Posted on 01/17/2018 4:55:46 AM PST by SandRat
BISBEE — For years, business on Subway Street came and went. Storefronts would be bustling with customers perusing through locally-owned shops, but, for whatever reason, that disappeared, leaving with a block full of empty windows and few customers for the shop owners that were left.
But now, things are changing for Subway Street as more local business owners open up shop and turn old storefronts into one-of-a-kind Bisbee boutiques.
“I think the city itself — in particular the Old Bisbee area— has has its ebbs and flows with the economy. I think we’ve seen over the year a lot of people come in and make it better,” said Alison Van Gorp, owner of the old Allen Block Building on Subway. “It’s come so far since we bought the building. There wasn’t much going on when we bought the building.”
Van Gorp purchased the building with her husband, Brett, in 1992. The building provides a communal space for artists and business owners to set up shop. Since first purchasing the historic building, she’s seen firsthand the ups and downs of Subway Street.
Van Gorp remembers when locals and merchants would gather on the road and dance to live music on Subway Street in the mid-1990s.
“We just kind of moved away from that, people have just been real busy. But all of the sudden there has just been a lot of positive energy in the area where we are all trying to work together to improve the space and make it more of a community space,” she said. “What we want to do is make use of our energies to engage our community.”
Within the last six months, four businesses moved into storefronts on Subway, giving new life to the block that’s been empty for so long. Seylah “Sailor” Banks and her wife, Felicia, are two of the newest tenants to take up shop on Subway Street and plan to open their new coffee shop and cafe, 31Beux, in the next few weeks.
The shop, which is currently under construction, has a laid-back industrial feel fit with low-hanging light fixtures and minimalist furniture. Banks said 31Beux will give locals and visitors another sit-down coffee experience in addition to the Bisbee Coffee Company, which is located down the street.
Although she could’ve opened up shop in a vacant space on Main Street, Banks said she wanted to help bring new life to Subway Street. She plans to build a small stage as a platform for local bands and artists to perform in another area of Bisbee.
“We hope to provide a space for people to be creative and have that learning environment,” Banks said.
31Beux isn’t the only new shop taking advantage of the open storefronts on Subway Street. Longtime artists and Bisbee locals, Poe Dismuke and Sam Woolcott, are renovating their new space right next door to Banks’ coffee shop — which is soon to be the home of the SAM*POE Gallery.
After 10 years on Main Street, the husband-wife duo will open the gallery’s doors on Subway on Feb. 1. The move, Dismuke said, will hopefully attract a more artistic crowd to the city block and bring curious customers to the less-traveled road off Main Street.
“It’s a gorgeous space and we are ready for a change,” Dismuke said. “There’s just this new energy and everybody is on board to revitalize this part of downtown. Since, we’ve been here, it’s been kind of dead. … We’re hoping to create more of an artistic environment down here. We’re becoming invisible over there (Main Street).”
In fact, Dismuke noticed that the space, located next door to 31Beux, became more popular after he and his wife first showed interest in renting it for their gallery. When Dismuke put in an offer, he said other prospective tenants followed suit and he was forced to sign a lease earlier than he thought in order to secure the widely sought-after spot.
“I just kind of happened,” he said. “We jumped really fast and as soon as we showed interested in this build about three other people jumped in right behind us. So it’s been kind of crazy. This building has been sitting empty for forever...You know when someone shows interest, then suddenly everybody else interested?”
Late last year, Black Sheep Imports and Tumbleweed Gypsy both moved to Subway Street from their Main Street storefronts. Jen Luria, co-owner of Tumbleweed Gypsy, has been in Bisbee for the last 11 years and recently opened up Tumbleweed with her business partner, Kara Peters, just over a year ago.
When Peters purchased the building on Subway Street in September, which also houses 31Beux, the pair moved their businesses and soon opened up shop thereafter. Since getting involved in the area, Luria said that fellow business owners are making a collaborative effort to revitalize the city block.
“Just the energy there in general has been really creative,” Luria said. “It shows that there’s more to Bisbee than just Main Street.”
Will Nathan, owner of Object Limited, a shoppable boutique hotel that just opened on Main Street, is among the few merchants who have access to both Main and Subway Street. Nathan plans to open his doors to shoppers on both Main and Subway to facilitate more movement between the two business corridors.
“Once Subway Street gets going these (back) doors, I’ll have open so people can just come in from Subway Street,” Nathan said. “Subway Street is also how my guests get into the building. That’s how you get up into the rooms.”
As a longtime business woman in the area, Van Gorp is excited to see Subway Street flourish once again.
“I think that Subway region has always had a real sense of community,” she said. “I think now, it just feels like everything's coming together and people want to get involved. I just really value that community. Everybody is positive and upbeat and it feels like we are doing something good for the community.”
You want schlock? Bisbee’s got it, plus more lesbians per capita than any other urban site east of Palm Springs.
Bisbee, Arizona.
Southern Arizona near the Mexico border.
Sounds like an artsy craftsy ultra left wing aging hippie mini version of San Francisco. A lot of these previously quaint, picturesque historic small towns have turned that way. Dirty shame.
Try the Bloody Marys at the Copper Queen...
There is one good restaurant in Bisbee, Zikos or a namee something like that. Good chow and drinks. Also, one of the best men’s hatters in America with prices to knock your socks off.
Where is Kim Basinger’s dress shop?
???
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