Jun 6th 2007, 1:41pm By queenseyes

It was about five years ago when Just Pizza consolidated its two Elmwood Avenue locations into one building. The spot that they chose, situated at the corner of Elmwood and Summer, had been a Bakerman Donut shop. It was a haven for all sorts of bizarre activity, and was the chosen destination for every cabbie in the city who was not busy picking up a fare. When Just Pizza bought the building they spruced it up a bit, then added a monster plastic awning. The awning did not mesh with Forever Elmwood’s prescribed design guidelines, but The City gave the business a ‘free pass’ for a year, upon which time they would have to comply with current standards.

Of course a year went by, then two, then three… it was assumed that since The City had issued the allowance, the plastic awning would never come down. Well, the awning finally came down a few days ago (see below). It was replaced with a Just Pizza sign and nothing else. It had been a long time since I had thought about the conflict that had taken place regarding the awning, but once I saw the recent change I remembered how people initially reacted to the plastic addition. I must say that I like the new look much better – it’s simple and clean looking… and somehow or another it looks more inviting.

The awning debacle on Elmwood did not stop there. There was a time when Artvoice ran a series called ‘Bad Neighbor’ that shone a light on property owners who would not keep up their investments. Danahy's Liquor Store at the corner of Bird and Elmwood was spotlighted, which made them a little upset, so they kept their tattered awning up for a number of years afterward just to spite the instigators. They finally replaced it once everyone forgot about the issue. Merlin’s, sitting at the corner of Elmwood and Breckenridge, is notorious for its patchwork awning project. Every year the wind would add another rip to the canvas, and an easy solution was always to have a vinyl sign made up for a promotion, which was ultimately slapped over the scar. Eventually the entire awning blew away, and today we are left with a skeletal frame and a series of makeshift patio umbrellas. Actually, if the owners decided to take the metal tubes down the bar would look better than it has in years.

Awnings are many things to many people. They are places to stand under when it’s raining. They offer shade to a building’s interior. They act as recognizable landmarks (signs) for customers. And they add character (both good and bad) to a façade. Some buildings look great with awnings, while others don’t. Elmwood and Hertel have a ton of awnings, whereas streets like Grant and Niagara have relatively few. Actually, a lot of the old buildings on Grant would really benefit from some fresh new awnings. It would also be nice to see a continuous awning hanging above the retailers that occupy the apartment building at the corner of Utica and Elmwood (above). Across the street, the guys from Mode have hung a new series of yet-to-be-branded maroon awnings. Steel recently posted that he felt the awnings on The Vars building (corner of Delaware and Tupper) detracted from the building because they hide the intricate detail of the facade (see video). When many people think of the Kissling Interests LLC they can visualize their sharp hunter green awnings. And Blockbuster Video is recognizable for their overpowering plastic wraparounds. Not all plastic awnings look out of place though – see Spoiled Rotten’s colorful example in the slide show.

It would be great to see more of the doorman-style awnings around the city. Manny’s Restaurant had a nice one (it’s in disrepair now), and The Rand building’s is still operational. The Westbrook and The Snooty Fox have eye-catching examples. There are even faux awnings that look attractive – see Mythos and Eco Friendly Custom Cleaners. Or industrial awning/entrance coverings that many of today’s more modern buildings are sporting. I like the awnings that 3 Linwood Apartments (one of Steel’s favorite buildings) boasts, or the highbrow one on the former Peller and Mure men’s clothing store. It’s amazing how much a tasteful awning can draw your eye to a building. I’ve compiled a slide show of awnings that stood out for me… of course everyone’s tastes are different - though I have not heard anyone speak out about wanting to save The Barnes Firm’s uninspired remnants. Now there’s an awning that I think everyone has given the thumbs down to.