Monday, December 08, 2008

Not Uptown, But Downtown

This got me thinking about what I consider to be “Downtown” Springfield. That is, I decided I would try to define downtown geographically. Here’s what I came up with:

Basically, I think downtown is the area bordered by Madison to the north, 11th Street on the east, Cook on the south and Pasfield to the west. (I guess I could add or subtract a specific block here and there, but I prefer symmetry.) Does this sound about right or am I being too inclusive or exclusive?

Update: Gish in comments suggests the location of a “culinary downtown” where you find the best places to eat and drink.

I would move that east two blocks to 8th to get in Brewhaus and Saputo’s.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Let me get this straight. You're including the presidential library, but not the museum? And what is there east of the 10th Street tracks that qualifies as a "downtown" site?

Clearly the northern boundary should be another block north, to Madison Street, to take in the museum and (I think it mainly qualifies within your western edge) the Willard Ice Building. And the east boundary should be moved another block west, to 10th Street.

You could barely make a case to take the northern edge all the way to Carpenter Street, thus including St. John's and the Lottery Building, but that gets kinda wobbly in the northwest corner. And then would you make an exception for the Memorial/SIU complex?

Going south another block to Lawrence also is an option -- that brings in the YMCA, Dana-Thomas House and some additional state-related offices. But then maybe you're got to stretch to take in Springfield Clinic.

Nah. It's Pasfield, Madison, 10th and Lawrence.

Anonymous said...

Crap: Pasfield, Madison, 10th and COOK ...

Dave said...

ALO,

Actaully, I ment to include Madison as shown on the map. I've updated the post to reflect that.

doggettmeister said...

Sounds pretty good without being nitpicky. My standard on the East would actually be the tracks: west, you are downtown and east, you aren't.

One could argue about shortening up the Western border to College or lengthening it to Lewis but things start to get a little sparse (comparitively) anyway.

Maybe we could think of themed downtowns since my concept of an eating or drinking downtown is way different from a business or geographical downtown.

I'd propose that the 'culinary downtown' is only 4th, Washington, 6th, Monroe.

doggettmeister said...

I cannot believe I forgot about Brewhaus. I was just there on Saturday. You are spot on and with Saputos too.

Anonymous said...

cant believe how biased you people are. what about that little fish-shanty place on South Grand, fast and dependable service and I am yet to get indigestion or food poisoning from there like I have from those hoity toity elitist establishments in the white-man's "down-town."

doggettmeister said...

Bias or not. Residential homes are nearly never considered to be 'downtown'. Carter's is smack-dab in a heavy residential area. I would even hazard a guess that it can be referred to as uptown.