It’s always interesting compare the hyperbole about Beale Street with the reality of Beale Street.
In a recent article in The Commercial Appeal about new security on the street, this statement jumped off the page. It was made by the head of the private company that manages the legendary music street as he talked about how important it is to make sure “we’re doing things the way a world-class entertainment district should.”
Every time we see a Beale Street official use these high-flown phrases, we immediately think about the barricades that block the street to traffic. They look like someone’s first shop class project in high school. If they are world-class, it is in the category of the most amateurish signage in a famous tourism area.
The Beale Street street barricades look like something that was slapped up temporarily and were never replaced. After 26 years, it’s not too much to think that the management company could come up with something that actually speaks to the quality of the experience on the street.
We guess we’ve grown accustomed to the hodgepodge of newspaper vending machines and trashy looking garbage cans that seem to send the message that too little attention is being given to the overall appearance and atmosphere of the street, but these barricades need to go.
