Kiva's new theme: Urban Blight

So I shared that I had heard that Kiva would be re-opening at some point. Not much visible activity on that front until recently when I saw that there was a notice of zoning change on the building--Basically being re-zoned to allow for mixed residential and commercial I think. Makes sense, given how cavernous the building is. I just hope something opens up there again relatively soon.

But the big thing is the new paint job--Anyone notice that they tore down the cheery yellow awnings and re-painted the building...Uggh... Primer gray?

Nothing screams "Urban Blight" more than a huge building painted industrial, primer gray. Especially with an equally dismal gray building right across the street. Every time I pass by now I have to remind myself I'm not living in Flint, Michigan.

Maybe that's his new theme for the restaurant space--Urban blight. Maybe they'll hire some yuppy white artists to replicate some local graffiti on the building, park some extra dumpsters outside, and chain a few cannibalized old bike frames to the light poles. Hang some sneakers from the power lines and hire some actors to portray homeless people and sleep out front during the grand opening. Stick some of those fake-bullet-hole stickers on the front door to complete the look.

Maybe a soup kitchen theme? Tuesdays ladies drink (soup) free. That could become hip and trendy with the incoming Starbucks posse.

Perhaps it is in fact just a primer? I'm afraid it isn't, so I'm left wondering what Marty, the owner was thinking? Of all the colors in the rainbow, why did he choose battleship, primer gray?

Top Ten things I have learned about living in Cole

So I've lived here in Cole for almost 4 years now, and as a result I think I have a pretty good feel for the area. I was just thinking the other night, of all the valuable things I've learned, and thought I should share for any other new or prospective residents.

So, here are the top 10 things I have learned about living in Cole:

1. When you're budgeting for your mortgage, be sure to include some wiggle room for a self-storage facility. That quaint, historic house with so much character has absolutely no closet space, so you'll need to find a place to put all that stuff you accumulated in the 'burbs or your previous, modern or updated apartment.
2. As mentioned in a previous post, get a cell phone plan with unlimited calls to certain numbers, and make the Police, Denver Partners Against Graffiti, Neighborhood Inspection Services, and perhaps Animal Control all part of your unlimited calling plan. You'll be calling one or more of these agencies a lot. Trust me.
3. Collect your spare change in a "change jar" so that when you are out walking your dogs, and you get panhandled by the crack head up the street, or in many cases your neighbor, you can honestly say "I'd like to help, but all I have is fifteen cents."
4. Get a big, but harmless dog--German Shepherd, Rottie, or Dobie perhaps. Or, something that could pass for a pit bull (since pits are illegal, you shouldn't get the real thing). While your dog might be a big baby, every other big dog in the 'hood is unsocialized, neglected, and mean as hell, so they'll think the same thing about your dog and not mess with your shit.
5. Start listening to latin music--Really, really loud. You're going to be hearing a lot of it very soon, so you had better get used to it.
6. Get some windchimes, or perhaps a fountain or other water feature for your back yard, to help drown out the afore-mentioned latin music, your neighbor's incessantly barking ghetto "Rockweiller", "ghetto doorbell" (someone sitting in their car on the street honking their horn incessantly until their friend comes to the door), the frequent loud, extremely public domestic disputes from one or several of your neighbors, police sirens, police helicopters, gunshots, or the perpetual drunks on the front porch across the street.
7. Make sure you own some dark sunglasses, and wear them every time you leave the house. Makes it easier to watch the unsavory characters you inevitably encounter to see if they're selling drugs, or engaging in any other criminal activity without making it obvious you're observing them. Also helpful to get a read on the thuggish-looking kid walking towards you on the sidewalk. Gang banger, or just a fan of Allen Iverson? You be the judge.
8. Stock up on fly traps. Guaranteed one of your neighbors will fill your dumpster to the point of overflowing with dirty baby diapers and chicken bones.
9. As much as you'll eventually want to build a fifteen foot, sound-proof concrete wall topped with concertina around your house to help you block out the rest of the 'hood, city code won't allow you to. I looked into it.
10. And finally, this is a big one: If you're white, you might think you have a right to an opinion about the future of the neigborhood, but you're wrong. Only people of color and the indiginous crack-head population are entitled to an opinion. You're just an unwelcome invader.

