Anderton's East, The Pearl of Madison
Here are some shots of the really great terra-cotta commercial building formerly known as Anderton's East at 1901 Madison. It has something for everyone: beauty, character, location, parking, a great neon sign left behind by its longtime occupant.
I even like the Rat Pack Modern entrance that now looks as ancient as the ornament that it covered (but doesn't appear to have destroyed).
I've only been inside once, a long time ago, but I seem to remember a very retro lounge atmosphere -- perhaps matching the entrance. Could be wrong about that though.It would be an awesome building for an entrepeneur who has, and wants more, style.
Labels: 38104, geo:lat=35.137508, geo:lon=-89.998007, geotagged, historic preservation, redevelopment
posted by gatesofmemphis at 11:27 PM
1 Comments:
"I've only been inside once, a long time ago..." cuts right to the root of the problem. The inside of Anderton's is even more retro cool than the outside. It's nautical themed with recessed lighting and super cool curvy ceiling architecture in ocean blue that evokes South Beach or Fisherman's Wharf. Any decent food and beverage operator could turn on the utilities and apply for the licenses and be running a night club, restaurant, coffee house, or even a gay bar that with a little inexpensive tweaking (new tables and chairs) would rival ANYTHING in any major city in America. And then it will go out of business again, because you won't support it. The smart set isn't there. News flash. Memphis is too small to have a smart set. You have to BE the smart set. I ate and drank at Andertons not quite once a month when it was open. The food isn't perfect but it was edible and priced fairly well. The service was better than most. All I saw was a bunch of really old people, me and my Mom and Dad. I have worked in Memphis entertainment for 20 years, and every single place struggles. Memphian's general response to the entrepreneur's effort is something akin to "the steak is too hot and the beer is too cold." We are indifferent to everything, then it's gone.
Post a Comment
<< Home