It’s still warm enough to enjoy an ice cream cone on the Nevada City boardwalk. My son and me did just that this week — with ice cream cones from Treats. Here’s a photo illustration of the boardwalk by local artist Lisa Redfern that we’re publishing in the upcoming issue of our magazine.
Lisa is one of the many talented artists participating in the Fall Colors Open Studio Tour. Also, thanks to Reinette Senum and all the others who are maintaining the boardwalk.
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Since you mentioned Treats I must comment that I saw them doing a lot of business one evening last week. Tourists love the quaint little place and their home made goodies. We locals do to.
It almost seems like York Street would be a better location for a boardwalk than Commercial.
I live here so I can shrug off some of the more unfortunate behaviors we see on the present boardwalk which is heavily influenced by the bar. The bar’s okay where it is but there is something about the centrality and the odd mix of gritty taverns and sweet dress shops that feels confused.
I also wonder what others are thinking about Lefty’s proposed move to the old Kirby’s Creekside building. What will they do for parking?
That building used to be part of the town and then it got cut off by the freeway. It would be great to see a photo of it from before.
Some folks say there is just something about that corner that isn’t right.
I believe I recall reading one account from Nisenan history by Dr.Tanis Thorne, that two of Oustomah’s Headmen were hung from a bridge in town early on in the Gold Rush.
They were hung for “interfering” with the miners who were destroying their homelands and probably as a demonstration of power to the rest of the tribe.
That would be like Duane Strawser and Jim Wickham going to try to talk to some gang of evildoers causing major trouble in town and getting lynched for doing their jobs.
If somebody were able to do that with impunity, I’m sure it would make a deep impression on the rest of us.
I often wonder if the hanging of the Headmen happened down there on a makeshift bridge over Deer Creek.
Anybody out there know any more?
Judith, York Street is on the docket for consideration. There is a team of folks working on possibly turning it into a parklet.
Also, once the Alpha Building is transformed (fall 2013) and the tin building next to Coopers filled with the artisan bakery that is being planned (with an entry and windows on Commercial St), this will assist in changing some of the dynamic on Commercial St.
The Boardwalk was put on Commercial St to give the regulars somewhere to sit other than the sidewalk and to give room for a more diverse group of people. From what I have seen, this has happened.
Reinette:
Before you get too far along blocking off York and turning it into what you refer to as a “parklet,” you –– and the city council –– might want to consider why it’s there to begin with.
In 1880 –– at least prior to a devastating fire that year –– there was no cross street between Broad & Pine and Commercial at the top of the hill. (Actually, there was no cross-street between Broad and North Pine where the library now stands). The Broad Street frontage where York Street exists today, was a building housing an upholstery shop.
When a fire erupted in the upholstery shop one afternoon, it quickly destroyed the New York Hotel, spread through much of the Chinese Quarter, wiped out a few bordellos on North Pine and burned a portion of the downhill Broad Street frontage. Dozens of buildings were destroyed and led to an emergency meeting at the flame-scarred Nevada Theatre –– called by the town’s leading merchants.
Two things resulted from the 1880 fire:
The town trustees (now called city council) enacted an ordinance that ordered all Chinese to vacate the Chinese Quarter and remove themselves from the incorporated limits of the city.
In addition, town trustees enacted an ordinance to create New York Street for the purpose of assuring better emergency access between Broad and North Pine for fires and other emergencies. It soon became known simply as York Street.
(As a trivia aside, the reason York is narrow for the first block, then wider for the second and gently bends and abuts Washington at the North Pine intersection, is because after the 1880 fire the city condemned and bought existing lots in order to create the cross-street. So the street represents lots where businesses and homes had previously existed).
Granted, this is 2012 and not 1880, but blocking off York might create (actually, recreate) the same problem the town faced when the 1880 fire started. Not having an emergency cross-street from Broad to Commercial between Pine and the top of the hill, might not be something the fire department or police department would like to see happen? I don’t know, but maybe you do know?
You may already have the support of the fire chief and police chief, and a majority of the council as well, but perhaps York –– despite its narrowness and the short distance between Broad and Commercial –– should be left alone?
Mr. Cottrell,
There is an idea that would let York Street serve as a small area of seating accommodation and keep it free for emergency access and egress.
Some cities have mechanized pillars that can be raised and lowered according to need.
It wouldn’t be this bad.
If we were to devise a clever system, built as in the era of Steam energy, without reliance on electronics, it could work.
There is a nice cloistered feeling on that spot, especially when Broad and Commercial are full of our guests.
Reinette,
The whole town is thrilled about the new Alpha complex concept. Dramatic relief in the downtown is sorely needed. Thank you for sharing some of the exciting details. We all look forward to the opening.
Steve, you are assuming we don’t know this. We have actually included in our discussions a way to keep it open to emergency traffic. Currently, what we are dealing with are daily close-calls with pedestrians crossing the street and cars pulling out of York St onto Broad. This is one of the most risky areas for pedestrians. Ask any city manager whose desk sits across from this dangerous intersection.
Reinette/Judith:
Glad to hear that it will not be a permanent blockage. But if the street is needed for emergency access, I’m not sure there will be time to remove the barriers and dismantle what’s there on the street in time to do any good. Hope I’m wrong.
At least it’s not as disruptive as a plan that once arrived at City Hall –– and subsequently at a city council meeting –– where a fellow thought we ought to brick the 300 Block of Broad from the theatre down to Pine, install a couple majestic, spraying water fountains in the middle of the street, create artificial waterfalls, plant shade trees, and install benches for the public. He thought that portion of Broad Street lent itself to a European-style promenade.
He was sincere, and in some communities it might have worked, but if we had spent a dime of public money on a study, citizens would have recalled the whole bunch of us. And we would have deserved it.
So by comparison, what you have described is pretty benign. I don’t think it fits the historical nature of downtown, but it’s not like I have anything to say about that sort of thing, anyway.
Just curious: How many pedestrian accidents and injuries have there been at that “dangerous intersection” in the past 15-20 years?
“Daily close calls” at York & Broad? Man, the town has changed more these past two years than I thought it had!
There was that stormy, winter night in the 90s when I tried to cross the Broad Street off-ramp crosswalk on my way to a council meeting at Pioneer Park and a driver failed to stop. I landed spread-eagled on his hood, and my council packet went flying in the rain….but that’s another story for another day.