Club Corridor Lands on Hilltop (15. May 2007, 07:39 by Derek Young) ~ Things Are Changing
Many of our friends have been singing the praises of Hilltop for several years now. The homes are relatively inexpensive. Le Le’s. Monsoon Room. Tempest. That vegetarian place that I can never remember the name of… So now we see that Club Corridor is opening in the 1200 block of MLK. Maybe we’ll get that revitalization after all… sans massive city backed redevelopment project. I’m an optimist.
(Hat tip to Erik and the Spew)
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“Quickie Too” is the name of the fabulous vegetarian restaurant in the Hilltop.
1 | Posted by Bridge | May 15, 08:12 AM
I have mixed feelings about this news. On the one hand, one more storefront will be filled. On the other hand, music clubs can lead to large numbers of drunk and irrational people out on the streets late at night. I would hate to see the same senseless nightclub violence erupt on the Hilltop like what has happened in the Theatre District. Perhaps this latest move is a backward step for the Hill?
Responsible music venues with good music of just about any genre are good for neighborhoods. If you go to Ballard, for instance, you’ll see that the Tractor Tavern or the Sunset get the kind of acts and the kind of crowd that make the neighborhood more fun without making it too loud or too crazy.
That said, I have no idea if this will be kind of club that is an asset or a liability for the Hilltop. Since it’s apparently Christian, I guess I’ll pray it’ll be an asset.
4 | Posted by michael g. | May 15, 11:39 AM
it seems that because it is in a hood with some ethnicity, people assume that it will have problems. If it was on 6th ave, or som where downtown or norht end, it will be hailed as the next great thing. What’s up with that? We gotta long way to go…
5 | Posted by tct | May 15, 12:08 PM
1216 MLK is the address for Valhalla Hall – which is owned by ALLEN RENAISSANCE which was started by the Allen AME Church across the street. I was under the impression that they were going to try and get some live jazz into the showroom. Hip-hop could work too, but the fringe element that feeds off these venues concerns me.
If you haven’t seen the showroom, it is a true jewel, check out these photos.
6 | Posted by morgan | May 15, 12:56 PM
wow, thanks morgan, great pictures of the Valhalla Hall. One of those places I’ve seen for decades and have never set foot inside. The place is just amazing, what an incredible venue and, properly utilized, could be an enormous asset to the neighborhood. Again, wow.
7 | Posted by Crenshaw Sepulveda | May 15, 02:51 PM
The building is owned by Allen Ren. My impression from conversations with their staff is that they hope to restore the entire building, including a restaurant area, to its former glory. I believe that they even received money from the state to help with this process. It should be an exciting addition to the neighborhood. I trust Allen to do a good job with the process since they are neighbors themselves and not just an investment group coming in from the outside.
8 | Posted by Katie | May 15, 03:25 PM
tct,
I’m surprised you decided to play the race card in this discussion. I have lived in neighborhoods where the population was 90% non-white (outside Tacoma, of course), so take offense to your allegation that I “automatically assume” that a club will cause problems. It’s just that I think the Hilltop is better off with uses that assure fewer gunshots in the night, not more.
This is what happens when you have lived in Hilltop for your whole life and you hear all the different comments about the “hood”.
10 | Posted by tct | May 17, 12:59 PM
drizell, “erupt in violence“….“fewer gunshots”. Have you heard many gun shots in hilltop with your own ears, seen much violence? I hear the same prejudice that “tct” hears in the comments. The worst prejudice is the one that is denied. Until you get a clue read your comments before submission.
11 | Posted by Hill Top Guy | May 17, 04:13 PM
I think folks should avoid reading into comments something that wasn’t there to begin with. Drizell said the threat was violence like that which has occurred in the Theatre District. From that, it sounds to me like he doesn’t think the potential for violence is related to what neighborhood a club is in.
That said, I think music clubs are assets to a neighborhood more often than not.
12 | Posted by michael g. | May 17, 04:38 PM
What everyone is afraid to say is hip hop (music venures/clubs) ....and I’m sure this comment will be removed…because it is not politically correct….
