GROUND FLOOR RETAIL

Retail doors are opening in Springfield. Records, books, bikes, skates, art, films, artfilms, special events, etc will be featured in the city's best retail location. Ever. Tons of parking. Independent music store Inertia will be the anchor tenant.

We'll be open as soon as possible but dates have not been announced.

The Buyers Market Lodge (working title) will also have retail products including bikes, art, records, a possible news stand. The Lodge is in whats now known as Frank Darty Auto Sales. Its got an American Flag pasted to it. It is between Springfield Station and Chans on Main Street, in Historic Springfield. Our alley leads directly to a pub called Shanty Town.

Nearly unlimited parking.

The chiefs are Biggie Tea, Triclops, and Josh. If you are interested in showcasing your creative product in our space, let us know.

This project is only possible because of benevolent landlord Mack Bissette of SRG Homes and Neighborhoods. Thanks Mack!

Speaking of SRG, here is an interesting note from the Daily Record.

According to real estate analyst Ray Rodriguez of the Real Estate Strategy Center of North Florida, Inc., the best performing submarket in the area this year so far is Springfield, where home prices are up 22 percent over last year. The worst is San Marco, where home prices have dropped 25 percent.

Have a great long weekend.

Life is short. Make it count.

photo sarahg

There is an opening for the retrospective for art professor Brad Silverstein tonight at JU.

From Urban Jacksonville:

Brad Silverstein Retrospective
Thursday, August 30th, 5 to 7 p.m.
Alexander Brest Museum and Gallery on the JU Campus
The show runs through Wednesday, Sept. 26. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

I met Brad at the opening pictured above (Digital to Physical).

I remember the conversations. He was encouraging about the show (it was great) and even though Byron and I felt like there were more cops than patrons there he was enthused that this sort of thing was going on in this city.

I will only be at the opening in spirit, but I can't wait to see it.

Rest in Peace.

Lord People

Ok. I don't do corrections I don't allow comments.

Not ever. No way. NOT WORK SAFE.

Yes this will probably cost me five figures when Blogsolidation comes with an oversized check to my door. Still who has time to click spell check.

And apparently Poison and Ratt qualifies as something to do on Sunday. You people email me like it was Maiden and Priest or something.

Oh and I have the story of the year. Tomorrow.

Bearsk.

OFF THE COUCH, ON THE GRID

TONIGHT-

This is the only NFL game this season where you are guranteed that every player on the field is giving it their all. Because they are literally playing for thier careers. Go Jags.




FRIDAY-

Two great shows. Very close to eachother. Make a night of it.




And just up the block, Portent.



SATURDAY-



SUNDAY-

No soccer, so here you go. Relax, watch from home.



You love the song. Admit it.

MONDAY-

Its labor day. Throw on the slippers and undershirt and crack open a cold Miller High Life.



Step aside Mon Ami.

This campaign is brilliant. The only problem is the last line. Mess with the Miller High Life and it will mess with you. A real adman wouldn't give us that reminder. Burp.

Rest up.

FULL SCHEDULE COMING SOON


There is something going on.

Canvas IV - MUSIC IS MODERN ART. YO.

DEFEND NEW ORLEANS

Defend New Orleans.

Oh my.

Always something there to remind me.

fake iphone. I forgot where I got it.

They had this quote on some literature I picked up at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville:

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask a creative person how they did something, they may feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after awhile. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or have thought more about their experiences than other people have. Unfortunately, that’s too rare a commodity. A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. They don’t have enough dots to connect, and they en up with very linear solutions, without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better designs we will have.”

– Steve Jobs

That quote reminded me of this one:

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." - Mark Twain

And then this morning I got a great email from Jacksonville's favorite nomad, Keith. I love being reminded that there are people out there who could care less about American Idol. Here is the latest from Keith:

Shalom!

I figured I needed to sit down and write an email about what the past week has been like for me. I arrived. I am in Israel. After spending the summer in Korea, Japan and a few day stop over in Thailand, I made it to my new home (for at least 2 years, anyway). There seems to be a lot of emotions with me living here. Some people are afraid for me, some people are excited. Some people want to come visit, while others are just happy with emails like this explaining what I'm seeing.

When I got accepted into the program, I have to admit I was confused. I wasn't sure if I should be living here or not. I met a lot of resistance from people. I know all of it was out of concern. Everyone who had never really lived abroad or traveled abroad told me I was nuts to come live over here. But when I spoke with people who had lived here, or even visited, they only had positive things to say with no hesitation in their voices. Being a man of experience, I put my faith in those people who had experienced life over here.

