Iconic Polk Motel sign will stay in Columbia
Longtime Columbia Neon Co. employee Charles Stofel, left, works on a part of the dismantled sign for the vacant James K. Polk Motel on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019. Stofel was one of the builders who originally installed the sign in 1963. Staff photo by Mike Christen
From The Daily Herald: After coming down earlier this year, Columbia’s iconic Polk Motel sign will have a new home within city limits.
The sign, originally constructed by Columbia Neon Co. more than 50 years ago, will sit on permanent display inside the city’s new visitors center.
Following the approval of the city’s budget, a total of $559,000 has been dedicated by the city to pay for renovations to the Jack and Jill Building, Columbia Police Department headquarters and the new visitors center, all on North Main Street.
As Cafe du Monde opens in City Park, old traditions mix with modern family life; take peek inside
The City Park Casino Building was renovated by Cafe du Monde, which will open its long-awaited beignet and coffee shop in City Park on July 31. STAFF PHOTO BY MAX BECHERER
From nola.com: Powdered sugar isn’t the only thing riding on the puffy fried shell of a New Orleans beignet.
For many in this town, the classic square doughnut carries evocative family memories, childhood associations, even an anchor to home. Beignets are a classic New Orleans treat, shared between generations.
This week, Café du Monde begins serving its beignets in what has long been a hub of local family life, City Park.
Historic Rio Grande neon sign to be retired after 60 years
Historic Rio Grande neon sign to be retired after 60 years. Photo: KUTV
From 2KUTV: The iconic orange neon sign from the Rio Grande building will be retired this summer. The historic sign stood proudly atop the famous Salt Lake building since the late 1950s.
A new sign is expected to be installed by October 11 with the current sign to be removed on August 1, according to a press release by the Utah Department of Heritage & Arts.
City commission says it’s history, but the owner of Tom’s Diner says it’s just nostalgia
From 9News.com: DENVER — Tom Messina moved to Denver and bought a diner on Colfax Avenue in 1991. Tom’s Diner cost $800,000 then, and the property at 601 E. Colfax Ave. is worth a lot more today.
In February, Messina listed the property for sale. A development company later created a mock-up conceptual plan that called for the demolition of the diner to make way for an eight-story, 113-unit apartment building.
PHOTOS: Optimist Hall debuts $60M redevelopment with first food-hall tenants
Optimist Hall debuts $60M redevelopment with first food-hall tenants. Charlotte Business Journal
From the Charlotte Business Journal: Optimist Hall’s first food hall tenants open on Thursday. Here’s a peek inside the $60 million project.
Where Billie Holiday Used to Sing, Money Talks
From Bloomberg: The Lenox Lounge was already in decline when I started going there in the 1990s. The patrons — friendly neighborhood regulars and European tourists — were unremarkable. I enjoyed picturing its former grandeur and the stylish people who frequented it in its heyday, when the floors were shiny and the upholstery pristine and when Billie Holiday’s voice, the sad notes of Miles Davis’s trumpet, and the cool, deep sounds of John Coltrane’s saxophone filled the room. I pictured the black prince, Malcolm X, in the dark interior, taking in the music. Langston Hughes and James Baldwin were also patrons of this beloved Harlem institution.