You might live in the 'hood...

I just noticed something quite sad: Three of my "Fave 5" on my T-mobile plan are city agencies related to living in the ghetto.

If three of your "Fave 5" are the police department, graffiti removal, and neighborhood inspection services, you might live in the 'hood...

Sunflower Market is coming.... To Park Hill

Still good news for Cole, but Park Hill is the big winner here:

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_11867922

So for now, we're still stuck with the abhorrent market known as the "Down and Out Super"...

Bummer.

The bright side is I'll still be able to get my pig's feet, lengua, and Jesus Candles nearby for years to come...

Reminder: Free street trees for Cole/Whittier

Reminder: Cole, Whittier and several other surrounding Metro neighborhoods have been selected once again for free street trees from Denver Digs. How many trees can you get planted on your block? Imagine the difference they'd make. Last year a couple folks on our block got 13 trees planted. Amazing.To learn how you, or some of your neighbors can get a free street tree (or perhaps several) visit the Denver Digs website, or contact them at 303.722.6262 or info@theparkpeople.org. I'm sure they're also looking for volunteers.The deadline for submission of tree applications is March 16.

The horror!!!

Here is the awful, apocalyptic future of the Cole Neighborhood as envisioned by several "neighborhood organizers" and "activists" that lament the inevitable, cyclical change of Urban Denver.

No, they're not talking about global warming. Nope, not pollution. Nope, not crime. Tornadoes? Wrong again. Locusts? Way off!

Nope, Cole neighborhood's immaculate reputation and rich cultural history will be utterly destroyed by... White people drinking coffee!!! Oh, the horrors!!!

Run for your life!!!

"A Tree Grows In Brooklyn"

I've written here before about Denver's ubiquitous weed tree, the Ailanthus, or "ghetto palm" as it is frequently called. No smell, other than perhaps the Purina plant on a windy day, is more associated with Denver in my mind than the Ailanthus trees in flower in June. An unpleasant odor to say the least, somewhere between cat urine and b.o., it's not one of the finer points of living in urban Denver, that's for sure.

Were you aware that there was a book and movie, in wich the Ailanthus stars? Yup, "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn", about a young girl with an alcoholic father growing up in Brooklyn, takes its title from the Ailanthus tree, which is featured frequently in the story.

Well, I had heard this, but it wasn't until tonight, when the movie was broadcast on TMC, that I actually checked it out out of curiosity. I must admit, it was pretty interesting, taking place in turn-of-the-century Brooklyn. While most black-and-white films had taught me to expect cheap, unrealistic sets, portionas of the film were clearly either filmed on location, or in some other similar "period" city. The streets and brick buildings made me envision what Denver was like at that time.

I was expecting the trees to be plastic, and of some generic style (Like a maple or something). To my surprise the trees in the film looked just like Ailanthus--Talk about set authenticity! You couldn't help but recognize the thin, palm-like leaves as familiar. The girls father talks about the trees "sprouting right out of the concrete, without a reason..."--Ain't that a fact, Jack.

The only thing they didn't portray in the film--Thank goodness--Was the odor. But with spring just a couple months away, won't be long before Denver's least favorite tree will be back in business again before we know it.

"Stop picking on the white people!!!"