I flew from Bangkok to Tel Aviv. I left at midnight of the 18th of August. Flying El Al Airlines was a bit different from other airlines. Before you even get to the check-in counter, they have pre-screening security. First of all, I don't have a student visa yet. I was told to tell immigration that I am coming as a tourist, as Americans get 90 days free. Only traveling with a backpack and small canvas bag, with no ticket out of the country, staying with people I met through www.couchsurfing.com, and looking like a bum, security stopped me. They pulled me aside, and the security agent called over his supervisor. They asked me questions about the holidays, which I had no idea. They drilled me about family in Israel, what I was going to do while there, etc. Then the supervisor called his supervisor. I had to wait for him to show up, and when he got there he furthered the inquisition, asking me if I remembered my torah portion from my bar mitzvah. Finally, they let me check in, but not before they told me to go directly to the gate. There was another security checkpoint I had to go through before getting on the plane.

While walking to the gate, heading to the bathroom, and stopping at a money changer, I felt so paranoid like they were watching me. I'm sure this isn't true, but the security measures I had to go through up to this point put me on edge. At the gate, they took my boarding pass and sent me down the steps into a private room. Waiting in the room were Chinese, Indians and other ethnicities...and yours truly. They took my belongings to another room without me. They had me empty my pockets and swabbed and scanned the contents. They did a body search (nothing naked or inappropriate). Then they X-rayed my shoes and belongings. Someone opened a door, and I could see my checked luggage next to my carry-on bag, with everything laid out on a table. To tell you the truth, apart form that being a pain in the ass, I felt good to know that this was the type of security screening they did to get onto the airplane.

I arrived at 7:30 a.m.on the 19th. When the plane landed, most people on the airplane cheered. I wasn't sure if it was because everyone was so happy to be in Israel or because we arrived safely. I assumed it was because they love Israel so much they were happy to be home, but cheering upon arrival was a new experience for me. I sat next to an Indian man of the Baha'i faith. He was in the gem business. It must be a pretty big business in Israel. Even in the in-flight magazine they showed the latest diamond bag transportation bag that goes under your clothes. He was a good guy, and told me not to take a taxi to the university. A train goes straight from the airport to the university. They also harassed him at security too.

At immigration they pulled me aside. I had to go to a special office, and prove my case again. I showed credit cards, told them I was thinking about staying and studying Hebrew, that I was Jewish, etc. They offered an option to have a paper visa stapled into my passport rather than a stamp. I opted for the stamp.

Got my bags, changed some money, got a tourist map of Tel Aviv, and got onto the train. Waiting in line to buy my ticket for the train, I turned around. There was a cute girl in her army uniform. She was tall with long, blond hair and slung over her shoulder was a semi-automatic rifle. Welcome to Israel!

The week runs a bit different in Israel. Sunday is the beginning of the week, and Friday and Saturday is the weekend. I arrived on a Sunday morning. At the time I didn't realize it, but Sunday morning is when a lot of the soldiers go back to their posts. The train was full of soldiers. At one station, a black soldier got onto the train. I had almost forgot about the large Ethiopian Jewish population that lives in Israel. It really opened me to think about black Jews living here, defending this country. I've learned over the past week that our paradigm of what Jewish is is very limited. Israel may be a mostly Jewish state, but it is FAR from homogeneous. It might be one of the most diverse places I have ever been to (barring New York). There are Yemens, Iraqis, Polish, Ethiopians, Argentinians, Brazlians, Germans, Brits, French, Moroccans, Spanish, Italian, etc. The idea we have in our minds in America about what Jewish is, is far from the truth. The typical "Seinfeld" Jew we know in the states is called the "Polish" Jew in Israel. Jewish food I grew up eating as a child isn't Jewish at all. It's Ashekenazi Jewish food, or to be more direct, it's Polish or Russian. This really shocked me. The things I thought were "Jewish," aren't at all.

It's interesting to be out, and hear so many different languages being spoken. Most everyone speaks Hebrew and English, but everyday I hear Russian, French, Portuguese, and other languages. The city is only 88 sq. km, but there is so much happening here.

I took the train to the university, and my orientation started at 10 a.m. I made it early, so I cleaned myself up in the bathroom, brushed my teeth, put on deodorant and changed my shirt. The illusion of clean. Every morning I have been meeting with my fellow graduate students. We meet everyday and discuss different aspects of living in Tel Aviv, from finding apartments, to neighborhoods, how to open a bank account, how banking is different in Israel, how to get a cell phone, etc. I have a phone. If someone wants to call, my number is +972 54 739 2414. I opened a bank account. If anyone is interested in depositing money into the account, I can get you all the information you need. hehehehehe.

