The future of Lyall Bay
Right now the Dominion Post is running a public opinion poll on the future of the Maranui Surf Club and Cafe.
At this stage the Council’s preferred option appears to be demolishing Maranui and its three adjacent buildings to create a brand spanking new "Super Building". You can hear the collective groans from here.
It was the heritage and character of the building which made it such a popular destination for Wellingtonians and out-of-towners alike. As a Lyall Bay resident it’s been obvious how desolate the Bay has become since the fire.
Let the City Council know what you think via the poll right now.
In the meantime….you can get your Maranui fix with their world-famous salads, available now from Moore Wilson’s Fresh. Apparently the punnets are big enough for two.
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Cold comfort though.
Eating our way through the recession
Remember a few months ago, when doom and gloom dominated the hospo news? Well, there certainly have been a lot of closures in central Wellington, but many of those places have re-opened, and we’ve even got a few brand-new bars and restaurants to celebrate.
Here’s a list of reincarnations:
- Vintage → Hashigo Zake
- Calypso → Elixir
- Epic → Rhythm
- Chow Cabaret → The Library
- Paradiso → Betty’s (I insist on the apostrophe)
- State Opera House Espresso Bar → Pollux
Some brand-new places:
- Portofino (at Kumutoto)
- Red Ginger (underneath Hawthorn Lounge)
- Lychee (in the wilderness of Arthur St)
A couple of rumoured upcoming openings:
- "Cuba" (replacing Zeal in Garrett St)
- Yet another Irish pub, replacing New Orleans in Allen St
That leaves a handful of recent failures yet to be revived:
- Herd St Brasserie
- Subway at Chaffers Dock
- Emporio in Chews Lane
If anything, the industry looks to be healthier than a few months ago, and a few of the new places (Pollux, Hashigo Zake and The Library in particular) are among our new favourites. If this means that consumers have stopped spending on Plasma TVs while still dining out, then I applaud their good taste. Of course, it could mean that we’re all committing kuidaore (a Japanese term roughly meaning "to ruin oneself through extravagance in food"). But what a lovely way to go.
Three Fiddy?!
Three bucks fifty to eat lunch at Logan Brown!
That got your attention right? Well, the fine print is you have get educated about climate change first and click on a few links, then you will be in the draw to win one of 40 lunches for two (for only three fiddy) at Logan Brown.
Click through to the 350 Aotearoa site to find out how the Wellywing of 350 Aotearoa is part of a global movement pushing for action on climate change and enter the competition. They have undertaken a bunch of stuff since December 2008 and are ramping up for an international day of climate change action on the 24th of October.
Wellington being Wellington it is *the* place to come to make some noise politically and try to directly influence decision-makers. Some choose the traditional ways with a hikoi, some placards and a loud hailer; others use their purchasing power or womanly charms to push things gently in the direction they would like to see the world go. A good source of contacts and ideas for those interested in sustainability is the social network Intersect, they have a meet up for Wellingtonians on the last Tuesday of every month at Mon Ami. Expect a report back soon from this Wellingtonisa about what it is like to "Intersect" in person with these sustainability types.
Coffee Art Throw-down
Twitter has informed us that Mojo Old Bank (@mojooldbank) and the Mojo on the Terrace are having a coffee art throw-down at 6.30pm tonight at the Mojo located in the PWC Building on the Terrace (map here).
There is talk of beer and pizza for those wanting to watch the action.
I think we could be up for some coffee porn this evening…..
Newtown: it’s sometimes more than a bit shit
On Wednesday night, our next door neighbours were burgled. On Friday night, my house was burgled. A couple of weeks ago someone tried to climb in my window while I was sleeping. My flatmate’s car has been restolen from outside our house, but ha ha, sucks to be them because the previous thieves had used up all the petrol in it. It’s times like this that I need to be reassured of the good things in Newtown. Things like:
- The otters at the zoo!
- The haloumi at Cafe Kialis
- The macademia & chicken salad at Baobob
What are your favourite things about Newtown right now?
WiFi @ Hashigo Zake
We are informed (thanks Chris!) that Hashigo Zake (website here, blog here) has free wi-fi for patrons.
Nice. Message ends.
Day Tripper
Sometimes it takes the eyes of a visitor to shed a new light on the ordinary.
Fernando Ramierez is a Chilean photographer who’s been spending a bit of time travelling around Wellington buses using the Daytripper ticket.
He started noticing the other passengers on the bus, and began talking to them and photographing them. This lead to his Daytripper photo essay series.
[I] soon realized that Wellington is a beautiful city not just because of the great architecture. It’s a beautiful city because of its people. Really kind, they let a complete stranger approach, take photos, learn about their lives and hope for the best.
Scoop has some photos online and also the photo essay available as a PDF. And there’s also Fernando’s Flickr group with the photos.
Cinephilia: Opening This Week
Freakin’ school holidays. 9 – count ’em – new films are opening this week and most of them are designed to keep restless young people out of the hair of their elders and betters. Time is short so I’m just going to list them here:
- G-Force. Talking cute rodents audition to be special agents by taking down super-villain Bill Nighy. Readings (3D), Empire (2D), Sky City Queensgate (3D).
- Fame. The re-hashing of beloved 80s popular trash continues (Footloose is next). Readings, Empire, Embassy, Sky City Queensgate
- Shorts. Robert Rodriguez puts together another virtually homemade digital fantasy for kids – in the spirit of Shark Boy and Lava Girl and we all know how much we loved them. Readings, Sky City Queensgate
- The Secret of Moonacre. Former animator Gabor Csupo made the smart Bridge to Terabithia the year before last and this is aimed at a similar age group. Readings, Paramount.
Eat before you WOW?
f you’re going to the Montana World of WearableArt and you want to make sure that you eat first, WellingtonNZ have put together a handy list of nearby-ish restaurants that offer express menus to make sure you get to the show on time. We’re particularly fond of Trade Kitchen. Naturally, even if you’re not going to the show, you can still indulge yourself with these dinners…
Off the Hook
While the Hook of Maui has been scrapped due to cost overruns and problems with the frickin’ laser, the Wellington City Council is still keen on the idea of a gateway sculpture, and indeed the competition will be re-run later his year. The proposal had some mixed responses, but now there’s a chance for a rethink.
So, what do you think? What (if anything) would make a suitable marker for the northern entrance to Wellington?