Full Court (Im)Press: Restaurant Group Crushing It in Tough Times
- Thread starter capitalcityguy
- Start date
We would go to ICubs games then hit up some of those bars years ago. Now after an ICubs game I would rather go to East Village or Ingersoll areas.
Yeah, I googled it's location, and that place was constantly changing tenants when I lived in Des Moines, and that was over a decade ago.
Haven't been down to that area since the Legends/ Liars Club days. The area seemed pretty safe and clean back then.
I'd much rather go to El Bait Shop or Mullets if I'm going to a baseball game nowadays.
I'd much rather go to El Bait Shop or Mullets if I'm going to a baseball game nowadays.
I was last there at night in 2019 or so. It didn't feel remotely unsafe, it just seemed like the kind of places I had zero interest in hanging out. I chalked that up more to my changing preferences than a particular downgrade, although I do think losing places like Dos Rios definitely pushed it towards more of a "just here to get hammered and **** strangers" crowd.
There are enough FCP places in the neighborhood that it's not going to go that way completely. I was there during the day for the Farmer's Market last summer and it seemed pretty much the same as always. But most of the nightlife is not aimed for people like me.
At some point there were metal detectors installed and alcohol was stopped at midnight. That was my last time down there that late.
Everyone goes to the East Village now and the only places that will make it (in my opinion) are the long established establishments like Fong's, Royal Mile, Bait Shop, etc. Tough to break in and gain traction when much of the business is across the river.
About a block in each direction of Court Center was the case in 2021. Had fences up across the streets with small gaps manned by security and cops to ID everyone coming in and wand them.
Yep, its the 3 story building on 3rd and Court.
This was from June so maybe plans have changed but this is what the ownership is planning to do.
Owners seek to revamp now-vacant iconic Court Avenue building into entertainment hub
Court Center owners plan a makeover that would include a restaurant, entertainment area such as a bowling alley and a 'Nashville-style' music venue.
www.desmoinesregister.com
As others have stated an area around the building, so not just focused on that.
Yeah, that doesn't seem like anything I'd want any part of.
Larry does not own that building. In fact he is in a lawsuit against the owners. The Court Center building owner seems to have messed up the whole court ave thing. I have not been to court ave in Years. I went to Johnnys after a concert one time and seemed like a good bar for younger folks. Have heard it has got really bad downtown in the court ave area.
Yep, its the 3 story building on 3rd and Court.
This was from June so maybe plans have changed but this is what the ownership is planning to do.
Owners seek to revamp now-vacant iconic Court Avenue building into entertainment hub
Court Center owners plan a makeover that would include a restaurant, entertainment area such as a bowling alley and a 'Nashville-style' music venue.www.desmoinesregister.com
That's what I thought. One of my clients had a bar in that building.
Yeah I think he is just a tenant at most of his bars. I know his sons own the tall skinny country bar in the court ave district. Maybe Outlaws?? Is the name. His other son owns Pints and the upstairs bar and the building. Larry might own a building or two downtown. Just not court center.
In the 1980's "renaissance" of court avenue, the Court Center building was the home to "Gringo's" and right next to it at 210 Court was "Judge Roy Bean's". And your court ave party warm up during the summer months at Nollen Plaza was "senoiM seD" every Friday after 5pm. Downtown was rocking back then.
Heard stories of what an armpit it was back in the 70's, sounds as if it's heading in that direction.
Thinking back to the mid to late 2000's, downtown was the only place in the DSM area with multiple bars in walking distance of each other. The Court Center building was home to many very popular bars; People's (later became the Exchange), The music venue/stage next to Peoples, Liar's Club, the bar adjacent to Liar's Club (seemed to change names often), and there was also some sort of Rock Bar on the ground floor for a bit. Having everything else within a block or two made it a very appealing destination for many demographics. Outside of downtown, bars around DSM were essentially located in small shopping centers scattered everywhere. This was before Uber was a thing making difficult to hop around.
I think the popularity of the West Glen area in WDM started taking away from downtown in the early 2010's, by offering multiple/different kinds of bars/restaurants in the same area.