I found a great couple to couch surf with. Her ethnicity is Yemen and his is Polish. They gave me a key to the apartment the first day I was there, and have been overly hospitable, cooking food for me, taking me out to different places around the city.. A few nights we have sat on the roof, drinking beers, smoking tobacco from the hookah. Their view of the city is gorgeous. Every night different friends come over. Haven't met a bad person yet.

Maybe it's me, but I can't find bad people here. Yesterday I walked into an organic food store (I am so happy to be living in a place with organic food stores again!). Talked to a guy who happened to be married to an Argentinian woman, plays music, and an overall nice human being. He showed me a great bike shop, introduced me to the shop guys, and they gave me an EXCELLENT price on a bike. I met a girl who plays bass professionally with a famous Jewish singer. She is also a Reiki practitioner. Through my friend Sid, I met Uri online, and he introduced me to his friend Erez. He just opened up his couch to me yesterday. It's a LARGE 3 bedroom apartment. He gave me the keys. Erez is interested in spirituality, Chinese medicine and the arts in Tel Aviv. I met another girl through my parent's friends' sister. She has been helping me look for apartments and invited me to see some underground theater. I met an Italian traveler who speaks 7 languages, getting his master's degree in translation. Then there was Dan, the record store owner who gave me the low-down on what bars are good for what scenes. He said he might even be able to put me in touch with some people who might be interested in helping me bring some music groups into Israel. The list goes on and on. I'm so happy to be able to find amazing people. It has definitely made settling into the city much easier.

The program has 20 students. I am one of three 28-year olds. We are the oldest in class, and also the only ones with teaching experience. Tomorrow, all of us will find out where we will be teaching for the next 2 years. I think they are going to put me into a high level middle school. There are two cities participating in this program. One is, obviously, Tel Aviv, and the other is a city called Rishon LeZion. I hope I will be in Tel Aviv so I can get a lot of use out of my bicycle.

I will be teaching 3 days a week, having university classes 2 days a week, and going to Hebrew academy 2 nights a week. I want to take the language very serious. Nearly everyone speaks English in Tel Aviv (Probably all of Israel), but it would be nice to come away from here after 2 years speaking another language. This is the perfect opportunity to learn Hebrew, and I don't want to waste it. It's not the most practical language to learn for communication, but it is exercising my brain in another language. I've already purchased 2 books, and started making flash cards to study.

The food has been far better than my expectations. I haven't had a bad meal yet. Hummus, Falafel, Salads, malawach, Vegetable wraps, and all the small ethnic food shops everywhere. In Asia, it is difficult to be a vegetarian. I started eating meat in Asia, but in Israel I've been thinking about leaning towards a more vegetarian diet. It's been a week, and haven't eaten a piece of meat. And I haven't even been trying to stay away from meat.

Some interesting things about the culture here:

Titles aren't really used. Everyone just uses a person's first name. So there is no "Doctor," "Mayor," "Teacher," "Sir," "Madame," "Ms," etc. People just use their first names. The only difference is that in the military you wouldn't call your superior his/her first name. At least not at first, and then many people in the military call each other by their last name.

Since the language of Hebrew is written from right to left, staples are put into the top right of the paper. That blew my mind. I was opening a bank account and saw the guy staple my papers on the right. I laughed. I never, ever thought about the implications of staples from a language that is written from right to left.

That being said, CDs are also packaged the other way around. Interesting......

Also, they have cages set up all over the city for plastic bottle recycling. The cages have openings just big enough to fit plastic bottles. It's nice to see a city recycling like that.

Tel Aviv sits right next to the Mediterranean. It's amazing. Everywhere in the city is walking distance to the beach. I went swimming a couple times already. One of those times was at night. Nigh time swimming is always fun. The water is so clear and warm right now. Once I get a bicycle,, one of my ideas is to wake up early and go for a swim before I start my day.

Another thing I have been learning about is how the military works. I've still got a loooooong way to go on this subject, but someone I was talking with was explaining something to me. His feeling, is that the Israeli army isn't an independent army. Whatever the U.S. army wants the Israeli army to do, it does. So if America wants to send a message to Syria (Iran's puppet, apparently), the US can have the Israeli army do it. I just don't quite understand where one army begins and one army ends. The US gives equipment and money to run the Israeli army. It resembles a platoon of the US army, and not an army of a sovereign nation. Interesting way to consider it.

