One evening a couple of months ago I was walking down North Third Street between Berry and Wythe and thought to myself that this one block really embodied what everyone (the city, the community, the politicians, the planners) envisioned when the waterfront rezoning went through in 2005. Here you can find a vibrant and diverse collection retail stores that create a real eyes-on-the-street vibe, new residential construction and rehabbed loft buildings. The north side of the block is lined with old loft buildings, rehabbed for residential use. The south side has a well-designed new condo set amidst single-story industrial buildings. There are a host of local retailers, anchored at the corners by bars and restaurants (the Levee, Radegast, Relish and Zebulon (OK, the latter is technically not on North Third, but it counts)). There are small retail establishments (books, second-hand furniture, clothing, books, jewelry, a gallery and even gourmet chocolate), a large retail establishment (Lumber City) and even offices (Vamos Architects).

I meant to chronicle the block back then, and it’s been on my mind to do so ever since, but WG New + Arts has beat me to it. It’s worth a read, and a walk down the block.