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The Two Sides of 5th Street August 11th, 2009 Posted by Hunter Wilson
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The 5th Street corridor has always been a Charlotte nightlife staple, home to uptown stalwarts RiRa, Connolly's, the Attic, Madison's, Phil's and Buckhead Saloon. Cross over Tryon Street however, and the picture becomes much bleaker. Daddy's Bar and Grill at the corner of 5th and Church has been vacant for over a year now, despite an excellent multi-level floor plan. The two-story space that formerly housed Liv, Hom, and Feast has run through several tenants over the years, none of which has really found any traction. The opposite side of the road is devoid of any street level retail altogether, home only to a row of parking meters.
It seems there's hope for the block yet though. Nix Burger Bar opened several months ago, and seems to be doing an excellent business so far (not many people know they have half price (~$4) burgers 4-6pm everyday, and $2 tallboys on Fridays). Basil, an upscale Thai restaurant, also recently opened its doors in the Avenue building - you can nearly smell the Pad Thai from Tryon Street. To complete the street's transformation, the old Hom and Feast space is being renovated to welcome Kashmere nightclub and Fiji Sushi Bar & Lounge, both set to open this month. Daddy's still remains the lone vacancy, although I expect it to fill quickly if Kashmere and Fiji do well and draw partygoers down the block.

What do you guys think? Can these new businesses succeed where so many others have failed and revitalize "the other side" of 5th street? And what's the deal with Daddy's - why has it been vacant for so long?

UPDATE: According to Sarah Aarthun at the Charlotte Observer, it now appears that Latorre's Restaurant on 5th Street is closing as well - its last day of business will be this Saturday. After 10 years in business, the latin themed restaurant joins Home, Liv, Feast, Daddy's and several other businesses that just couldn't make it on 5th Street. Here's hoping that something exciting comes along to fill the empty space - the block desperately needs it.
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Hunter Wilson
Owner, CarolinaNightlife.com1 Posts
Charles is the Executive Director of Carolina Nightlife and very involved in the nightlife industry in NC and SC. He has been working with venues of all sizes, different brands and products, and countless events across NC and SC for over 8 years.