Also, he was explaining to me that the day after the country was founded, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan attacked. Israel defended itself against the aggression. In the beginning of the country, the people arriving were welcomed, and then handed guns to go defend the country. It's pretty impressive to think about where they are now since 1948.

There is so much I don't understand. Language, food, many, many cultures, politics, education....the list goes on and on. For me the only thing I really seem to love to do is have my mind expanded. Art, books, movies are great. Drugs are always fun. But traveling seems to be the best way to make my mind grow. Every time it changes it gives me a new perspective to see the world and myself in it. Israel is a tough place to be because the people can be gruff, the climate is extremely hot (it is a desert), and the political situation can be unstable. But I'm here to experience everything.

I hope this answers some questions, raises some different ones and lets everyone I love know how I'm doing.

Hope everyone is doing well.....

Keith

And with that I should give a shout out to Nona and girls in Italia! Bring me a jersey!

BEER ROOM

I was talking to some new friends today about City Market. Yes its still happening. Yes it will take forever. 2008 looks great but hey 2009 looks fine. I know, I know there are good rhymes for 2007 but that aint happening.

At lunch someone asked if it was going to be like Whole Foods. I wish. Well maybe a mini-version. We are still working out the plan, interviewing vendors, and generally conducting research. Here is some of what we have planned. It will have cafe tables all up and down the Ocean Street entrance. It will have a deli-centric counter where you can order among other things, salads, cheeses, specialty meats, prepared foods, platters, lunch, etc. It will have local foods both produce and otherwise.

We'll have beer. Lots of beer. Specialty and imports from here and abroad. Just kidding. Which reminded me of Whole Foods in the Bowery NYC. The whole reason I wrote this. It is freaking beer Mecca. Wait, that is probably not appropriate. Beer ValHalla, lets go with.

They have beers by the hundreds and beers by the growler. A growler is a big 64 oz beer your beermeister fills up for you to take away and enjoy. SOLID. You can get them at a lot of microbrewerys such as Goose Island Chicago.

Check out more about the Whole Foods Beer Room here. But be warned. It will make you thirsty.

Look for more updates about City Market in the upcoming weeks. If you have any suggestions send them on.

THIS FRIDAY

This Friday is the Inaugural Exhibition


"Pedestrian Projects Inc. is delighted to present its inaugural exhibition, "Portent, I Said Portent". The show features artists Byron King, James Greene, Brittni Wood, Mark Creegan, and Kurt Polkey, and will include painting, sculpture, drawing, installation, and photography.

7pm Friday, August 31st Opening Reception

Location:
1535 San Marco Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32207.

Email:
PedestrianProjects (at) comcast.net

FREE THE BEAVER

Northbank Hard

Couldn't leave you for the weekend without lightening it up a little bit.

This one goes out to my boy Logan and the minoots.

BRT UPDATE

Lakelander wrote the JTA/BRT update I credited Ocklawaha for below. He later updated some of the questions he asked the consultants about downtown specifically:

Btw, consultants did give us an update on their plans for downtown. Due to the concern about BRT on Adams, JTA will:

1. Purchase or make arrangements in existing garages to supply the parallel parking spaces that will be lost directly in front of the businesses.

reality: Its still a net loss of parking spaces and the convience of potentially parking directly in front or nearby businesses is completely eliminated.

2. Use only low emission buses on Adams.

Reality: After a year of direct protests and numerous negative examples of bus transit malls provided by Metro Jacksonville, JTA still can't produce one successful example of what they are planning to run down Adams Street. Emissions aside, buses traveling at 30-35 mph are not conductive to a sidewalk environment with outdoor cafes and seating areas.

Furthermore, if this becomes the consolidated east-west busway, how can a promise be made to use only low emission buses on it? What's going to happen with the existing fleet? Financially, there's no way JTA can afford to replace the entire thing or even half of the buses within two or three years (they hope downtown BRT is up and running around 2009/2010).
3. Instead of one bus for every 90 seconds, there will be one bus for every five minutes.

Reality: Wasn't the excuse of not being able to use State & Union was because they were too busy? With the terminal being located there now, isn't the amount of buses already traveling on these streets within range of a bus every five minutes or so? If so, with that transit station in place and the connection to the skyway, why change the route to the detriment of the downtown core?

Last, but not least, this is the same group that claimed in 1989 the skyway would average 10,000 riders a day on the link between Central Station and the Prime Osborn. 18 years later, the entire system averages less than 4,000 riders a day.

