Around the block in 80 minutes
So what's happening On The Square? Plenty! Allow me, The Ubiquitous One, to give you an update.
Last month the Carbondale Greyhound ticket office moved into New Chillins Coffeehouse on the corner of Jackson and Washington streets. The move was prompted by the desire to provide an hospitable environment to waiting bus customers in any weather, as well as to bring more traffic to the historic town square district businesses. As for the bus stop itself, stopping at its current location on Washington street just outside of the coffehouse is remaining a trial location pending approval from the town square community.
Speaking of moving, the big news is the
Neighborhood Coop will be relocating to the Murdale Shopping Center on May 1, and will be closed for four days before that.
Who will be moving in? The word on the street is a marketing/graphics firm, as soon as the contract is firm.
Meanwhile, next door at
Global Gourmet,
Andrea Barclay and
Tippy Cook are remodeling that space to accomodate more sit down customers to go along with the bar that was recently installed, now they they have a restaurant liquor license.
Next door to Global Gourmet, The
Longbranch Coffeehouse is going strong, for fourteen years, and better than ever under the management of
Elaine Ramseyer.
Behind the Branch, The Tropicana has a huge roomful of groovy vintage clothes and things. Owner Lynn Sabens is thinking about selling stuff on Ebay.
On the west the tracks, the Don Camillo Mexican grocery has everything you could possibly need for authentic "south of the border" cuisine, and there's talk of a
Cinqo De Mayo party at Tropicana. . . . Or at least there was once.
Across the tracks, Big Boys Q'n is now full bar with a tavern license. Although you can still buy food, it is no longer a restaurant. Owner Don Urberger is going with a "Q after Dark" with more bands, a Greek night on Weds, and Tuesday Open Mike night. Local talent; bluegrass....more local bands. And World Class Jumbo Chicken wings cajun spice -- "the best in town" .... Plus, it's a WiFi hotspot.
Shall we continue round the block?
Old American Legion building awaits a tenant.
Church Women United is hanging in there, I mean hanging things on hangers and selling them, along with household furnishings, books, appliances, etc. at Carbondale's oldest thrift store.
Ace's Automotive. Former owner Ace Aston recently sold the business to new owner. Ace's is across the street from the former Japanese restaurant, now the former middle eastern restaurant, Dar Salaam, and currently LBJ's, owned by a couple of the chefs from the recently closed Bistro 51 on Main St.
Around the corner on Oak St. across the tracks bring you up on the rear of the WDBX building, on the corner of Oak and Washington St. across from Arnette's Barber Shop which has probably been there longer than any other business.
Across the street from the front entrance of WDBX is the new restaurant, owned by the woman who used to run "Mama's" on South Washington Street, across from Associated Lumber.
Are you still with me?
Down the street from WDBX on Washington, is the front entrance, of Beef King restaurant, where Auntie's Wings used to be.
Next door to that is the Big Muddy Independent Media Center headquarters.
And across the street from that, The Cadillac Lounge.
Then down the street New Chillan's Coffee House with the faded Siebert's Drugs on the huge old brick wall.
Across the street on Washington, the ill-fated old Jeremiah's building, doomed for demolition, unless the hip-hop community rallies to its cause. Word up.
Catercorner from New Chillan's Hair Brains with billions and billions of hairs cut in the twenty or so years it's been in business.
Shall we continue to Tres Hombres, or step into American Resource Group offices? Okay, since you insist. Especially since ARG won the Mayor's Bike 2 Work Day trophy last year.
Tres Hombres, Carbondale's Original Mexican Restaurant is remodelled with a new outdoor patio.
Need a bottle of wine to take home? ABC Liquor can fix you up.
Wonder where the old Bank of Carbondale building went? Or why the gravel lot on the corner of Washington and Main St.? Bank President Bleyer has some good things planned, we're sure. Although mum's the word, or maybe some daffodils.
Look both ways now, we're going to cross the street to get a bite to eat and a bit of art in the Newell House building, where owner Dan Terry has turned an unproductive building into "a destination" restaurant, and Sue Mills has turned Art Lovers Trading Company into a place of beauty and taste. Dan's recipes taste pretty good too.
Need some feed? Dillingers Feed Store has some . . . along with all kinds of rural stuff.
Next door to them, Supply supplies retailers with items to sell, like candy and cigarettes.
On the corner of Washington and _____ Associate Lumber does what lumber stores do. So there ya go.
Let's head across Washington Street to the other corner, where the Veterans Park is.
Then across the tracks to Thai Taste restaurant.
Need professional photos? Two Doves.
High end website development: Arthur Agency.
A tattoo?
How about some shoes and stuff? Next door to Thai Taste on Illinois Ave.
Been saved? if not, The Door can help.
Have you had breakfast? If not, let's go into Mary Lou's, one of those genuine landmark restaurants on the square. And honey, you ain't had biscuits and gravy until you've tasted these.
Okay, finish your coffee, we have some audio and video business to take care of at Sound Core.
Then borrow some money quick because we want to go across the street to the stately quarters of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce and Carbondale Main Street, before popping down to the Cellar for a beer, music, sports tv, and pool, or to another photographer, or OVC Guitars. . . . Need insurance? Julie Chambers will sell you some.
And we're at two other "destination" spots: Kaleidoscope and Yesteryear Tobacconist, and across the street the Carbondale Civic Center and City Hall.
But we must head back up Illinois Ave. to North Illinois, to visit the other business fronting "the square" Barrett, Morris, and Broom; the designers; the hair salon; a trophy company, a medical offices.
Catercorner from where we started, but on the other side of the tracks.
And we haven't even visited the Pavilion.
Cross Town post
Although this blog focusses exclusively on the old Town Square area of Carbondale, one of The Square's most successful restauranteurs,
Dan Terry, owner of the popular Newell House on the corner of Main and Washington Streets, has taken on a new challenge: refurbishing and transforming the long empty Rally hamburger stand (at the corner of Mill and Illinois, adjacent to Friendship Park) into a drive-through coffee shop, called "Sambucca Joe's" featuring gourmet coffee and sandwiches.
'Abandoned buildings are not a benefit to anyone,' Terry told Nicole Sack
in The Southern. 'I think The Strip can comeback to life without necessarily being what it was before.'
He hopes to be open for business by May 1.
Four sides to every square
If you have a business located on the historic Town Square section of Carbondale, you may wonder why your establishment is not featured in the photograph in the banner above. The answer: eventually it will be.
Meanwhile, a printed newsletter is in the works, along with website links to every single one of the businesses within the area targeted by this newsletter. Two more menus (Thai Taste & Newell House) were added to the links list on this page.
If you are a local reader, or an out-of-towner wondering what this place called "Carbondale" is like, you'll get a snapshot of one part of town in this newsletter/blog.
Where, oh where, is the Ubiquitous One? Check this blog next week to find out.
