Five years ago today people were able to do what they hadn’t in 33+ year — drive on two blocks of North 14th Street.
From 1977-2010 two blocks of N 14th was a “pedestrian mall”. By Spring 1991 it was already long-dead.After many years of trying to un-mall 14th, a ribbon cutting for the new street was held on July 29, 2010. But since new streetlights hadn’t arrived, vehicular traffic wasn’t allowed to drive down it.The new streetscape is friendly to both pedestrians & motorists, need not be mutually exclusiveThis photo is from a May 1972 thesis, taken before 14th was malled. Source: “A rehabilitation of a small commercial district: 14th Street in Murphy-Blair” by Norman Robert Spatz
I don’t get up on regular basis, but it certainly has helped, it became a desert after it was turned into a pedestrian mall. Before sticking the mall into 14th street it was a commercial street that was as busy, if not busier than Cherokee Street.
In any case, once 14th Street was lost as an anchor, in addition to other disinvestment in the area, the community went down hill. So at this point 14th Street has never completely rebounded. Between Crown Candy and the efforts of the Old North restoration organization there is hope for the area, but it still requires the surroundings to be rebuilt for real success. There are events and various happenings in the area if you are interested.
Here is the Old North website. http://www.onsl.org
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How is the area doing today? Has re-opening 14th street helped?
I don’t get up on regular basis, but it certainly has helped, it became a desert after it was turned into a pedestrian mall. Before sticking the mall into 14th street it was a commercial street that was as busy, if not busier than Cherokee Street.
In any case, once 14th Street was lost as an anchor, in addition to other disinvestment in the area, the community went down hill. So at this point 14th Street has never completely rebounded. Between Crown Candy and the efforts of the Old North restoration organization there is hope for the area, but it still requires the surroundings to be rebuilt for real success. There are events and various happenings in the area if you are interested.
Here is the Old North website. http://www.onsl.org