Local Businesses Provide More Than Just Goods

October 23, 2014 by Charlie London

fsj-bastille-2014
The old phrase “use it or lose it” applies especially to neighborhood businesses

Shop at your neighbors’ businesses on Ponce de Leon and Broad. Keep your money working for you right here in Faubourg St. John.
After a long day of shopping locally stop in, say hello to your neighbors and have a drink at…
https://fsjna.org/2011/09/drinks/

LIVING IN A NEIGHBORHOOD—even the swankiest one—with no grocery, coffee shop or other businesses is like wearing a nice new suit of clothes without shoes. It looks great, but you’ve got no place to go. Local shops, preferably within walking distance, are the soul of any community, the place where you bump into your neighbors and get that satisfying sense of belonging.

These neighborhood hang outs don’t need to be fancy or charming. Sometimes their idiosyncratic character is the best expression of your neighborhood’s true personality. A funky, messy junk shop run by a lovable eccentric can be more welcoming than a charming-as-can-be tea shoppe or nostalgically-correct soda fountain. A laundromat with comfy benches out front can become a kind of town square that attracts people.

In many small towns, an ice cream shop is the hot spot for teenagers, while other folks in the community wander down to the gas station to drink pop and tell stories. In a lot of African-American neighborhoods, the barber shop and beauty parlor are the social hubs. These places may not sound like your idea of an exciting time but, to the people who live there, such businesses are as important as sidewalk cafes are to Parisians.

IN OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI, MANY FOLKS CREDIT A BOOKSTORE WITH HELPING HEAL THE CITY’S PRIDE after a vicious anti-civil rights riot erupted in the 1960s. Square Books, right on the courthouse square, restored many people’s faith that this was a caring, civilized community. It also helped revive the sagging downtown.

“What tends to get lost in the argument over the future of independent stores is that the dangers posed to them by superstores and on-line sellers don’t just threaten some quaint form of distributing goods,” writes author Rob Gurwitt about Square Books in Mother Jones magazine. “They imperil the fabric of our community life. Real-life stores—their place on the street, the people they draw in, the presence they cast in the community at large—help define their neighborhoods.”

It’s no secret that local businesses almost everywhere are under siege from mega-malls and big box retailers. Everyone who cares even a little about their neighborhood should make a commitment to patronize local businesses, even when bread or duct tape or CDs can be had cheaper by driving to a national chain store. Vote with your pocketbook to keep your community vital. Indeed, you might even find yourself ahead economically with the money saved on gasoline and unnecessary purchases you would never have made if you hadn’t gone into the big box. And, you’ll be way ahead in terms of community spirit and social enjoyment.

THANKFULLY, SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD STORES ARE BEGINNING TO FIGHT BACK WITH BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS. This is a well-proven model where local merchants work together to spruce up commercial streets by adding nice landscaping, fixing up the storefronts, improving the lighting and other amenities. They also cooperate on advertising campaigns, special neighborhood events, shared parking facilities, and other improvements.

Many merchants are banding together in an even bigger way by joining Independent Business Alliances, which draw public attention to the numerous benefits of locally owned businesses (how often do Wal-Mart and Home Depot buy uniforms for the local little league team or sponsor an art fair?) and by lobbying political officials and the media to take note of unfair economic tactics wielded by big retailers. The first IBA began in Boulder, Colorado in 1997 and within two years involved 150 local businesses. There are now IBAs in more than 20 communities—stretching from Corvallis, Oregon, to Greenville, South Carolina— and a national group, the American Independent Business Alliance, based in Missoula, Montana.

IN HARTLAND, A VILLAGE IN THE DEVON COUNTRYSIDE OF ENGLAND, a community school took over management of the Happy Pear green grocer and market when it was about to close. It offers students a wonderful lesson in business management and sustainable economics. And, local townspeople won’t have to drive many kilometers for fresh and organic food. This is just one example of a growing number of community initiatives to preserve and promote essential local shops. In another English village, Maiden Bradley in Wiltshire, 60 percent of residents pledged between five and five-hundred pounds ( $10-1000) to save and refurbish their general store (village shop in the British parlance), with townspeople doing most of the work. It is now community-owned with any profits going back to village itself.