13 | Posted by Laura H. | May 17, 06:42 PM
I normally comment on these sorts of topics and make particularly incendiary remarks which would get promptly pulled. Well you can pretend I have made such remarks and be offended via proxy. Having said that, bad behavior is bad behavior. There are plenty of venues not frequented by people of color that have their share of violence and crime. I am always surprised that people will get really agitated when it involves people of color. Plenty of crime and violence in the red neck bars, no one worries about that, it is just the people of color that seems to concern some. Why the really big concern when it involves a person of a minority group and not the equal concern when it involves others? What is the dynamic going on here?
14 | Posted by Crenshaw Sepulveda | May 17, 07:56 PM
It would seem that alcohol is a bigger factor in what happens than the ethnicity of those involved or the type of music. Does anyone recall the number of incidents at other venues like McCabes? Also Club Friday is owned by World Vision, a christian organization, so the fact that AME would own it doesn’t change the potential impact. Of couse the style of music draws a certain crowd which is why hip hop and race have been brought into the mix. Can we find out if such outbursts also occur at jazz or other types of clubs?
15 | Posted by MW | May 18, 08:34 AM
Can we find out if such outbursts also occur at jazz or other types of clubs?
Everybody knows that jazz is the devil’s music. Makes people dance suggestively and smoke reefer…a sure path to hell!
16 | Posted by jamie from thriceallamerican | May 18, 09:04 AM
Its because black people are scary and intimidating to white people. Its an inate prejudice that 90% of us have. We need to work activly in our own heads to change that. How many people that champion diversity would feel truly comfortable walking into a mostly black hip-hop club at midnight on a saturday, I’d guess not many.
17 | Posted by Hill Top Guy | May 18, 09:46 AM
I’ll go to the club without a problem, but I’m getting a little past being out at midnight. That has nothing to do with skin color, it’s age. Not all of us are as you suggest.
Jaime, you didn’t mention guns and violence towards others…Should we then push dealers to change products?
18 | Posted by MW | May 18, 10:17 AM
I’m white and have been to and danced in mostly black jazz clubs in Oakland, California and felt fine – I don’t feel the same in a hip-hop venue.
It is not a race issue, it is a values issue regarding the “gangsta” genre.
There are white people that are into hip-hop and black people that think that it promotes/attracts violence and denigrates women.
19 | Posted by Laura H. | May 18, 10:30 AM
I hope it was clear that I was just being a smartass up above… I’ve played and listened to a lot more jazz than your average American, and I can’t dance worth crap.
21 | Posted by jamie from thriceallamerican | May 18, 10:37 AM
I think deep down there may be a racial divide, but I personally like some hip-hop. I dont frequent any clubs, but I dont mind saying I wouldnt go to a hip-hop club..ever. Not unless they were hosting a Nerdcore hiphop show :-)
Not because of perceived violence (because Ive seen TONS at punk shows) but because theres no way I would feel at ease around people who are fans of talking about shooting people, exploiting women and just being thugs overall. There, I said it. Rap that promotes violence and sexism is worthless. Each race is violent and stupid in its own special way.
22 | Posted by Tacoma (A)roma | May 18, 10:44 AM
“I hope it was clear that I was just being a smartass up above… I’ve played and listened to a lot more jazz than your average American, and I can’t dance worth crap.”
I notice, jamie, you don’t mention not smoking reefer here.
23 | Posted by Crenshaw Sepulveda | May 18, 12:03 PM
“I notice, jamie, you don’t mention not smoking reefer here.”
I noticed that, too. ;-)
Just being intentionally vague. Because that’s more fun, regardless of reality…
24 | Posted by jamie from thriceallamerican | May 18, 12:34 PM
I didn’t go to the Blue Scholars and Common Market show at Hells Kitchen last night (I’m in the early stages of malady that MW@18 mentioned), but my guess is that it was an example of a well-attended hip hop show with people of many races in attendance (most of the shows by these acts are) that went off without a hitch. We need more of that in Tacoma, not less.
25 | Posted by michael g. | May 18, 12:45 PM
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