Walkabout #4 (Media)

It was a quiet afternoon when we all gathered to go on our fourth walkabout. Our destination: 15th and 15th, a place several of us hadn't yet been. It was a Sunday, so naturally, since this IS Utah there were a lot less poeple out and about. The overall feeling of the neighborhood was pretty peaceful, but maybe that's because Sunday always seems like a peaceful day to me. My first impression of the area was that, while it wasn't as nice as the Avenues, it still was a middle-class place. The shops were definitely prosperous, tucked away, with their signs and exotic wares for sale beckoned to us and we decided to look into the neighborhood a little more and discover the media at hand...
Albert Chloe and 15th Street Gallery represent the modern style among the eclectic shops and restaurants along 15th and 15th. The gallery has a very stark exterior, entirely grays and whites. that color theme is found withing the gallery as well, on the walls and floor and even in the pieces on display. the gallery feels colder than many of the other stores along the street; the modern style seems to clash a bit with the neighborhood-y, niche-y feeling of the area. Albert
Chloe is a modern, older women's clothing store ("A mom store, as Bryn put it)--the clothing was conservatively stylish and elegant. The facade was plain, with large, unadorned letters. This store didn't scream "neighborhood" either, but given that many of the restaurants and shops cater to a well-to-do crowd, the theme of the store does fit with the area.
There were some pretty fancy resturants around the 15th and 15th area. Many countries were represented. There was Mazza, a Middle Eartern place, and Italian Cafe called Fresco, and a place called The Paris Bistro. Mazza had their sign written in a sort of exotic and desertesque font that seemed to say, "Eating our hummus is as close to Saudi Arabia as your getting, my friend." Fair enough. Anyway, it worked on me. This is Tim, by the way. I wanted that Arabian hummus. Fresco was next door to Mazza. Hole-in-the-wall wouldn't be an accurate desription. More like a path-in-the-wall-that-you-take-to-the-hole-in-the-wall kind of placce. Although, it was still pretty pricey. We walked back there, hoping for Bruschetta, but it was closed. It was Sunday. What're you gonna do? Apparently Fresco was confident enough that is didn't feel the need to spice things up with special fonts. All the menus and things were typed out pretty plainly. Confident but not pretentious. We met a waiter, who surprised us when we pushed openn the wrong door, thinging it was empty. What was pretentious? The Paris Bistro, that's what. Decked out in curly-cues and cursive, it begged for our attention and turned us away with its price tag. The waiters laughed if asked for tap water;bottled water was abou twelve dollars a pop. Good riddance. Who needs 'em? I hope the locals aren't fooled. They probably know some secret lunch deal, though.
Peculiarly enough, all of these "hole-in-the-wall" shops and restaurants are home to this quaint neighborhood. The only two, almost over-bearing buildings, are the ever popular Einstein's Bagels and Starbuck's Coffee. Their presence at 15th and 15th dominates the entire street. It's obvious, like any other Starbuck's or Einstein's, that these two locations are hangouts for residents of the surrounding area. Their signs are as classic as the cafe-style food they sell. In addition, it is interesting how they are the only two middle-class style restaurants in that area. As mentioned earlier, although the neighborhood is made of fairly commonplace houses, most of the other stores, restaurants, and shops are tucked away along the street, yet still very ritzy and expensive. Starbuck's and Einstein's defy the unity of the other places found on 15th and 15th.
At the end of the block was a short,decently-sized blus building. At first glance, Alessandro thought it was a pub; it had a postsign that said, "King's English." When we were closer, we cuold see underneath the sign the words "bookstore." We went inside, hopeing for some inspiration for what a "signage of 15th and 15th" was. The store is your typical small-sized bookstore: bookcases are close together, everything has a wooden and brown feel, books are everywhere, on the shelves, on top of the bookcases, in piles. Looking around for signs, we ended up in the heart of the classic fiction section; we did not find signs, but we had found a magnificent niche. Each of us was at ease, remembering books we had to read in high school, pointing out books that moved us. Here, in this small bookstore, we could bond. When we had to leave, we had a solemn silence while our eyes re-adjusted to the sun.
Our experience was unique, as have all our walkabout adventures so far. We have been able to enjoy so much of this city we live in, and each time we discover something new.