Riderless Express
http://www.lava.net/cslater/Jacksfla.htm

For more info head straight to the source.

WHO IS BUYING THE BRT? AND WHY ARE THEY SELLING BAY, FORSYTH, and ADAMS?

pic from metrojacksonville


In the old Jacksonville you could say something about what downtown businesses and stakeholders thought of a certain project or legislation. People would believe you whether it was true or not. That was then.

I was sent a post from an ongoing story of how JTA is selling the BRT at the expense of downtown. It is from MetroJacksonville who has done multiple studies and comparisons. Things you would want to see like what other cities are doing this. What are the successes? What cities are doing alternatives (like the much cheaper and efficient light rail)? Click around the MJ site and read up. In fact, search the term "BRT" and you will find 30 stories most are specifically about the BRT, ahem, project.

Now click on over to JTA. There is no compelling story at JTA on the subject. Nothing really informative at all unless you can travel back in time and go to the meetings listed. This system is estimated (several changes) to cost between $300 million and $750 and this is your communication to world. WTF?

No WAIT, click the teeny-tiny "What's New" button on the left and you get a ton of stuff. Maybe their web designer thought this was a good idea. But I warn you, if you download this brochure, while it looks nice, the exhaust will burn your eyes. Especially if you like to sit outside of your favorite cafe/bar/restaurant/coffeehouse. Here is an even more recent brochure to download focusing on the Bay, Adams, Forsyth route. Why not State and Union? Seriously. Isn't it built for it already? Wouldn't it be much cheaper and convenient? Isn't it hooked directly to skyway? Doesn't that mean anything?

Thankfully the MJ folks are attending meetings and reporting results. Because frankly I am at too many taskforce/groups/committee/non-profit/community meetings myself right now. BIG Thanks to those guys and anyone who can make these meetings. From the beautiful historic core of a great Florida city on the mighty St Johns. Seriously. Thanks.

I especially applaud Lakelander (seasoned urban architect and planner) and Ocklawaha (best I can tell the most experienced transportation person outside of JTA and DOT- and possibly inside, who knows?) Ock had this to say in a recent post about a public BRT meeting:

Overall, I thought most meant well, but were completely ignorant of the different types of mass transit and the true costs and effects of BRT's flexibility and rubber wheels on transit oriented development. I even got in a shouting match with two who felt BRT should run roughshed through Adams Street, instead of State & Union. One lady even mentioned that we shouldn't be concerned about the effects of BRT on downtown and that we were there to push transit, not downtown development. Another fellow (who claimed to live on Church Street), questioned how involved I am in the downtown scene and flat out stated that downtown residents, businesses, DVI and the JEDC wanted BRT down Adams, Bay & Forsyth.

DVI has spoken against the current plan publicly. Secondly, I know of not one resident or business who supports 24/7 bus only traffic shoved up Adams, Bay, and Forsyth Streets. Not one. I would guess that I know as many or more residents and businesses downtown than anyone in the core. Just a guess. I could be wrong.

I feel that if somebody supported this they are wise not talk about it. Because talking about it would bring public input, public education on the subject, and some serious logic exercises. Public input would kill an idea that costs $300-750 + million and is based on busing up our emerging downtown districts in the year 2030. Who is getting paid here? Who makes money on this deal? THAT party needs to arrange an outreach better than this "what's new". This is pitiful.

Whomever it is also needs to consider if its worth the fight. Because at this point the adversary is just annoying. If they are unwilling to consider the simple yet critical move to non-vibrant streets, that says a lot. If not, I hope they are prepared to get a lot worse than Ock and Lake.

From the Lyon Desk

Here is a telegram I got today from our friends at the French office of Biggie Tea:
What's up boss!

I went to Lyon yesterday so I thought about my favourite boss and I took some pictures. There are some streets, cafés, places...That is exactly how Jacksonville will look like in the next years thanks to you!

I don't know if you know the "vélo'v", the bikes on the picture. Actually, there are in Lyon bike parks everywhere (300) where everybody can take a bike with a credit card. Then you can park your bike in another park everywhere you want in the city. Moreover it is cheap: 0,5€ for 1:30! I'm sure you will love it! and you can do the same Downtown.

That is the website of Velo'v in English.

Say hi to Tammy and the kids, and to the BG.

Oui!

REVENGE

In case you have not seen Revenge of the River, the Riverkeeper documentary will air on WJCT Public Television Channel 7 on Thursday night (August 23rd) at 10 pm.