IN THE SEATTLE SUBURB OF LAKE FOREST PARK, RESIDENTS RALLIED AROUND A UNIQUE, REDEVELOPED MALL that was envisioned as a community center as much as a retail outlet. Third Place Commons features a superb bookstore as well as a food court featuring local restauranteurs and a stage for nightly music and performances. It has become such a beloved local hangout that regular customers formed Friends of Third Place Commons, a non-profit group to help keep the place thriving.

Resources: “Square Books”:www.squarebooks.com “American Independent Business Alliance”:amiba.net “Friends of Third Place Commons”:www.thirdplacecommons.org

Filed Under: Featured, HISTORY, Living Well Tagged With: 1000 figs, bayou breakfast, bayou st john, best neighborhood in New Orleans, best place to shop in new orleans, buy local, Cafe Degas, canseco's, Fair Grinds, faubourg st john, half shell, local business, lolas, neighborhood stores, New Orleans, pal's, santa fe, swirl, terranova, terranovas, use it or lose it

Bastille Day Celebration

June 30, 2013 by Charlie London

toussaint-photobyToryTaylor-2013july13

Allen Toussaint at the 2013 Bastille Day Celebration in Faubourg St. John. photo by Tory Taylor.

Bastille Day Celebration
in Faubourg St. John.
photos below by Laura London

click on any thumbnail for a better view


bastille2013poster1
Norbert Slama and Raphael Bas (Manouche Musette) will perform from 5 – 7 and Johnny J and the Hitmen from 7 – 9. Cynthia Scott will sing the Marseillaise at 5:30. Ukulele Jake will perform at the Bastille Day Celebration too!

Come on out from 5 pm to 9 pm on Saturday, July 13th and enjoy the Bastille Day Celebration in Faubourg St. John. Generously brought to you by the Faubourg St. John Merchants Association.

(3100 block of Ponce de Leon just off Esplanade)

Please join us for the annual Faubourg St. John Merchants Association Block Party on Ponce de Leon Street between Esplanade and North Lopez.

 

Saturday, July 13, 2013 | 5 PM – 9 PM | Le Marseillaise will be sung by Cynthia Scott

 

Come dance in the street at our annual Bal Populaire! | Local merchants will sell food and beverages on the street. | Art market with local artists | Children’s activities and fun for the whole family! | This event is sponsored by the Faubourg St John Merchants:

Cafe Degas | Fair Grinds Coffee Shop | Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association | Maple Street Book Stores | Nonna Mia | Pal’s Lounge | Santa Fe Restaurant | Swirl Wines

In addition to a cool art market and great kids’ table there will be plenty of food, drink and dancing in the street at the Bastille Day Celebration in the 3100 block of Ponce de Leon on Saturday, July 13th from 5 pm until 9 pm. Plan to join the fun! It’s free!


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Norbert Slama and Raphael Bas will perform at the Bastille Day Celebration in Faubourg St. John on Saturday, July 13, 2013. More soon!

Johnny J will perform at the Bastille Day Celebration in Faubourg St. John on Saturday, July 13, 2013.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: 3100 ponce de leon, art, band, bastille, bastille day, bayou, bayou st john, best neighborhood in New Orleans, block, block party, bookstore, business district, Cafe Degas, canseco's, celebration, city, creole, day, esplanade, faubourg, faubourg st john, french, grocery, jacob, jacob windstein, jake, kids, liuzza's, maple street bookstores, market, merchants, music, neighborhood, New Orleans, new orleans best neighborhood, nonna mia, pal's, party, ponce de leon, rock, rock-n-roll, roll, swirl, terranovas, ukulele, ukulele jake

Bastille Day in Faubourg St. John

July 11, 2012 by Charlie London

CLICK HERE to view photos and video from the
2012 Bastille Day Celebration in Faubourg St. John!

bastille2013poster

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Please join us for the annual Faubourg St. John Merchants Association Block Party on Ponce de Leon Street between Esplanade and North Lopez.

Saturday, July 13, 2013 | 5 PM – 9 PM | Le Marseillaise will be sung by Cynthia Scott

Come dance in the street at our annual Bal Populaire! | Local merchants will sell food and beverages on the street. | Art market with local artists | Children’s activities and fun for the whole family! | This event is sponsored by the Faubourg St John Merchants:

Cafe Degas | Fair Grinds Coffee Shop | Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association | Maple Street Book Stores | Nonna Mia | Pal’s Lounge | Santa Fe Restaurant | Swirl Wines | Terranova’s Grocery

In addition to a cool art market and great kids’ table there will be plenty of food, drink and dancing in the street at the Bastille Day Celebration in the 3100 block of Ponce de Leon on Saturday, July 13th from 5 pm until 9 pm. Plan to join the fun! It’s free!