Or so a regular and active Hispanic attendee of the Cole Neighborhood Association meetings says from time to time. (Please note again, I do NOT represent or speak for CNA, nor am I a frequent attendee of their meetings. Again, my posts don't claim to be anything than my personal opinion)
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"Everydaylife" writes in the Denver City Data Forum: "We moved to the Cole/Whittier last year because we were looking for affordable housing close to downtown in an area that is turning around"

A reply from "Frank in Denver": "Turning around from what? Is socio-economically cleansing a neighborhood of those with less income and forcing them further out from the city core something to be proud of? What I often run into are young white couples who are very happy to say they are a part of "bringing the neighborhood back", which is in many ways a very racist perspective. Do you think everyone who lives in said area wishes for home prices to rise?"

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Anyone else catch the assumption that our friend Frank made here? Notice anywhere in Everydaylife's post where s/he says s/he's white? What, do no blacks or Hispanics move to Cole seeking affordable housing? Do no blacks or Hispanics hope the neighborhood changes from its checkered, crime-ridden past, to a cleaner, safer place to live? Wow, sounds like Frank is stereotyping here... And what would it matter if s/he was white, black, or any other race? Does a certain ethnic background allow you to have an opinion about your neighborhood, while another forbids you to?

Racism anyone?

"Kettle, it's the pot--You're black." (Pun intended)

No, of course, if anyone doesn't think Cole/Whittier is just perfect just the way it is, they simply must be an evil white person--Oh, and their opinion doesn't count. You know, those dangerous, Starbucks-wielding Caucasians. No self-respecting minority or lower income resident could ever want an affordable grocery store, more commerce within walking distance, more trees and beautification, less violence, or a safer place for their kids to live and play.

I for one would guess that "Everydaylife" is suggesting that Cole/Whittier is "turning around" because crime is decreasing, homes are getting cleaned and fixed up, and in general the area is becoming a safer place for all (white, black, Hispanic, ALL) to live.

But Cole/Whittier still have a major way to go (as evidenced by recent shootings a block from my house)--But instead of thinking about gang violence, assaults, and murders, Frank is already busy lamenting the socio-economic "cleansing" and "forcing" of lower income residents "further out from the city core".

While we're here, I do feel it's my duty to mention the fact that I'm pretty sure this neighborhood was originally Eastern-European, and Asian (I can't find a link to support this assumption, but this is what I've been told--Original Cole residents were workers brought in to build and maintain the railroad). So Frank, while you're fretting over displacement, why not shed a few tears for all the Poles and Czechs that somehow got "displaced" by the blacks and Hispanics that live here now. I'm actually part Czech--Should I start telling every black person I see that I'm pissed that they "took over the neighborhood" from my people, like somebody told my wife the white people are doing today?

Frank goes on to say "Do you think that everyone living in said area wishes for home prices to rise?"
Whoah, slow down there, Chachi. No, but I sure hear a lot of my neighbors, that have lived here for years and years and years, telling me how the neighborhood has changed for the better: That there are fewer gang-bangers and drug dealers, fewer shootings, less violence, and that they feel that the neighborhood is improving--And that they're glad about it.

Know the only person that I know that has gotten "displaced" in my 4 years here? My neighbor, a Hispanic guy that grew up in the Curtis Park projects. But it wasn't the evil Starbucks crowd that displaced him--He told me he moved out because the neighborhood hadn't changed enough yet as he thought it had when he moved in two years ago with his wife and kids. Where did he move? The Suburbs... where he didn't have to worry about shootings, gangs, and drugs.

Perhaps "Frank in Denver" should stop generalizing about what whites think and do, what the poor think and do, and actually get out "in Denver" and actually talk to some people that live in the communities in question.

I think he likely would be surprised how happy residents are about the progress the neighborhood is making, into a safer, cleaner, yet still ethnically diverse area. And how most residents, regardless of economic status, feel there is a long way to go yet. So much so that the number one reason minorities are leaving, is to find a better place to live--Not gentrification or displacement.

Will you find some that are fearful of gentrification? Sure, you will. But these same people are already reaping the benefits of the improvement in the area, whether they've realized it or not. Oh, and the "new neighbors" (as some "old neighbors" call the newer white residents) are responsible for a lot of it: As the Hispanic resident I mentioned first in this post said at one meeting, "It's the white people that clean up the trash... that plant trees... and clean up the graffiti..."

