Fayetteville, North Carolina, home to a large number of Ft. Bragg soldiers, has never really had a nice area to hang out on the weekends until recently. The downtown area of Fayetteville is growing fast and attracting a new, classy crowd. According to the Sunday’s edition of the Fayetteville Observer, the downtown area will have 13 businesses in the downtown area to offer a new venture of entertainment.
Fayetteville, North Carolina has long been known for it’s strip-club past, however the leaders of Fayetteville have worked hard to rid the downtown area of its tainted past. Fayetteville leaders and business owners say they have successfully had a hand in changing the reputation that Fayetteville carried in the 1970s and ’80s. City officials developed the Downtown Fayetteville 1975-2000 vision plan with a goal to make downtown Fayetteville similar to the French Quarter in New Orleans by fostering a variety of bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. (Source: Fayetteville Observer)
As of now, the newest piano bar, The Keys, has become one of the hottest spots in Fayetteville. If you visit, be prepared to pay a cover charge of $5 on Fridays and Saturdays and to abide by the dress code (no baggy clothing and men have to keep their shirts tucked in). The Keys does allow smoking and consists mostly of 20- and 30-somethings with slightly more men than women. As of lately, there has been about a 15 minute wait to get in the door on the weekends, but could easily change as more bars and night clubs open in the area.
The Keys is just one downtown destination that has helped Fayetteville rid its past nickname – Fayettenam. Fayetteville has come a long way since 1983 when it was ranked among the 10 worst places to live in the country by U.S. News & World Report. (Source: Fayetteville Observer)
Huske Hardware House was once considered the hub of downtown activity, but was shut down in September due to legal troubles. However, the owner of Tonia’s Blue Moon Cafe, Josh Collins, and twelve other investors have decided to lease Huske Hardware with an option to buy the property. Huske was once known as where the business people met for lunch and evening drinks while the rowdy-rocker crowd took over at night.
Huske Hardware House will reopen as soon as spring of 2008 and will likely take the focal point of downtown once again with its live-music and brewery. Josh Collins and his investors also plan on opening a Wet Willies in the summer of 2009 right next to Huske.
Speaking of Josh Collins, owner of Tonia’s Blue Moon Cafe, his casual yet upscale cafe setting is the perfect place to grab a glass of wine and engage in an excellent conversation with your neighbor.
Many of the citizens of Fayetteville are quite impressed with the transformation that has taken over in downtown Fayetteville. Of the transformation is a night club for lovers of hip-hop called, Gotham City Night Club. Depending on the night the cover charge can get up to $10 and the dress code is enforced (no baggy clothing, sports jerseys or hats allowed). Gotham attracts a more mature yet diverse crowd. The crowd consists of an even split between males, females, singles and couples. Gotham is the perfect place for those who love to dance; they have three dance floors, all with their own DJs.
Circa 1885 attracts a variety of ages in this Old West saloon/sports bar. Circa serves food such as shrimp and steak with a moderately priced menu ($9.99-$23.95). While Circa can get rowdy and loud during certain sports games, B&B; Sports Tavern is a small, casual bar with pool tables. This is the kind of bar where everyone knows your name and a good place to start off the night.
And to add to the mix of bars in downtown Fayetteville, Beef O’Brady’s, a family sports pub chain, is scheduled to open March 31, 2008.
Downtown Fayetteville has a good start under its belt to attract people and the city officials and business owners only plan to continue to grow despite any challenges they may face in their infancy stage.