Revenge of the River

Thursday, August 23 10:00 pm

WJCT Channel 7







Even if you have already seen the program, please pass the word along to your friends and family. DVDs will be available next week that include both Revenge of the River, The Green Monster, and bonus material. Also, please consider showing the documentaries to your church, business, or civic organization.



Thanks for your support.

Blogz Rule (sorry)

Congrats to Design Can Blog. They just surpassed the 100 post mark. Whoo knew?

There are a butt ton of blogs out there and damn fine ones in the river city. I will do an election preview since I am scheduled to be dethroned (best blogger alive) in Folio Weekly's best of Jax, which is in news racks and next to toilets now.

If you know of GOOG blogz that I may have missed and want them covered email me.

Also, I've noticed traffic shooting up since I promised to publish Confessions of a Mayoral Consultant. From the most interesting IPs. Don't worry its coming. You just have to keep coming back and reading my tripe. Do some google ad searches while you are here or buy a condo or something. Pay to play. This is America. This is the internets.

ps- this blog turns 3 in 10 days. I so need a job.

Ummm good idea for the guy that invented. Bad for the guy who has to sit next to him at Municipal Stadium.

Stock up on Pocket Shots for Bama - Noles I.

I can see this game rivaling the WLCP for ribaldry.

CALL TO ARTIST (FLOOD EDIT)

Go to THIS SITE to enter a juried art competition. There aren't many of those around here. Get into it!

OK OK I Think it works now. ITS NOT FEED THE BEAVER. ITS FREE THE BEAVER. Sorry.

As if the living walls weren't cool enough..

Check out this cool "green wall on the go" from Kevin over at the avid group. Because were just not there yet. I mean. In terms of seeing green walls every day. I'll post more info on these cool things next week.

Since we are talking about green and all. Urban Jacksonville has some heavy commentary on our zoning and why it takes us off the sidewalk and puts us in SUVs. I guess we are zoned for sprawl. I recognize a lot of this as reasons given for the downslide of the commercial corridor of Main St in Springfield.

In case you think we're the only suckers out there. Don't fear. Here is a quote from our, ahem, esteemed Secretary of Transportation, Mary Peters:

"Well, there's about probably some 10 percent to 20 percent of the current spending that is going to projects that really are not transportation, directly transportation-related. Some of that money is being spent on things, as I said earlier, like bike paths or trails."

You're doing a great job Peter-ie.

Here is the NPR story.

On the BRT, what would Obama do?

FLOOD

The Beaver Contemporary Art Center is accepting entries for their juried exhibition "Flood".
The event, being held at Pedestrian Projects Gallery in Jacksonville, is open to all of Florida and Georgia residents.
Installation, Video, 2D and 3D media accepted. The juror for this event is Jim Frazer. We will be accepting JPEG images on CD's.
Accepted work may be either mailed or hand delivered. The schedule is as follows:

September 17, 2007 - POSTMARK OF ENTRIES
October 5, 2007 - JURORS NOTIFICATION
October 26, 2007 - WORK DUE TO GALLERY
November 2, 2007 - OPENING RECEPTION
November 29, 2007 - EXHIBIT CLOSES
November 29, 2007 - PACKING / SHIPPING



To download prospectus/call for entries form go to FREE THE BEAVER.



For further information or questions regarding this event call or email us at 904 859-8281 pedestrianprojects (at)comcast.net



Thank you,

Sharla Valeski

sharlatv (at) comcast.net

904 372-4745

Chew Chew Chewse me.

With apologies to Ralph Wiggum.

There is plenty to do downtown this week, but don't do it on an empty stomach. For $25 you can eat at some dern good restaurants downtown. From Apps to Deserts and a LOT in between. If there is a special favorite or a place that you haven't dined at, I suggest clicking below! The word on the streets is that this is a popular event with a lot of reservations. See who else ordered Urban Affinity at the table next to you.
Go out and eat downtown this week. Yum.

Hello Clem!

Check out this cool video. Hope you have an animated week.

Coming soon: Confessions of a Mayoral Consultant

In an effort to support our neighbors

Take pictures of people and write down what they order. Rush back to your desk and plug the order into the Oracle. Now you know everything you need to know.

Or just plug yours in, read it an weep, and head to uncommon grounds from here on out. But if your on the northbank, walk to coffee. Seriously. Lets start walking.

Here's to you, mister three fan hook up to save 24 cents a month on air conditioning

Where have you been all those hours looking for ANYTHING interesting on the internets?

That was then. This is JIFFYFEET.