With vacant housing abundant in Cole, crime still a regular occurrence, and folks leaving not because they're being forced out, but because they seek a cleaner, safer neighborhood, perhaps we can stop beating up on the white people about gentrification for a while.

Playing Operator in Cole--With Very Negative Consequences

Remember that game you played in school where you whispered a phrase into someone's ear, and they whispered it in someone else's, and so on and so forth around the room, until it came back to you, inevitably altered beyond belief? What was it called... Operator?

Tonight there was some hubbub at the Down-and-Out (Downing) Super that drew about six police cars, an ambulance, and a fire truck. I thought it was an accident, and didn't think much of it. When after almost an hour there were still officers there, and police tape up, I decided to see what was happening.

I decided to walk the dogs to have a legitimate reason to walk by the scene. The minute I exited my house, our neighbor, a 18-year-old long-time neighborhood resident, known for being the block gossip and exaggerator, called to me.

"You hear what happened? They robbed the liquor store. Somebody got shot!" As much as I should know better than believe her, I thought, crap, that's going to suck, if there was just a shooting on our block.

Who are they you ask? Well, Them, of course.

She was already on her cell phone calling all her friends to share the "news" as I walked away and towards two of the police cars blockading the street. As I approached the car, I asked the officers what just had happened.

"Oh, it was an Ag Assault. Two homeless guys got in a fight."

I asked, "Is everyone OK?"

"Yes."

"So there was no robbery, or shooting?"

The officer laughed. "Nope..."

I laughed as well. "Can't wait to share this with my neighbor. She told me there was a robbery and shooting at the liquor store."

He laughed again. "Nope..."

So in under 1/2 hour, two homeless guys in a fight (or some other weapon) was transformed into "They (again, who are they? Them, of course) robbed the liquor store, and somebody got shot". Who knows what the story will be tomorrow, or next week?

Why do I care? Well, this neighbor was the same person that told us the other day that "The Police Are Being Racial Again..." after a traffic stop on our block. She claimed that an innocent Hispanic family, including a pregnant woman, were stopped, yanked from their car, hand-cuffed, and thrown down on the sidewalk, face down. Of course, they were completely innocent and were only pulled over because they were Hispanic. She also claimed that when one of our neighbors came out with a camera to film the event, the police aggressively grabbed it from her and broke it.

How many people has she shared that likely gross distortion of facts with? Any wonder why some minority residents still think the police are out to get them? Or why so many people still feel that Cole is an unsafe place to live? We have enough of a challenge changing perceptions in Cole, without someone undoing all our progress by being careless with the facts, in the interest of being an expert or sounding cool with your friends.

Newsflash: Blackberries and Club Dynasty Out, Kiva Coming Back

Just got word from a friend involved in the leadership of one of the neighborhood associations and it sounds like Blackberries and Club Dynasty are out at the old Tosh's building on Downing Street. Can't say I didn't expect this. My best guess was that they would go out of business before February.

More interesting, is it sounds like Kiva is coming back... with some scaled back hours, but with pretty much the same concept, menu, etc.

I know I've been a bit hard on Kiva previously, but I think this is great news. Especially after seeing what other enterprises could occupy that building, I am pretty thrilled that Kiva will be back, and wish them the best.

I also hope that they learned from some of their shortcomings so that they will be here to stay with some better menu items, and a sustainable business plan.

Welcome back Kiva Restaurant!

Denver Digs Free Street Trees for 2009

Cole, Whittier and several other surrounding Metro neighborhoods have been selected once again for free street trees from Denver Digs.

No secret why planting more trees in our largely barren 'hood just makes sense. Beautification, shade, or even just blocking your view of the crackhouse across the street.

How many trees can you get planted on your block? Imagine the difference they'd make. Last year a couple folks on our block got 13 trees planted. Amazing.

