Crisp Corner
- Crisp Corner
DWNTWN ARTMRKT
This past Saturday we headed to the Union Plaza area in downtown El Paso to check out the DWNTWN ARTMRKT:
DWNTWN ARTMRKT
The market is a chance for local artists to showcase their wares and runs every Saturday on Anthony Street. The first time I went a couple of weeks ago the winds were terrible and made it quite unpleasant. This weekend the wind was gone, the temps were higher so we had a chance to really walk around checking things out. There was a booth setup for free ornament making for the kids so our boys had blast making a little art of their own. Thanks to Katie and her friend for helping our hooligans out with their ornaments!
The city blocks off the street so the vendors can set up booths and have plenty of room for people to walk and browse. There was a nice selection of arts and crafts, from jewelry to paintings as well as a few food vendors.
Vendor row
Union Plaza has gone through a revitalization of sorts with improved sidewalks and parking. There are a lot more restaurants in the area though they didn’t look open at the time we were there. The real highlight of the area is the old industrial buildings that now house may of the clubs and restaurants. They have retained their character and clues to there past can still be found on the faded brick facades.
Western Coffee Company
Moore
Post no Bills
After walking around a bit and checking out the train station the kids were getting a bit unruly so we headed out to get some lunch. I can see this growing and being real popular in the springtime, hopefully more of the restaurants will make an effort to be open for lunch as more people come. More shots of the buildings in the area can be found here:
Postcard Shots
I found a postcard scan of El Paso from about 92 or so:
El Paso from about 1992
For comparison here’s a similar shot from 2006:
El Paso from 2006
And here’s from a week ago:
El Paso from 2011
Yeah, I didn’t notice anything different either 🙂 That’s unfortunate because a lot has changed down there. In that same time we got a couple of new museums, a handful of buildings have been revitalized and the Plaza Theater has been reopened. The makings of an art scene have begun and there are many new restaurants and clubs that have opened. To the casual visitor who may only stop at scenic drive for that 4000 foot view, downtown looks exactly the same as it has for years. You know what though, that may be a bonus to the vendors who have stockpiles of El Paso postcards.