JIFFYFEET is all up in your george foreman grill. Go check out this site. NOW. And you might want to leave yourself some time. Its packed with flavor. Check out the latest in vanity plates, mullets, caught on tape, and garage sale gold!

As my reign of best blogger alive comes to an end (I've been advised to not seek reelection) I'll do my best to bring you the solid blogs blooming on the fertile, rich soils of beautiful north florida.

It will be hard to follow this one up. Stay tuned.

TEAM GIST at 104!

The St. Johns river clean up video is the talk of the internets.

It has been seen as much as the DW/Futurama video below.

Not too shabby.

I may just blog about the shopping cart video and shopping carts from hear on out. This blog did need focus.

Mom said, find a niche.

Back to the subject at hand.

There was a big lots cart behind the Haydon Burns. I noticed it laying on its side in the loading dock this morning.

Isn't big lots like miles away? Maybe it came up river.

Anyway, I was intrigued. It is in good shape. Battered candy apple orange. Solid basket, good construction. No-stick wheels. Small ish, which is strange for a store named big lots. Anyway, I think we'll keep it. May come in handy. If you are in the core and need to borrow for the community benefit holler, I'll make it available to anyone who brings it back in good working order and or pimped.

Live at the Morocco Shrine

Seriously. That was a good show.

Team Gist 72 and climbing!

The St. Johns river clean up video has created two conversations for me today and both people were inspired.

Thanks Gist. Thanks UJ.

Riverwalk it out

Big thank you to these guys!

What a cool video. You can watch it here, but there is a quote and much more news over at Urban Jacksonville. Click.

I was the 18th person to watch it. Pass it on!

24,870

Go take your personal emissions test here.

I am kicking about half the national average. How about you?

Thanks for the tip Mark.

Crank it up. Its a new day!

GOLDS DOWNTOWN

heard at Gold's, The Hold Steady, MN Brooklyn in the house.

Gold's is pretty fun. Its a neighborhood gym. You may run into one of downtown's developers, bankers, weathermen, whatever. But on the machines you just want to zone.

Well they changed the music today and it went from good electronic dance (fast beats) to indie/punk/rock and all I have to say is HELL YES!

the Hold Steady interview is an excellent listen.



there is a part 2.

Portent Announcement (EDIT)

Opening at Pedestrian

"The title of the exhibit suggests a positive sign of things to come for the visual arts in Jacksonville. The unique work on display foreshadows a new, contemporary direction for the local cultural scene, indicating we are on the cusp of something exciting and progressive."

The artists extend the metaphor further by creating work that stands as a reaction to and against the ominous "portents" we read everyday in the news. All of the artists are young, many with young families, and their work conceptually and materially reflects their ever-present anxiety about the future.
7pm Thursday, August 30th SEGD Private Designer Reception
7pm Friday, August 31st Opening Reception

Location:
1535 San Marco Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32207. Click for Map.
Email:
PedestrianProjects@comcast.netbeaver.

The Hiatus is back on.

On another grid for a few days.

At least I tell you when I'm abandoning you.

Do us all a favor and listen to this jam a lot until I get back.

The Move

Got a move coming up but worried about your wine cellar, piano, Vinyl, or art collection.

Call flatrate. White glove love for all your stuff.

Love thy myspace

Its no You Tube but myspace is pretty great for finding funny graphics. My my space is myspace.com/theurbancore.

Have you ever been experienced?

The CVB is setting it OFF!

"What better way to end the summer" said John Reyes, president and CEO of the Jacksonville & the Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau. Experience this incredible opportunity, where the Jacksonville tourism industry joins together, August 6-11, to provide special deals for local residents.

"Experience Jacksonville: Your Florida Destination" is a week-long event offering residents "Destination Deals" as an opportunity to enjoy and save on the area's retail, attractions, restaurants, nightlife hotspots, accommodations, sports events and transportation services.

Coupons with "Destination Deals" from more than 50 local businesses can be found below, or in the CVB's visitor centers beginning July 2. Coupons are only valid during Experience Jacksonville Week, August 6-11. Experience and enjoy all that Jacksonville has to offer!

Click here for the DEALS.

Not much for the urbanites (except some good Landing deals) here but some interesting values especially if you were going to eat anyway. Save some money, experience your city.

Off the wall ideas.

My new favorite blog has these things growing all over it.

Its like grafitti for vegan set.

Weeds up Hoes down. Sorry.

Stolen Munny. Thief in the Knight.

More info including how to shed years of bad kharma at Urban Jacksonville.

I was going to say something negative about someone who would do this (or steal any art any where for that matter) like this: Very undude, dude. Use the return of this Yeti as the start to picking up the pieces of your life.

