The Vogue

This is Orenda Fink at The Vogue, back in 2005 when she opened for Mike Doughty. Really I'm just trying out the Blogger phone-blogging tools.

Edit: The show was on 16 October 2005. Not a bad show; Holly and I just took in Mike Doughty again at the Vogue, in a benefit for school music programs.

Construction on Westfield

Originally uploaded by cisko.

The final thing I noticed today was this construction. This is a tiny house on Westfield, just west of Midtown Grill. I'm not sure exactly what was here before, but I seem to remember a video copying business. There's a bigger building behind it, set back from the street by about 30 feet.

No idea what's going on with the construction. It appears that there's more going on outside than in. But that's a fairly prominent sign there; I wonder if there's more to come -- perhaps a demolition.

Chelsea's: Consolidating

Originally uploaded by cisko.

And another follow-up. Chelsea's has now moved back into the western half of the store (closest to the corner). It looks to be back in normal business.

But the change is to the east. The old doorway between the two halves is now walled up, and the other space is empty. The only sign of things to come? A 3"x5" piece of paper in the door, announcing Gingko. So what's it going to be?

Safe bet is that it's not going to be another tchotke store, with three right there. "Gingko" would seem to say "health food" or "vitamins" perhaps. A restaurant? The space isn't set up for it, but I suppose that could change. We'll see.

Parthenon: Moving

Originally uploaded by cisko.

After Eric's walk on Sunday, I took a quick walk around myself today. First thing I noticed was some more details about Parthenon. According to this sign, it's moving into the deli space -- which would be maybe a third the size of the original restaurant.

And it looks like a new restaurant is going in the old location. It's difficult to read the sign, but they're recruiting staff. Workers were busy inside the space, papering over the windows. And if they're already looking to hire staff, they must be moving fairly quickly.

Parthenon has been there forever (25 years, according to the sign) and it's likely to be missed during its absence. While I was taking this photo, a woman came up and asked where the Parthenon was. I mentioned the sign, and she said she'd planned to meet a friend there. I'm sure she won't be the only one there.

Now, if we could just figure out why Bleeker Street always seems empty, and yet keeps on running...

Openings, closings, changings...

Noticed sevaral things while walking around Broad Ripple Saturday.

1. Ben and Jerry's is out. The space is listed as available.
2. Chelsea's has closed the Eastern half of the store, and it looks like it is being remodeled for something. The corner portion of the store is still open.
3. The Parthenon restaurant's windows are covered with newspaper, and they are remodeling. My guess is that the "deli" area didn't go as planned, and they are expanding into that.
4. The building that housed the furniture repair guy is now openly for sale now. I had heard that he was wanting to build a new building on that site, but was waiting for lease commitments first. Looks like he is just selling it now. Don't know for sure.

That's all for now.

Thai One On leaves; L'Explorateur on the way

It's been known for some time that Thai One On would be closing. The Thai restaurant at 6523 Ferguson St. was always tasty but never drew a large crowd. Susan Guyett in the Star points out that the location probably had an effect, and I suspect that's partly right. But I would look to other factors as well. There's already an existing Thai restaurant in Broad Ripple, the Thai Cafe on the Avenue. With an established client base, more visible location, and lower prices, the competition was probably too much for Thai One On.

The space however is quite interesting. It was originally renovated to house the much-missed Tavoli di Tosa. It was a perfect setting for the upscale destination restaurant, and my understanding is that the restaurant was performing well when it closed due to partnership pressures. The space was still beautiful, but Thai One On was a bit of a difficult fit there.

Now, Guyett gives voice to the ill-kept rumor about its next occupant: Neal Brown's new restaurant, L'Explorateur. (The restaurant has its own website, but there's no content out there yet. And somebody needs to slap these restauranteurs around until they understand that Flash interface = bad.) Again, the building will revert to a more upscale occupant, which it's suited for. Still, it will be interesting to see how the new venture goes; it's clearly targeted to be adventurous, which will challenge the Indy market a bit.

I don't understand the economics of high-end dining, particularly in Broad Ripple (which must draw less corporate business compared to either Downtown or the 86th St corridor). So I can't judge whether L'Explorateur will be successful. But I'm sure we'll try it out at some point, and when we do, I'll share our impressions.

Welcome to Blog Ripple!

So ok, here's the deal. Many of us who live and spend time in the Broad Ripple area are constantly trading news and rumors about things happening in the area. Of course, much of it concerns stores or restaurants that are closing or opening (or changing). We'll also discuss changes to the neighborhood: developments, new condos, road work (as if!) and such. And we also share news of interesting happenings, upcoming events, or just funny things we see.

And so: why not share that with others?