Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Downtown
CHICAGO—April 1. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined several celebrity chefs today ... |
Mr Downtown, you are precious. As always (and this time I owe you a fee, or a beer, for your time). But in one way your March 32nd dystopian vision empasizes my point - the neighborhood has so far grown organically, without the strict artificial regulation of your fictional ordinances, and so it has to rely on advocacy more at a grassroots level, hence my commentary.
Ultimately though, Fulton Market has, in fact, been curated by forces above public citizens, but not as high as government - Sterling Bay, and Shapack, and other developers, who are essentially implementing what I'm talking about, by picking and choosing, and curating, a certain look to Fulton Market.
So, the money has been agreeing with me so far, on some fronts. They've declined to rent out to the chains I'm talking about.
I don't get why people are hating on the idea of one cluster of high quality, both inexpensive and expensive, restaurants, that becomes renowned nationally and internationally. There's an opportunity to foster that right now. I'm not saying it has to be huge, or formalized, or fight big market forces, or throttle people looking for lunch. If it dissolves too much, then it's just like any other part of the city; why not at least nominally be supportive of some kind of showcase district? (I think this discussion has generalized from the specific question of the McD to this broader question now.) (And I think it's sucked enough oxygen in this thread by now.)
maru2501 is right though - cheap real estate is instrumental to restaurant innovation, and that won't continue forever here, so we may be left with just Alineas and Grand Lux Cheescake Factories before the next decade is up anyway.