But I won't. Maybe you were just wasted. Just get it home.

Trzy dniowy wypad do Kopenhagi :)

The you tubes can almost always pay off. Almost.

I was looking for this jam that I always hear at the gym. Red Carpert - Alright. Of course there are no good videos with sound but I thought this one was entertaining. Some good Copenhagen footage in there. Bonus footage of inapproriate museum behavior, armenian(?) hip hop, and shots of vodka and coke? Oh, also some good looking sushi.

Also, did you know that tax on cars in Copenhagen is 180%. Viva like Fuji!

Green is the new black kids?

North Florida continues to move forward in the Green Building world. The Jacksonville Business Journal created a wonderful “Building Green” resource and the Times Union is planning a “Going Green” issue in September. Is our region making the move? Or are we still a long way from where we need to be? Things to consider while you review some of our most recent topics at Sustainabuild:


Are Employees Green at Work?


Things to Do Today: Use Less Water.


The Ground Floor


Vertical Gardens


Habitat for Humanity: Feeling the Pinch


How to Get Through to Mushy Green Clients?

Also, the black kids play tonight in E Town.

High, I'm Walky

Ever since cities all over the world stole my art walk man image to use in crosswalk signals "brands" have been highjacking them left and right. This one is GoSleepGo which seems like a perfect opportunity for the CVB set. More on that to come!

Look for the man in these videos. Biters!





vanderslice is coming to cafe11 soon too I think...

JACK STONE RETURNS!

Pull up your socks and press down your chinos.

Remember when Burrito Gallery used to be a cool bar? Remember when it wasn't just a bunch of lawyers yelling out back? Ok, I don't either.

Actually JULIUS AIRWAVE will be yelling out back and JACKSON (pictured above) will be bartending. IN FACT. We'll have a couple of the OG staff on hand to celebrate Art Walk's 45th birthday!

Come give Jackson some love. You'll note that I am not calling him by his dj name Jack Stone, well, because we haven't had turntables since DVI changed their website.

also- they are moving some sweet motorcycles over inside the haydon burns for you easy riders.

scroll down because there is an important post below this..

ART WALK TONIGHT! ART WALK SCORE: 97!

I interupt these art walk posts about the munny show and forster (see below) and opaq above TSI and all the other DVI sponsored madness to debut an absolutely awesome new site.

The above graphic is from Seattle's Phinney Ridge. Notice the grid. How bout them grids?! Residences and business are shown in purple. Its a walkable grid! Walkable is good. How European?! How Northbank!



This graphic is nearby Bellvue. A suburban-like sprawl neighborhood. Lots of culdesacs and lots of roads to not much. Not much Nearby. Not much Walkable.

So a place that is walkable is supported by residences and services in a smart griddy-like juxtaposition.

A long time ago, even before green was the new black, I saw Charles Landry speak and it gave me inspiration. To have happier more sustainable culturally relevent places we needed them to be walkable. Its about the experience. Walking is a most pleasant experience. In case you might have forgotten. Take a stroll on the riverwalk. Tonight perhaps. Cuz parking is going to su-uck!

Sorry. Back to the point. Wouldn't it be great if we had a way to measure just how great our walkable quality of life really is? Indeed it would!

Flip over to Walk Score. Drop in your address and see what your Walk Score is.

11 East is sporting a 97! Holy cow. That means there is a tremendous amount of walkable upside in that address. Nearly perfect. And I think they are counting the starbucks in the landing not the one onsite. So maybe it would be higher?

Now before you start ticking off all the panhandlers you have to avoid (daily), poop/vomit you have to step over, bricks through your windows, etc. there are obvious limitations to this kind of score. And they tell you what they are in a section called "How it doesn't Work" which is conveniently by "How it does Work".

My point is that all of the attributes that make the infrastructure of a successful walkable community are here. And downtown, should it begin to shed all of the myriad problems above and those not mentioned (like lack of recycling, poor lighting, one way streets, etc.) is well positioned to take on residents now! I say bring it on.

The urban neighborhoods of Jax are all pretty sweet. Maybe you live near five points which came in about 77. 1951 Market in Springfield is sporting a 63. San Marco, mid 80s. Maybe you are, gasp, in a suburb. Maybe you are like me with a strong 66.

But every first wednesday you are pushing 100 and that should give you pause.

Or something to talk about while your slamming $1 PBRs.

Thanks to Mark for the tip and Sightline Institute for the site and all their great work.

Tonight, celebrate your quality of life.