1st Avenue Lofts Downtown Update

I got a chance to visit the Karam Brothers downtown loft development on Florence St.  They are really starting to look good!

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

Flickr of the Day | Kress Building El Paso

Kress, originally uploaded by livingcityproject.

Another great eatery downtown

There is a new restaurant downtown that I plan on frequenting quite often.  I first went to El Pisto about 8 days ago and then went again 3 days after that.  The food is excellent and if you have time to go grab a bite to eat, go there this week.  So far, I have tried the enchiladas and the picadillo tacos.  The portions are just right and the prices are fair.  If you are craving dessert, buy the churros…really good!

I plan on going again this week, so maybe I will see you there.  Here is their website and I almost forgot to tell you where they are located.  You can find El Pisto @ 212 West Overland.  Take Santa  Fe and then take a right on overland..it will be on your left. 

Lunch is served from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and they do have their liquor license now so you can get a nice cerveza with your meal.

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

Rulis’ Kitchen, a great downtown lunch spot

This past Friday I drove downtown and got some lunch with a couple friends at Rulis’ International Kitchen.  Walking into the restaurant, you immediately feel welcomed.  A nice atmosphere combined with a nice staff make the place comfortable.  Walk up to the register and order your food and then grab a drink and sit down ( I got a chicken pesto panini, fantastic)  The crowd is very eclectic, ranging from business people, to students, to visitors from out of town. 

If you want to feel the soul of downtown El Paso, Rulis’ is a great place to go experience it and also a great place to get a glimpse of the future.  Raul, the owner, sat down with me and told me about his love for El Paso and his hopes for downtown.  He hopes to add sidewalk seating soon and also has plans for other restaurants. Raul also interacts with his patrons and makes sure they are enjoying their meal. You can have a great building, a great concept and a lot of money, however, you need the right people to make it happen.   It’s people like Raul who are helping make the revitalization of El Paso  transition from a dream to reality. 

 In other downtown news, I just read in the El Paso Times that two more businesses were relocating downtown…yes! 

Next time you want to try a great meal, head on down to 318 N. Mesa and grab a bite at Rulis‘…El Paso cuisine at its best. 

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

Want to know more about Blackbird Concepts?

I met up yesterday with Valentin Sandoval and his brother Damian of Blackbird Concepts.  The two brothers are a local creative group who produce everything from film documentaries to photography.  After talking with them, I could tell they both have a strong love for El Paso and it shows in the work they produce.

On YouTube, they have an ongoing documentary on the Karam Brothers 1st Ave. Lofts and are also working on a project entitled “Corazaon de El Paso”   about downtown.  If you would like the Sandoval brothers to work on a project for you, they can be contacted by clicking here.

Here is the YouTube clip for Corazaon de El Paso.

 

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

WANTED: People to fill an empty downtown

Hi possible suitor,

My name is El Paso and I am pretty lonely.  I seem to have over 800,000 people around me, but no one seems to want to spend anytime with me where I feel happiest at; my core, my heart, my downtown.  There is this red head that visits me every so often and he always take pictures when I am at my loneliest(thanks a lot).  He was nice enough to send me some pictures of myself and I have decided to share them with you…to show you how lonely I get.

I don’t ask for much, just people who want to make a difference, people who want to invest in me.  There are a few (Karam Brothers, Paul Foster (my sugar daddy),  Jim Scherr, Laurie & Mike @ Lynx Exhibits  & Bobby at the Percolator.  However, I’m needy and I want more.  I want cafes, lively public squares, weekend festivals (every week!), dry cleaners, a grocery store, less vacant buildings, and most of all, smiles & laughter.

Are you right for me,  I don’t know, but I am willing to take a chance on you if you are willing to take a chance on me.  If you want a tour,  I believe some guys in green pedicabs will show you my curves/architecture for a small fee…wink wink…

My name is El Paso and I am living El Paso.

Brand new week, fresh start.

Happy Monday to everyone.  A lot happened over the weekend.  The Indios made the playoffs, stormwater is staying under PSB control, and Mayor Cook won re-election. 

Congratulations to Mayor Cook after a successful re-election.  No matter who you voted for, now is the time to come together as a city.  If you feel disappointed on how business has been run so far at the city, go down and make your voice heard.  Here are a few of the issues that I would like to see addressed in more detail by the mayor/city council:

• Re-evaluate the current effectivness of the marketing of the city to outsiders and locals.
• Creating a public arts project downtown
• Creation of a performing arts center downtown
• Multi-purpose arena downtown
• Raise in the hotel/motel/rental car tax to help fund some of the above mentioned projects (performing arts center & arena)
• Rio Grande improvements (this river is the worst utilized waterway I have ever seen in my life, so much more could and should be done with it)
• Make this city believe in itself again.  El Paso needs to jump out of this “poor me” mentality.  It’s time to for our leaders (and all of us) to step up to the plate and help guide El Paso to the next level. 

These are just a few of the items that I would like to see tackled over the next 4 years.  What would you like to see done over the next few years?

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

Just found an interesting article on newspaper tree that talks about the possiblity of comuuter rail between Cruces and El Paso.

El Paso downtown needs animation

I truly believe that one needs a vision to help them get to the finish line. The downtown plan for El Paso is nice, but we…( ok, really me) needs an animation, like you are about to see, to experience the true vision.  A lot of people are visual and it would help them get excited if they could almost go into the future to see what may come.  The following video was put together by a developer up in Waco. 

more about “The Vision on Vimeo“, posted with vodpod

 

 

Let me preface the poll by explaining the question.  I want to know if you would like to see the downtown plan brought to conceptual life through a video like the one you saw above.

 

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

Start to a new week and I’m excited

Good Monday to everyone.

I am feeling much better today and am excited for the week ahead.  Went to the Beto’s meeting this morning at Village Inn near UTEP.  Mayor Cook was the speaker.  It was good hearing from him again.  What stood out most to me was when he spoke about what’s important to him…that being:

• revitalized downtown
• more open/park space
• efficient mass transportation
• continued job creation
• economic development

All in all, it was a good meeting.  Next week will be 2 more mayoral canidates, followed by 2 more the week after that.

 

Also, not sure if anyone has checked out the 1st ave lots on florence, but construction has begun!  I checked out the El Paso Project’s website, and it has been updated.  It is really exciting to see what the Karam brothers have accomplished so far and I can’t wait to see the end product.

this could be YOU living there

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

What would be your first priority?

If you could bring one idea to fruition in El Paso, what would it be?  I’m not one to put limits on ideas, however, make them as specific as possible.   After all ideas have been submitted, we can go through and discuss the viability of each one.  Any one is eligible to submit ideas….even you mom.  You can post them in the comments section or you can e-mail them to me at livingelpaso@gmail.com

 

So I will start it off. 

• A true community downtown.  I’m talking high, moderate, and low income people all living  together.  Truly creating a new neighborhood in the El Paso area. 

 

My name is David and I am living El Paso.