Sunday, May 11, 2008

Beale Street Needs Signs Of The Times



It’s always interesting compare the hyperbole about Beale Street with the reality of Beale Street.

In a recent article in The Commercial Appeal about new security on the street, this statement jumped off the page. It was made by the head of the private company that manages the legendary music street as he talked about how important it is to make sure “we’re doing things the way a world-class entertainment district should.”

Every time we see a Beale Street official use these high-flown phrases, we immediately think about the barricades that block the street to traffic. They look like someone’s first shop class project in high school. If they are world-class, it is in the category of the most amateurish signage in a famous tourism area.

The Beale Street street barricades look like something that was slapped up temporarily and were never replaced. After 26 years, it’s not too much to think that the management company could come up with something that actually speaks to the quality of the experience on the street.

We guess we’ve grown accustomed to the hodgepodge of newspaper vending machines and trashy looking garbage cans that seem to send the message that too little attention is being given to the overall appearance and atmosphere of the street, but these barricades need to go.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

We agree.If you read the article futher you would see signage and new bollards are part of the new design...We have been working with police department to get permission to install them. Our trash containers have proven the most effective way to handle removal...considering the volume and amount of trash we handle.In fact we were the first to use compactors instead of dumpsters and containers have proven so effective that waste mangement is using them on other properties.

Aaron said...

It's the first time I really noticed just how hodge-podge it looks. Some inground poles would do just fine. They have them all over Berkeley to keep the cars from using neighborhood street during rush hour. Maybe no one had thought about this until know. It's amazing how the most obvious necessities can allude most of us, including myself.

Anonymous said...

I generally agree with everything written on this site but I'm not sure beale st needs to be sanitized. The grit makes it interesting imo.

And I'm not sure in-ground poles make sense considering it's a real street with traffic during the weekdays.

Anonymous said...

The in-ground poles are removable. Go to Bourbon St. in NO.

Sahra Bogado said...

Those barricades look like standard government fare. I live in L.A., and we sometimes don't even get those when the City of Los Angeles closes off streets - just orange traffic bollards with "CAUTION" tape.

Anonymous said...

Those barricades are a direct result of sprawl.

We could use the revenue from a toll on 385 to buy fancy new barricades.

Smart City Consulting said...

anti-socialist: Great idea, and we'll give you all the credit.