen happen at Pleasure Island - the live bands they book on the weekends tend to draw a not-so-family-friendly crowd, and one which shows up to hang out but doesn't spend much money while they are there. Much more time will have to pass before the downtown will become better, and it will only do so through a concerted development effort from someone (or from some group) with a real vision for the future. Redevelopment is likely required - The Landing has become quite dated. But you can't beat the waterfront location for dining and walking along the riverbank.
ReplyDeleteNine West Outlet was about the only national retail brand that still had a store there. All the other "mall" brands have closed. There are a lot of office towers nearby; I would have thought they would support the place during their lunch hour or after work. Apparently not. Thanks, Ace!
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of competition downtown for the lunch crowd. While there are good restaurants at the landing (Fionn McCool's irish pub is a GREAT restaurant and bar with seriously talented chefs!) many others downtown get you in and out much faster with pretty decent lunch food. The Landing was built with great expectations, and it all went downhill when the novelty wore off. I still go a couple times a year, but it's always with mixed feelings. It takes a special event like a holiday to draw me to the Landing for fireworks or something. New Years and Independence Day fireworks fired from barges on the river are breathtaking and unique - always a good time!
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