THE PLAY ISSUE Night Moves BY SHELTON HULL // PHOTO BY BOB SELF 22 J MAGAZINE | SUMMER <strong>2019</strong>
As more people choose to live Downtown, the bars, restaurants and clubs that provide nightlife in the core begin to light up Well, if Manhattan is the city that never sleeps, then Jacksonville would be one that naps, a lot. That was once far more true than it is now. For years, the lack of late-nightlife Downtown was as much a part of the city’s brand as many of the things that actually did exist, but a decade’s worth of combined effort by the public and private sector have led to a healthy uptick in foot traffic and business activity. This year is expected to have some of our most heightened activity in years, as far as bars, clubs and restaurants go. With the Jacksonville Landing easing its way into history, this summer will be the first in more than 30 years without that venerable shopping plaza to anchor the social life of Downtown, and no one knows for sure exactly how that will impact the rest of the neighborhood. We do know, however, that their peers have been operating independently of Independent Drive for years already, so none of the recent developments will have come as a shock to anyone who’s been paying attention. Civic leaders have been pushing for enhanced Downtown development for decades now, but things really began to pick up speed 15 years ago, as the city was gearing up to host Super Bowl XXXIX in February 2005. Downtown nightlife was spotty, at best, in the years just before, with a handful of dive bars and relatively high-profile clubs like Mark’s, Dive Bar and TSI. By and large, though, unless you were in your 20s and going out to dance and drink, there was really no reason to hang out Downtown after hours, except maybe the Landing, which had begun its long-slow, precipitous decline years before. All that changed as the new millennium began, and an increase in nightlife options brought with it a commensurate increase in foot traffic, thanks largely to the rise of Art Walk, and business owners began to finally see some much-needed momentum, which brings us to the present and a Downtown scene that is much busier and more diverse than perhaps ever before. A long night out is best when it begins with a nice meal. Your options abound Downtown, but that is better done earlier than later. Many eateries in the urban core close after lunch or at the end of business hours. Certain others stay open until 9 or 10 p.m., sometimes a little later on the weekend, while all retail establishments shut their doors long before that. Gallery spaces are the same, but they will sometimes keep odd hours for key openings or other such special occasions. It’s worth getting out early to check out some of these places. And for what it’s worth, summertime sunsets on the St. Johns River are just gorgeous. After your meal, it’s time to walk off those calories with a little bar-hopping. Your nightlife options are largely concentrated in a several-block radius that is easily walkable, no matter how lazy one might be feeling. In terms of after-hours activity Downtown, everything revolves around Bay Street, which quickly emerged as the area’s primary bar district, with a variety of nightspots spanning several blocks that will appeal to most interests. The strip begins at the corner where East Bay Street intersects with North Ocean Street. That corner is two blocks down from Burrito Gallery, on Adams Street, which stays open with food, drink and sometimes live music (usually rock, soul or fusion) until 2 a.m. Thursday-Saturday. On your way up toward the Elbow, be sure to stop at Dos Gatos. Located on Forsyth Street right across from Casa Dora, Space Gallery and the Florida Theatre, Dos Gatos essentially ushered what quickly became a million-dollar market for craft-cocktails (and the highend spirits that animate them). Just a few feet down, [Continued on page 88] « Fans of the band Tauk take in the show at 1904 Music Hall, a live music venue on North Ocean Street in Downtown Jacksonville. SUMMER <strong>2019</strong> | J MAGAZINE 23