To learn how you, or some of your neighbors can get a free street tree (or perhaps several) visit the Denver Digs website, or contact them at 303.722.6262 or info@theparkpeople.org. I'm sure they're also looking for volunteers.

The deadline for submission of tree applications is March 16.

Los Angeles Times: Graffiti study bolsters 'broken windows' theory

I came across an interesting article that adds newfound support to the "Broken Windows" theory of law enforcement. In all reality, while some local activists argue otherwise, the Denver Police Department practices a multi-pronged aproach in Cole that at best loosely borrows select elements from Broken Windows (CompStat resource allocation and an emphasis on graffiti abatement, for example).

Where I think the article is most relevant to Cole, is in illustrating what I have said all along--Basically, that disorder (trash, graffiti, public drunkenness, unkempt businesses and properties) breeds disorder, by reducing the instinct to "act in a socially responsible manner" as they put it--I think many residents look around at the trash and graffiti in our neighborhood and think "No one else cares about this neighborhood, why should I?" Keeping our neighborhood free of trash and graffiti just makes sense.

I also find the comment by Bernard Harcourt, a long-time critic of Broken Windows, downright shocking in how it minimizes the severity of such crimes as vandalism and theft. While Harcourt suggests we "don't care about those kinds of trivial... acts," I for one do care about them, and will do whatever is in my power to reduce their occurrence in Cole--Whether one believes in the tie-in between disorder and more serious crimes like assault and murder or not, I would hope they would agree with me on that point at least.

But enough from me, here is the article:
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In a series of real-world experiments, people exposed to graffiti, litter and other cues of lawlessness were more likely to commit small crimes, according to a study published today that bolsters the controversial "broken windows" theory of policing.The idea is that low-level offenses like vandalism and panhandling create an environment that breeds bigger crimes. According to the theory, authorities can help head off serious violence by keeping minor infractions in check.
Dutch researchers tested the psychological underpinnings of the theory and found that signs of social disorder damped people's impulse to act for the good of the community, allowing selfish and greedy instincts to take over. The results appear in the journal Science.Community policing strategies based on the "broken windows" theory have taken root in cities across the U.S. and around the world since it was proposed in 1982. Most famously, New York City saw a 50% reduction in crime in the 1990s after then-Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and then-Police Commissioner William J. Bratton -- now head of the Los Angeles Police Department -- cracked down on squeegee-wielding panhandlers and the like. They credited the "broken windows" approach for their success.
An array of social scientists examined the city's crime statistics, and many of them concluded that factors like the booming economy and decline of crack cocaine were actually responsible for the dramatic improvement.Kees Keizer, a graduate student at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, thought psychology and sociology could add to the debate. Human behavior is influenced by three competing instincts: to act in a socially appropriate manner, to do what feels good in the moment and to maximize one's resources. Keizer predicted that when there's less motivation to be socially appropriate, the other two impulses would take over.To test this, he attached fliers for a fake sportswear store to the handlebars of bicycles parked in a shopping area. With no trash can nearby, shoppers returning to their bikes could either take the fliers with them or litter.A wall near the bicycles had a sign indicating that graffiti was forbidden. When the wall was indeed graffiti-free, 33% of people left the fliers on the ground or attached them to other bikes. After Keizer painted graffiti on the wall, the percentage of litterers rose to 69%. Keizer said littering jumped because the socially appropriate instinct -- to deposit the flier in a trash can -- was overtaken by the feel-good instinct to let someone else throw it away.In other experiments, the presence of four shopping carts strewn about a parking lot in violation of posted signs boosted the percentage of people who littered to 58%, from 30%. The sound of illegal fireworks increased the percentage of litterbugs near a busy train station to 80%, from 52%.To see whether social disorder would induce citizens to steal, Keizer left an envelope containing 5 euros (about $6.26) hanging conspicuously from a mailbox. When the mailbox was clean, 13% of passersby stole the envelope. When the mailbox was surrounded by trash, the percentage jumped to 25%, and when the mailbox was covered in graffiti, it rose to 27%. "It is quite shocking that the mere presence of litter resulted in a doubling of the number of people stealing," Keizer said. James Q. Wilson, the political scientist who developed the "broken windows" theory with George L. Kelling, said the Netherlands experiments bolstered his hypothesis."If public authorities worry about order, it affects the way people behave," said Wilson, now the Ronald Reagan Professor of Public Policy at Pepperdine University in Malibu. But Bernard Harcourt, a professor of law and criminology at the University of Chicago who has done studies debunking "broken windows," said Keizer's scenarios were too quaint to take seriously."We don't care about those kinds of trivial, manipulated delinquent acts," he said. "What we care about is violence."

