Remember Rabbit’s Motel? Entrepreneurs plan to pay homage to Asheville’s Black history
Brett Spivey, co-owner of what used to be Rabbit’s Motel, holds up a sign for the former establishment. Photo credit: WLOS Staff
From WLOS: ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Since 2004, a property on McDowell Street in Asheville has been a drive-by source of curiosity. Judging from the appearance of the building, it might be hard to imagine what the Rabbit’s Motel meant to folks — especially, the Black community.
“We can salvage this great part of Asheville’s past,” says Brett Spivey, now the co-owner of the property, including a structure that’s seen better days. It’s where the motel was based before closing in 2004.
“What my business partner and I wanted to do is preserve the Black history in this town, instead of it getting paved over,” Spivey told News 13.
Legendary Hudson Valley Hot Dog Stand For Sale After 50 Years
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From WPDH 101.5: An iconic, family-run hot dog stand in the Hudson Valley is now on the market.
Food lovers in the Mid Hudson Valley take their wieners very seriously. Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties are home to some of the most beloved hot dog restaurants in all of New York State. These hole-in-the-wall eateries go mostly unnoticed to outsiders, but locals have been treasuring them for decades.
Dallas Hot Wieners has been serving hot dots for three-quarters of a century in Kingston. Likewise, Pete’s Hot Dogs in Newburgh has been satisfying customers from their small stand in Newburgh for 88 years. Another legendary hot dog spot in Dutchess County could be considered a “newcomer,” serving up dogs for just over 50 years. But now, sadly, this family-run restaurant will be hanging up their aprons.
Architectural trailblazer
From the Las Vegas Review-Journal: Paul R. Williams’ distinctive buildings stand as testament to his lasting impact on Las Vegas.
He designed affordable bungalows for first-time homeowners and luxurious mansions for Southern California’s elite, though as a Black man he wouldn’t have been allowed to live in some of the neighborhoods where those mansions were built.
Architect Paul Revere Williams also designed some notable Las Vegas buildings and contributed to the valley’s historical landscape by creating homes for middle-class Black residents in the Historic Westside and Black workers in Henderson.
Now 41 years after his death, Williams may not be a household name, but many of the homes, churches and other buildings he designed stand as testament to his impact here and in Southern California.
LA’s Historic Firestone Tire Building Is Reborn
From Eater/Los Angeles: After four long years, the fully restored Mid-Wilshire streamline moderne building reopens today with craft beer and tacos.
It’s been four years of waiting (quite literally) but now La Brea’s long-dormant 83-year-old Firestone Tire building is up and running — and looking rather gorgeous in all this vintage glory. The historic former car service station, with its open design and wraparound views, has been formally and fully overhauled as a do-it-all space for tacos, beer, and more, right in the heart of Mid-Wilshire. Let’s take a look inside.
The landmarked Firestone building, spanning more than 13,000 feet in total, is a preservationists dream. First built in 1938, the building retains much of its streamline moderne appeal, from the original red floors and rounded roofline to the still-intact warehouse windows. In fact, says designer Matt Winter of M. Winter Design (who has led the project since 2017), part of the reason the opening took so long was simply because of the salvage effort undertaken to keep things as original as possible. “It’s kind of like a little museum,” he says, pointing out small details around the sprawling space. Those original windows now look into the brewing area behind the bar, for example, while basically the entire facade was stripped by hand and repainted to the original colors.
Saskatoon’s historic neon Robin Hood sign gets a facelift
On Tuesday, a crane stretching 300 feet up in the air began taking down the letters of the Robin Hood sign atop the Ardent Mills plant. Chad Hills/CTV Saskatoon
From CTV News: SASKATOON — A fixture in Saskatoon’s skyline is undergoing some major work.
On Tuesday, a crane stretching 300 feet up in the air began taking down the letters of the Robin Hood sign atop the Ardent Mills plant.
The milling and mixing facility is located on 33rd Street East.
The ‘R’ in the Robin Hood sign is 245 feet off the ground.
The letters will undergo a refurbishment process where technicians will install LED light strips and a fresh coat of paint, according to an Ardent Mills employee.
City Archivist Jeff O’Brien said the sign went up in 1927, with 381 25-watt light bulbs.