Spaceboy Clothing is the Wilmington area's current answer to the indie t-shirt and tchotchke shops that abound in other cities. Their sole location, though, has been in off-the-beaten-path Elsmere. So it is exciting news that the owner had the foresight to open a second, more centrally-located store on Market Street. Even better, it will be in the vicinity of the new Queen Theatre and the Delaware College of Art & Design. I applaud Spaceboy's decision to grab a retail spot on that end of Market Street while leases are still affordable. Pictures of the developing new store are on Spaceboy's blog:
http://spaceboyclothing.blogspot.com/
On the subject of retail space at the Queen Theatre and DCAD end of Market Street, there is still a spot (which could make a great small bar or late-night dessert cafe) on the corner directly across from the theatre. And next to that, on 5th street, is the beautiful and vacant space that housed the old 4W5 Cafe. The revitalization of that corner of the city came too late for the 4W5, but I have a feeling the time is right for a restaurant, or some other business, to thrive on that spot.
Or how about a music venue at the old 4W5 that showcases acts that are a little less-known or a little younger than the acts that the Queen and the Grand book? Instead of competing, the three venues could compliment eachother, turning the street into a destination for music lovers. Such arrangements work well in Nashville, Boston, and other cities. Actually, it would be four venues, if you count the jazz club that recently opened up in the neighborhood. In our own town, restaurants such as Mikimotos, Washington Street Ale House, and Domaine Hudson have done quite well being clustered together. Surrounding businesses benefit, and an area is reborn.
Some might cry "gentrification", but in my opinion, gentrification is not a dirty word if there has been almost none in a city. Gentifrication is like bacteria on and in the body - too much can cause problems, but you need a little bit to stay healthy. Some might say "Cluster of music venues? We had that once with the area around Bottle Caps". And yes, that all went away as the result of a single, random act of violence. People stopped coming downtown, and those clubs all folded. But security in the city has been much improved since that time, with the addition of security cameras and the Downtown Visions team. And there are far more nice restaurants (nearer to Rodney Square) pulling people into Wilmington these days. I'm not saying the area around 5th and Market is perfect, or completely ready yet - but the potential is growing exponentially with each new business. The time is now for entrepreneurs (preferably with modern sensibilities) to invest in that neighborhood.