See the article in its entirety here: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-graffiti21-2008nov21,0,3090727.story

Cole Resident Sandy Douglas Recognized as one of "Denver's 150 Unsung Heroes"

From the Rocky Mountain News:

Sandy Douglas

The 24-year Cole neighborhood resident helped found its neighborhood association in 1999 and was integral in getting the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up contamination caused by old smelting plants in the Cole, Clayton and Elyria Swansea neighborhoods under the Superfund program.
Douglas was instrumental in launching the Central Denver Community Court and in developing the concept of restorative justice for youth offenders. For the duration of the court's existence, from 2003 to 2007, she managed the Youth Opportunity and Community Advocacy programs. Douglas also operates the Youth Development Partnership, a mentoring and leadership program, out of her home.
Douglas is also the outreach coordinator for the Denver Art Museum, connecting with underserved communities.

Congrats, Sandy, and thank you for all your hard work on behalf of North East Denver, and Cole.

Effective Policing, or Racial Profiling?

http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/article.php?aID=2543

Matthews Center Controversy Makes The News

http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/article.php?aID=2344

Another house improving on the block?

Workers just spent the weekend putting a fresh coat of paint on one of the remaining "problem houses" on our block. The owner of the home is trying to sell the house, in an obviously challenging market.

The paint job was much needed--Here's hoping it helps him sell the place to some responsible home-0wners that are yet another brick in the increasingly solid foundation of our neighborhood.

For those of you keeping score, that is five houses and a duplex that have been fixed up on our block since we moved to Cole in fall of '05... Very encouraging!

Just what we need... another homeless shelter...

Anyone else out there think Cole, Whittier, Five Points, Curtis Park, etc., have done our share in terms of hosting social services facilities? Anyone else think it's time they start building these facilities, though important, somewhere else in Denver?

Anyone out there aware of the Bo Matthews Center project to build a large residential facility for the homeless and ex-cons in our neighborhood?

You're likely not, because they (and the city) have been working on this project since last summer, without actively involving those that will be affected most by the project--The residents.

While it's true that the Bo Matthews Center is already operating social services at the site, (ex-con transition programs, I think, and transitional residences, I think) and they claim they will just be able to better house and serve the existing "customers" but won't be increasing the scope of their operations, in my opinion building a fancy new facility will just mean they'll be here forever--When I am hoping to see facilities like this begin to disappear as the neighborhood continues to change.

It's still a bit fuzzy what exactly happened--But it sounds like The Matthews Center was awarded approval for city funding last summer to build a 28- to 30-unit residential facility for the homeless and ex-cons, where their current center is at 3030 Downing. The facility currently has housing for veterans and recent releases from the department of corrections. This project allows them to build a proposed three story building at Downing and MLK--And better yet, with $$$ from the city!!!

How is this going to affect the revitalization of the Downing corridor? Think it will attract new businesses and residents? Yeah, right.

I attended a public meeting with the organization this past Saturday, and it was quite heated. Why? Because the vast majority of the folks in the room seem clear that nothing short of a net decrease in these types of facilities will be progress in the area. This are has long been the "dumping ground" for social services, and I have to say, I was excited to hear that I wasn't the only one that says ENOUGH.

