That's right....Kent, Ohio, whose downtown area has remained relatively unchanged since its hippie days is suddenly changing. Being the wife of a real estate broker, I realize that tearing down old buildings and replacing them with shiny, new strip malls is a sign of a healthy economy (although it is the aesthete's worst enemy). Northeast Ohio's economy has been anything but healthy during the past decade and every town wants to see new businesses come in and liven things up, that's true. The city of Kent and the University have been making efforts to be partners rather than separate entities. That's good, too, but my college town is changing and I don't like it!
Jerry's Diner was one of my favorite after hours haunts in Kent. My fellow punks and I would commune there after a long night of partying in the bars and music clubs of Kent. (Old college partying stories to be addressed in future posts....after all, I am nothing if not sentimental, as previously stated.) My friends and I used to scrounge up enough leftover beer money to share a plate of greasy fries and cups of black coffee at Jerry's. One could only hope for a grimy stool at the equally grimy lunch counter. Now, the corner on which it once sat is vacant. This was probably the most heartbreaking change for me (other than my favorite coffee house selling out to Starbucks). Here is a photo of Jerry's during demolition a couple of years ago:
The Sunrise Apartments were recently demolished to make way for new student apartments. I never lived here, but had friends that did:
The Robin Hood was a fine dining establishment when my dad went to Kent State University. It was a bar that attracted a lot of jocks and frat boys when I was in college. I hung out here occasionally until I discovered my inner punk and then began to frequent more respectable punk hangouts like JB's and Mother's (which was renovated into a "nice" restaurant in the 1990s with no remnants of it's Saturday night reggae band past):
Before:
After:
The maddening thing about this demolition is that the owner had no re-purposing plans in mind when she had it demolished. This is one of the most prevalent corners in Kent, as it is right across the street from campus as well as Kent's most popular coffee house, otherwise known as Captain Brady's to my dad, Brady's to me, and Starbucks to its current unfortunate patrons that didn't know it when it was still owned by a person and not a corporation. This corner will remain lonely and vacant until the owner (who has remained silent on the issue) decides what to do with it. One can only hope that whatever it is, it will be inexpensive enough for the college students to enjoy and frequent.
Sadder still are the elderly and disabled residents of Silver Oaks retirement village on the other side of campus. Their home has been sold to a developer, who plans to build student housing. The residents weren't given more than a couple of month's notice to vacate and five residents have died, presumably from the trauma of being forced out of their homes, since the announcement was made. A local non-profit agency that assists the elderly let on that they were trying to raise the funds to purchase the complex from the developer, but the chances of that happening seem slim to none. Most recently, another developer (what else?) has come forward with potential plans to build new retirement housing in Kent. Gotta strike while the iron is hot, right? At least the surviving residents might have a place to go.
Kent's pride and joy is Acorn Alley. Yes, it is in the heart of downtown, aesthetically pleasing, and offers various places to hang out, but it seems a bit gentrified (and expensive) compared to the Kent I knew. Acorn Alley II is under construction, complete with a street named after the developer (wince). I wonder how many college students can actually afford flashy Acorn Alley I/II eateries such as Bricco, but I guess it is a reasonable alternative to the Schwebel Room in the Student Center for students who want to "take" their visiting parents out for dinner.
Thank goodness that independently owned, long-term businesses and hangouts like Spin More Records, The Loft, Ray's, the Venice, and Franklin Square Deli are still there or I would be completely disoriented when I visit. Here's a fun article about some of the bars and clubs that I frequented in the 80s.
Of course, it is the people that make a town and I am lucky enough to still have enough family and friends in the area to help re-create Kent's independent spirit and hippie vibe. I really want to see Kent do well in these tough economic times, so change if it must. I'll adjust....somehow.
(To give credit where credit is due, the Record Pub and Kent Patch websites get total and complete credit for these awesome photos.)
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