urbanSTL

publiceye wrote:Well, within a half mile, there's a flamingo marquee on a bowling alley, a windmill on the Monkey Building, and a champagne bottle on a catering company. Doesn't sound all that difficult to deal with.

STL63101 wrote:Left Bank Books tried to get approval for larger, bolder signage but was turned down by the city. Wash Ave is under different zoning conditions than "the Old Post Office" district. Not a guess, not rumor, this is straight from the horse's mouth.... Craig Heller was fully behind larger more prominent signage. Blame the city.

So which is it? It sounds like what Left Bank Books went through to get signage approval is a bit more "difficult to deal with" than the businesses along Washington Avenue. Are the standards actually different? And, if so, and the design that Left Bank used is as far as the city will go to accommodate retailers in the area, is it possible that the standards for the blocks south of Washington Avenue might need to be relaxed a bit?



I don't think Left Bank needed to do anything that's too clever, but some simple and larger letters in the molding above the display windows similar to the lettering on the Fifth Avenue B&N in NYC would've worked well IMHO:

If I lived in one of the lofts above LB, I wouldn't want a bright neon sign in my window either. I don't know how the inhabitants of the Knickerbocker can stand it.

then maybe move to chesterfield?



Everyone's comments on here were not intended to criticize Left Bank obviously. it's to call out the city on their archaic signage rules. I do believe Wash Ave is different and you have to apply, get "rejected" and reapply. perfectly retarded..

when was this signage rule enacted anyway? i bet it goes back to 1980. look at ANY historic photo of the area. How in the F did Bluestein's Bridal House get it's signage next door? I hope the city does EVERYTHING it can to encourage the restoration of this signage. In Charleston, SC a sign like this wouldn't even be allowed to be torn down. Come on ST. Louis...





Bluesteins only NEXT DOOR....

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2053/247 ... 1210103309



just a few blocks away on washington (historic) btw i love how the convention center broke the continuity of retail along wash.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3030/309 ... 7f90_b.jpg

I wished they had a cafe. I for one love to hang out at a bookstore and read while enjoying my coffee.

Grover wrote:They should take the Bluesteins sign and hang it on the corner. "Books" instead of "Bluesteins," "Left" instead of "Bride's and "Bank" instead of "House". Perfect.

"Paid for by a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation: committed to a more just, verdant and peaceful world."

Did anyone see the DT Partnership email the other day? Apparently Darryl Strawberry!!!!!!! is going to be signing his book there some time in May. AWESOME. DDDDAAAARRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYLLLLLLLLL.

D. Strawberry lives in St. Peters.

DeBaliviere wrote:

Grover wrote:They should take the Bluesteins sign and hang it on the corner. "Books" instead of "Bluesteins," "Left" instead of "Bride's and "Bank" instead of "House". Perfect.

"Paid for by a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation: committed to a more just, verdant and peaceful world."

You know you listen to too much NPR when...



Went in there yesterday for the first time. Two big thumbs up. Got a couple books on St. Louis and the girlfriend bought the final two Twilight books. Thumbs down to that.

Left Bank Downtown is now sporting 8:00 pm on several weekdays. The store looks frickin great too!

I would encourage everyone to do some shopping there. According to the Beacon sales are way down.



http://www.stlbeacon.org/books/_we_can_ ... till_at_it_

^

Shop, and become a friend of Left Bank, if you can afford it.

I know I know - I have said and preached it before...



SIGNAGE SIGNAGE! Get a street sidewalk sign out on Washington for crying out loud. I love the store and visit/buy frequently there - but the place is so nondescriped from the street.

I went there the other day during the all-star brew haha and the sign for the sidewalk was sitting inside the door to the store... I said to the guy at the desk - why don't you have your sign out on the street corner sidewalk? - and his response was "oh I didn't realize it wasn't out - and then 2 hours later I walked by and it STILL wasn't out!

How about some better lighted signs in the windows - and I am not talking about "OPEN" - I am talking about maybe LEFT BANK BOOKS lighted signage handing in the windows - or how about a news scroller ticker sign facing the street with specials - time etc... it attracts people.



It's almost like they don't want people to recognize they are there.



You won't shine unless you shine!

matguy70 wrote:I know I know - I have said and preached it before...



SIGNAGE SIGNAGE! Get a street sidewalk sign out on Washington for crying out loud. I love the store and visit/buy frequently there - but the place is so nondescriped from the street.

I went there the other day during the all-star brew haha and the sign for the sidewalk was sitting inside the door to the store... I said to the guy at the desk - why don't you have your sign out on the street corner sidewalk? - and his response was "oh I didn't realize it wasn't out - and then 2 hours later I walked by and it STILL wasn't out!

How about some better lighted signs in the windows - and I am not talking about "OPEN" - I am talking about maybe LEFT BANK BOOKS lighted signage handing in the windows - or how about a news scroller ticker sign facing the street with specials - time etc... it attracts people.



It's almost like they don't want people to recognize they are there.



You won't shine unless you shine!

I've noticed this with with a lot of retail establishments since moving back here from Chicago. It seems so many places there had neon signs, blinking, large awnings with artistic letters, etc... Just so much more eye candy to draw you into the store. Many places here are nearly dark inside from the outside, little or no signage and nothing to really indicate they are open.



I hope this bookstore succeeds but agree it needs to improve ways to draw people in that walk by.

matguy70 wrote:the sign for the sidewalk was sitting inside the door to the store... I said to the guy at the desk - why don't you have your sign out on the street corner sidewalk? - and his response was "oh I didn't realize it wasn't out - and then 2 hours later I walked by and it STILL wasn't out!

Man, when I worked at Left Bank in the CWE, there'd've been hell to pay if you opened and forgot to put the sidewalk sign out.