The good news is that it sounds like they need to get a signed neighborhood agreement in order to obtain the city funding--Which at this point I don't know if they'll get. Additionally, I'm happy to say that it appears that our city Councilwoman Carla Madison didn't initially sign the approval for this property when it came up for discussion. Additionally, she has made it clear that she too opposes any new social services coming to her district.

Why we didn't hear about this sooner is still a mystery...

Want more information on the project?

matthewscenter@msn.com

And be sure to voice your opinion on the topic to our City Councilwoman, Carla Madison:

carla.madison@denvergov.org

And finally, be sure to contact the leaders of your neighborhood association to be involved in any future meetings...

Not just Blackberries, "Club Dynasty"?

Just found an article by Westword on the business(es) going in at the "old" Kiva and Tosh's building on Downing Street:

http://blogs.westword.com/cafesociety/2008/10/from_toshs_hacienda_to_kiva_to.php

Interesting doesn't do it justice...

Also a good history of the building...

Kiva Restaurant is now Blackberries Bar and Grill

A friend stopped by our house today mentioning that he thought he saw some new "happy hour 4-7" signs on Kiva's building.

Wondering what the heck was going on, I headed over there tonight--To find the parking lot packed (at least Kiva packed). Bass rattled the windows of the normally serene Kiva dining room--And it was only 6PM. Yup, something had changed.

Still Kiva signs outside, but when you walk into their foyer, you see a "Blackberies Bar and Grill" menu where there used to be a Kiva one. Walk up the stairs, and you're greeted with a strobe light and a dance floor where the Kiva dining room once was. I bore right (as usual at Kiva) and headed for the bar.

Again, pretty crowded (at least Kiva crowded) and really, really loud (just like Kiva, turn the freakin' music down a little bit!!!) Sat at the bar and after a couple minutes began chatting with Deidre, the bartender.

Turns out Marty, the owner of Kiva (and Exdo), as I had heard he hoped to, had sold the building. Voila! No more Kiva, but something (potentially) better (we'll wait and see). Had no idea things would move this fast. Turns out tonight was their first night open.

Interesting menu--Bar food: Chicken fingers, Shrimp Tempura, Wings, etc., etc. A couple salads. Burgers. Fajitas. We'll wait and see what the final menu is like and how the food quality is.

I ordered tempura shrimp, but then learned they hadn't prepped any. So, Deidre offered me a free order of calamari. Though, OK, I guess...

It was a bit of a wait, but heck--First night, of course they're figuring things out--the calamari came out piping hot, of adequate quality (especially for their first try) and the marinara sauce on the side tasted above grade for what you typically get at bars, with a nice garlicky bite.

I left after that point, around 6:30 PM. Wondered how dead the place was going to get once the cheap drinks expired at 7PM.

Interesting to see what happens with this place. They're affiliated with Blackberries Coffee over on Welton. Have heard lukewarm things about that place, but never went there myself so don't know if that place was any good.

They're clearly ambitious, like Kiva--Open 10:30 AM every morning, and it appears they're going to try to attract a late night crowd with the dance floor. In Cole? Good luck...

Happy hour is decent. $2 domestics; $3 wine and wells, $5 Long Islands. Will have to see how the food quality stacks up, the service is, and of course, how deep the owners' pockets are to weather the storm necessary to get some momentum and profitability here.

Will I go back? Heck yes. We need businesses like this here. I'll give them my business and loyalty just like I did Kiva. Here's hoping their vision, and their sustainability eclipses that of their predecessors.

Please--Give 'em a try, and tell your friends of our newest local restaurant.

Just an observation...

Anyone else notice that the same locals here that can't afford a lawnmower to keep the weeds down, can't afford water to keep their trees from dying, and that don't care that their home is in a perpetua state of deterioration, can find money to pimp out their homes extravagantly for Halloween?