So I noticed a few weeks ago that the old Marco's-High Street Speakeasy-Jezebel's-Gin and Sin building had a new sign up: High Street Bar and Grill. So, being the nosy guy I am, I stopped in to say hello.
As was usually the case at Jezebel's, I was one of only three customers in the place during a Friday evening happy hour. I introduced myself to the folks behind the bar, who turned out to be Joe and Sharon, the owners.
Really nice people. Turns out she is the daughter of Frank, the long-time owner of the building. They have hopes of making it a good local neighborhood bar with some TV's for Denver sports and (finally for the building) some food. I rapped with them for some time to get a feel for their vision for the place, and have to say I believe they have a better chance of making it than the previous iterations... here's why.
One, they aren't paying rent, since they are the owners of the place. This instantly allows them to build the business slowly (and it will grow slowly, if at all) without financial pressure.
And two, they bring a network of neighborhood old-timers that have known the family for years. The two other tables that were there when I was clearly used to frequent the place when it was Marcos (but stopped when Jezebel's went in).
For me, there is the rub. Joe was telling me how they saw Jake's as their main competition. No way! Jakes has a better, bigger location, a vast restaurant menu, and is catering to the new neighbors with comedy, dj's, and a swanky (at least for Cole) Sunday brunch. From talking to Joe, and from noticing the neighborhood old-timers that were there when I visited, they are much more Phil's place. A hole-in-the-wall local bar where the local old-timers that curse the metamorphosis of the neighborhood go to drink Budweiser, eat Menudo and swear at the Broncos game.
Hey, I wish them well, hope they succeed, and I'll stop in again. But in all honesty I will be very surprised if they can walk that fine line between old and new neighborhoods. My bet is not, and as a result, the place will be the gathering place for old neighbors, not new.
And there is nothing wrong with that if it makes money.
At least until the neighborhood really turns, Rock Drill lofts get finished, and some professional restauranteurs or bar owners snap the place up and bring a little bit of Highlands posh to NE Cole.
So check it out, and see what you think.
3 comments:
I think you are wrong. I am a new neighbor and I love High Street. However I am not surprised by your skepticism since in all of your posts you divide our fantastic neighborhood into two groups. Us vs. them, old vs. new, and really Mexicans vs. whites. I for one love the history and diversity. I am grateful to my Mexican-American neighbors who’s families lived here for generation, for welcoming me in to their neighborhood with open arms. I love their culture, their music, their local establishments and the whole neighborhood they created and I hope it does not change. Who I can’t stand are people like you who think that the world revolves around them. Why don’t you move to highlands where everything is white and pristine? You won’t be bothered there by Mexican music and culture. You don’t belong here.
Thanks Anonymous for your point of view.
I would have to agree--I don't belong here. And all it will take is a few more of your Mexican-American neighbors to move out so that more white people can come in, fix up their houses, and then I can sell mine for a nice, capitalistic profit, and move out to where three out of four neighbors aren't having babies on public assistance and people are pissing in my alley.
Wow, if only there were a gracious white gentrifier award, you'd have my vote. I bet your Mexican American neighbors feel so fortunate that you came into their life.
As for culture, thanks for the lecture, but the problems with Cole aren't with Mexican culture. I'll quote Matthew Perry's character's parents in Fools Rush In:
"You call guacamole and ghetto blasters... culture?"
Nope. That's not Mexican culture. are Christmas lights left up all year, baby diapers in the street, jump jumps, and gang bangers Mexican culture.
And I love Mexican culture. I love Meximelts, Enchiritos, Chipotle, Pace Picante sauce, Doritos, and Julio Iglesias.
And second, I hate to break it to you, but this neighborhood was predominantly Eastern-European originally. It's only in the last 50 years or so that the Hispanics moved in. So, the neighborhood has changed before. Did anyone get pissed at the Mexicans when they put the first cowboy boot store in Cole? Likely. But it simply was change, which is inevitable.
The fact is that the neighborhood is changing, whether you like it or not, and whether I leave or not. Deal with it!
My point is, and always has been, that local establishments are great--And again, I wish High Street and Phil's place the best. I just don't think they have their formula in place to attract much more than the shrinking population of neighborhood old-timers. And I wonder how sustainable that will be in the years to come.
That's a simple observation.
Have a great day! Starbucks is coming!
I have to say I get a kick out of how much heat you take for just speaking your mind, lol. So you don't want another menudo place, so what, I'm hispanic and I don't either. I don't eat chicken wings so I don't go to jake's, so what? People take themselves too seriously, especially some white people in cole.
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