Rumblings: Go Ahead, Mess With The Bull. See What Happens.
>>> Vandals deface, remove and run over with a car the new plaque proclaiming the existence of the “Ninth Street Curb Market”. We’re gonna side with the vandals on this one, and you know why? BECAUSE THE NINTH STREET CURB MARKET DOES NOT EXIST. It’s the Italian Market, it always was, it always will be, it doesn’t matter if there’s Italians there or not. And while we’re on the subject, why does Delaware Ave. get changed to Columbus Blvd. (a far more dumb/controversial change, if you ask us) and yet Ninth Street is stripped of it’s dago-red? Atza crazy talk! [DanGross]
>>> Architecture critic Inga Saffron finally lays the hammer down on Symphony House for being butt ugly: “Symphony House speaks gibberish. It is a Frankenstein mix of historical elements, from Palladian arches to art deco porthole windows, that have been rendered meaningless by modern times, materials and construction methods. The mansard crown was stolen outright from the Chateau Crillon and reproduced in fiberglass instead of copper, with four pointless hatpins poking up at the corners.” She didn’t even mention how every switch in the building operates on a friggin’ Clapper. [Inky]
>>> And lastly a bit of ComcasticSchadenfreude®: Third quarter profits are down a whopping 54 percent. YOU MESS WITH THE BULL, YOU GET THE HORNS, BABY! WOO! [AP]
October 26th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Holy Shit, Inga Saffron. I wish she were my mother and my lover.
“The 32-story mixed-use tower flounces onto venerable South Broad Street like a sequined and over-rouged strumpet.”
God, she outdid herself with this one.
October 26th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
The original “name” is 9th Street Curb Market, it only got tagged with “Italian” because they were the prevelant ethnicity for so long when in actuality it was a veritable European Union of vendors down there…but because you couldn’t readily tell them apart it became the “Italian Market” by default. Now that many of the vendors are CLEARLY not European, with many Asians and Mexicans / Central Americans finding a place along the street we get the lament that “it’s not Italian down in the Italian Market anymore.” Let’a all call bullshit on that and embrace 9th Street as “9th Street”.
October 26th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Yes, the “curb market” ain’t all that “Italian” anymore, but it’s not like the market consists simply of tables and bins placed along the curb. Aside from one Korean grocer, I think the bulk of the people who’ve built up clout and capital to occupy the STOREFRONTS along the 9th Street market make a fair argument for keeping the Italian market name. I mean does anyone call Chinatown China-Vietnam-Malaysia town or just Asiatown?
October 26th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
“The 32-story mixed-use tower flounces onto venerable South Broad Street like a sequined and over-rouged strumpet.”
Were it only so! Unfortunately, it isn’t that interesting or fun. Looks to me like the architectural equivalent of a mauve-lovin’ frumpy pencil-skirted marketing hag in sneakers.
Mrrrreaaaowww…Hisss!