Check out the great music lineup below. Come dance with us!

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: 3100 ponce de leon, art, band, bastille, bastille day, bayou, bayou st john, block, bookstore, business district, Cafe Degas, canseco's, city, creole, creole stringbeans, day, esplanade, faubourg, faubourg st john, french, grocery, jacob, jacob windstein, jake, kids, liuzza's, maple street bookstores, market, merchants, music, neighborhood, New Orleans, nonna mia, pal's, party, ponce de leon, rick olivier, rob savoy, rock, rock-n-roll, roll, stringbeans, swirl, terranovas, ukulele, ukulele jake, zazou, zazou city

Great Bastille Day Lineup

June 21, 2012 by Charlie London

In addition to a cool art market and great kids’ table there will be plenty of food, drink and dancing in the street at the Bastille Day Celebration in the 3100 block of Ponce de Leon on Saturday, July 14th from 5 pm until 9 pm. Plan to join the fun! It’s free!

Check out the great music lineup below. Come dance with us!

ZAZOU CITY from 5 pm until 7 pm


UKULELE JAKE from 7 pm until 7:30 pm


CREOLE STRINGBEANS perform from 7:30 until closing



Click on the flag for a PDF of the poster.
Print one for yourself and your friends!

Please join us for the annual Faubourg St. John Merchants Association Block Party on Ponce de Leon Street between Esplanade and North Lopez.

Saturday, July 14, 2012 | 5 PM – 9 PM | Le Marseillaise will be sung by Cynthia Scott

Zazou City | Ukelele Jake | Creole String Beans

Come dance in the street at our annual Bal Populaire! | Local merchants will sell food and beverages on the street. | Art market with local artists | Children’s activities and even Napoleon! | This event is sponsored by the Faubourg St John Merchants:

Cafe Degas | Fair Grinds Coffee Shop | Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association | Maple Street Book Stores | Nonna Mia | Pal’s Lounge | Santa Fe Restaurant | Swirl Wines | Terranova’s Grocery

Filed Under: More Great Posts! Tagged With: 3100 ponce de leon, art, band, bastille, bastille day, bayou, bayou st john, block, bookstore, business district, Cafe Degas, canseco's, city, creole, creole stringbeans, day, esplanade, faubourg, faubourg st john, french, grocery, jacob, jacob windstein, jake, kids, liuzza's, maple street bookstores, market, merchants, music, neighborhood, New Orleans, nonna mia, pal's, party, ponce de leon, rick olivier, rob savoy, rock, rock-n-roll, roll, stringbeans, swirl, terranovas, ukulele, ukulele jake, zazou, zazou city

Fresh from the Farm at SWIRL

February 6, 2012 by Charlie London


by Alexander Hancock at nola.eater.com

Starting February 11, fans of the weekly produce box from Hollygrove Market & Farm can now pick it up at Swirl Wines near the Fair Grounds. Pickup is Saturdays between 4-6, during which time chef Richard Papier will be cooking dishes with the box’s contents. The shop will offer half-priced glasses of wine to pair with those dishes. [EaterWire]

Reposted from:
http://nola.eater.com/archives/2012/01/31/hollygroveswirl-synergy-biblethumping-banned-on-bourbon-and-more.php

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: bayou, bayou st john, farm, faubourg, faubourg st john, food, fresh, fsjna, hollygrove, john, market, New Orleans, st., swirl, wine, wines

Gifts that Keep on Giving

December 9, 2011 by Charlie London


Swirl Wines
504.304.0635
www.swirlinthecity.com

Filed Under: More Great Posts! Tagged With: bayou st john, beth, faubourg st john, fsjna, kerry, New Orleans, ponce de leon, swirl

Thursday at Swirl

November 29, 2011 by Charlie London

YOU ARE INVITED TO A FREE WINE TASTING…

Be the first to enjoy the first release of Mes Amis Pinot Noir, created by local winemaker James Moises, with a helping hand from a gang of his grape loving pals!

Thursday | December 1st | 6:30-8pm | Swirl Wines

Filed Under: More Great Posts! Tagged With: bayou st john, esplanade, faubourg st john, New Orleans, ponce de leon, sip, swirl, tasting, wine

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