The Ear

 
Hatch to Hatch in Virginia Beach?
It seems that Zack Miller, who concocted Hatch Norfolk, is getting attention from Virginia Beach for its own Hatch, Virginia Beach style.

Word has it that $200,000 is on the table by Virginia Beach to bring the Hatch concept to the Resort Town.

If that’s the case, Norfolk will lose its preeminence as the city with the only Hatch among south side cities.

If that’s the case, Norfolk and Virginia Beach will compete for notoriety, startups and bragging rights.

Imagine the decision that Miller has to make.

Keep Norfolk the center of the Hatch world and maintain your city support or branch into Virginia Beach, enticed by $200,000, and perhaps be squeezed by the politics of the two cities.

The Yellow Brick Building

Marathon Development president and owner, Buddy Gadams, doesn’t retreat, doesn’t surrender and keeps on trucking.

His latest project at 416 Boush Street, a complex of apartments and a parking garage connected to another proposed apartment at the corner of Freemason and Granby Streets, got approval from Norfolk City Council on Tuesday.

Supposedly, though, Norfolk’s Design Review Board wanted a more subtle color and different design and asked for changes.

But the changes were never made, however, and the Planning Commission approved the original submission, minus the changes.

So expect a yellow apartment complex on Boush Street. 


If nothing else, it will contrast, as well as clash, with the drab and somber tones of the concrete block houses just down the street.

This is what Norfolk needs – a cacophony of colors, which will prepare visitors and residents for the potpourri of public paintings on buildings.

Dishcrawl

Is it a startup? Or is it a franchise?

You decide.

Indulge yourself with a Culinary Expedition through Ghent, the headline says. See Dishcrawl in Ghent here.

Home to the "Creative Class" Ghent is known for its boutique shops, exciting entertainment venues, and of course the food! Ghent has so many eateries it's hard to choose just one and for one day in March you won't have to. On March 12th at 7:00 pm ... More + , the web site says. 

Just buy a ticket. For $45. And do a restaurant crawl. 



A Wrap of Weekly Comments
On “Food Fight in Norfolk”

Food cart or not, I can't afford to eat out anymore. Eliminate the prepared food tax.
February 28, 2013 at 9:34 AM

"Start creating Norfolk’s own ideas"? Who is supposed to do that? How about the entrepreneur? Let the entrepreneur figure out what the customer wants. Let the entrepreneur run the financial risk of it working. Let the entrepreneur do it instead of the government and keep the government out of everyone's business - and that includes stop protecting current businesses. Let them compete!

February 28, 2013 at 9:4

On “Sell Traffic Congestion”

Folks simply need to live closer to where they work. But there are exceptions, such as Senator Frank Wagner. He runs a shipyard in downtown Newport News, and after complaining about traffic congestion on the HR Bridge Tunnel,he was asked why he didn't move to the city where his business was located, his reply was, "I would never live in Newport News." February 27, 2013 at 8:16 AM

A six-lane bridge with reversible lanes like the Golden Gate would pretty much eliminate the traffic congestion going between the Southside and the Peninsula.

Just think how great it would be to be traveling along at 55 mph without slamming on your brakes at the tunnel's entrance. February 27, 2013 at 8:19 AM

I'm not sure that the perceptions of a crime problem in Norfolk are completely unfounded. I don't know what the statistics say, but anecdotal evidence from Norfolk friends suggests that they regularly face car break ins, bike thefts, copper thefts and even assaults at night in certain neighborhoods. Norfolk friends regularly talk about crime concerns. Va Beach friends do not.

Also, Norfolk's problem is not about police presence. It's about police competency. Again based on anecdotal evidence, Norfolk police are slow to respond, rarely investigate and often mis-code police reports so that statistics don't look bad. I realize this is a serious claim. I'm not necessarily saying I agree with it. Only that many Norfolk residents don't trust their police force, and they don't feel like they have a voice to do anything about it. February 27, 2013 at 12:00 PM

So the people causing the congestion by not living where they work are the ones having to suffer the congestion. People should live where they want to live (versus where someone else thinks they should live) if they are prepared to live with the traffic. I live in VB and have been commuting to Norfolk for 25 years. Schools in Norfolk are awful so in order to live where I work I have to take on 4 private school tuition payments. No thank you. I just leave at 6am and work out at the Y in the morning. I just deal with it. February 27, 2013 at 3:57 PM