New Downtown Bar

[Towntalk]

Could be.
I'll tell you what, bring in a new bar in every empty storefront downtown ... fill 'em all up, because I personally don't care any more. You young people think that bars are the answer to the city's economic woes, fine, think away, again because I simply don't care what happens to downtown Youngstown any more. I'm tired, and too old to care about anything outside my immediate area. You want people to move downtown, but would force them to do all their shopping in Boardman or Liberty, fine. If that's your idea of progress, fine. As far as I'm concerned at this point in time downtown Youngstown can go back to being a ghost town for all I care.

[Towntalk]

I don't consider Overture etc. as saloons heck, I enjoy a glass of good wine with my meals, but hate beer because to me it tastes like P (you apply the word that you think fits it.). Also, I enjoy restaurants that have music playing in the background provided it's not RR; hippity hop etc. When I'm having my supper, I have music from my library playing softly in the background and find it good for the digestion.
As far as night clubs are concerned, I'll bet that if a real night club were to open downtown that it would be a smash hit with the professionals that work downtown.
By the way I'm sending you a private message, and while I know that it's not your cup of tea please watch with an open mind and heart.

[northside lurker]

Thanks for the kind words, TT.

You should start cheering because, as far as I'm concerned, most of the establishments downtown fit--more or less--the description you're talking about.  "Top shelf" entertainment is too subjective, and the dancing would be more common in the night clubs.  Again, as far as I'm concerned, most establishments downtown are restaurants that serve alcohol, and the actual bars are more rare than some on here would have you believe.

The Draught House is a bar, Liquid Blue is a bar/nightclub, Imbibe is a bar, (that specialized in martinis/cocktails) 9ine is a bar/nightclub, and Warehouse 50 might be a bar. (I believe they serve lunch, but I haven't gotten around to trying them out, yet)

Suzie's, V2, Martini Bros., O'Donald's, Avalon, Los Gallos, Overture, and Roberto's are restaurants that serve alcohol.  See the difference?

[Peggy Gurney]

If, by "saloon," you mean any establishment that serves alcohol, (which seems to be the definition of saloon, in this thread) then I would have no problem with two "saloons" on every block.

They can't do that if they honestly want a family-friendly downtown, which they claim to want.

[Towntalk]

My friend your name could be supercalifragilisticexpilidiocious for all I care but I would still praise you up, down, in, out and sideways for your wonderful talents as a photographer.
As to saloons (bars; beer gardens; pubs; watering holes) are concerned sure, I do bash them as you well know. Now if they were more along the lines of some of the bars that flourished here during the '30's and '40's that served food and had live floor shows and dancing then I might not be so obstinate about my displeasure because thenthey would be serving a useful purpose other than to just get people pie-eyed drunk. You are a mite too young to remember but back in the day, there was anight club on Salt Springs Road called the Club Merry-Go-Round that brought in great singers and bands (top shelf stuff) had great food and a family friendly atmosphere. Now that's something that I could really cheer from atop of the Central Tower till the cows came home.

[northside lurker]

To my friend of long standing:
There was a time in our downtown's history when there were at least two saloons on every block downtown, so would it make you happy if that would happen again? Just think of it booze joints as far as the eye can see and the nose can smell. "How dry I am, how dry I am (hic) no body knows, how dry I am (hic)."

If, by "saloon," you mean any establishment that serves alcohol, (which seems to be the definition of saloon, in this thread) then I would have no problem with two "saloons" on every block.  I mean sure, maybe we don't want to sink to Boardman's level, but the type of establishments opening downtown, are what the market demands.

BTW, despite my username, I'm a north sider now.

[Towntalk]

I wonder how the west siders would feel about some grey haired old lady walking down the street using her walker to hobble along ... would she conform to the ideal west sider? Or some blind old dude with his service dog trying to get a take-out order at one of those fancy west side restaurants?

[AllanY2525]

I agree with Peggy, Town talk:


Rount #224 = larger area, major thorofare, more volume of people passing through - which could sustain
more bars and clubs and spread them out to avoid a concentration of these in a smaller area like that of
downtown.

[Towntalk]

They are snooty buggers so they are.

[Peggy Gurney]

What about setting up those beer gardens on the West Side on Mahoning Avenue? The Garden District could stand several saloons, a couple of hock shops, and a mission for down and out drunks wouldn't go amiss.

ah but see now, they don't permit bars,  hock shops, thrift stores, etc within a certain distance of each other.
For appearances sake.

[Towntalk]

What about setting up those beer gardens on the West Side on Mahoning Avenue? The Garden District could stand several saloons, a couple of hock shops, and a mission for down and out drunks wouldn't go amiss.

[Peggy Gurney]

Why is it that downtown is held to such a high standard, regarding "bars?"  A place called Texas Roadhouse recently opened on 224 in Boardman.  They serve alcohol, yet I read no bellyaching about it here...

Nor should there be any bellyaching about it.  Other than the fact that with the rare exception there are not many bars within 2 storefronts of each other, or on every other corner, the fact is, the 224 corridor is a wide open space.  Downtown is not. It is compact, and most everything is within walking distance of less than 10 minutes. Really, just how many bars does a space like that really need? Or want?


They're trying to attract businesses downtown. They're trying to attract people to rent apartments downtown.
They're trying to attract families to visit downtown (Oh WOW!, Touch the Moon Candy Saloon, among other attractions). You keep bringing more bars in, and you'll see Oh WOW close up or move out of downtown, because fewer parents will want to take their kids downtown.

[Towntalk]

Well said!

[Peggy Gurney]

And with a bar on every other street corner come the unsavory element, the drunken brawls, the rapes and murders, etc etc etc.
They have a nice selection of lounges and bars downtown as it is. When is enough enough?
After many many years, people finally feel safe going downtown, both day and night.  I would think they would want to keep it that way.

[Towntalk]

To my friend of long standing:
There was a time in our downtown's history when there were at least two saloons on every block downtown, so would it make you happy if that would happen again? Just think of it booze joints as far as the eye can see and the nose can smell. "How dry I am, how dry I am (hic) no body knows, how dry I am (hic)."