W street life
e’re so lucky in Bristol. Sure, we have the big chains for those who want them, but the city centre is also a-buzz with an independent spirit. Some people, who don’t ‘get’ this city, preferring bijou little heritage town centres, criticise it for seeming haphazard, disparate and unconnected – but we happen to think that is a point in its favour. Just like London, distinct neighbourhoods have distinct characters. Cabot Circus and Broadmead make a fine fist of scooping up the bigger stores and restaurants, leaving other central areas to make their own indelible mark. Harbourside, with its exciting new-builds and class-act regenerations; Park Street, still a stalwart indie haven; Christmas Steps, brimful of Dickensian charm, and now home to the city’s arts quarter. The city centre has changed a lot in the last 15 years, with cultural and residential developments popping up, an endless series of traffic management (for want of a better word) initiatives coming and going, a tableau of street art – and it’s looking better than ever. June saw plans for a greener Bristol take root (see U, page 19), an initiative led by Bristol City Centre BID, which has also put thousands more hours into street cleaning this year and is responsible for the city’s refreshing take on rubbish – meaning lower costs and more recycling. So, let’s hit Bristol’s clean, as opposed to mean, streets, and see what beats in the heart of Bristol. We’ve only got 26 letters so we’ve tried to be eclectic, rather than comprehensive, in our choices.
14 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
opposite: For a gull’s-eye view of the city centre, you
can’t beat the terrace at Bambalan;
bottom: Drink cocktails from pachyderms at the
Coconut Tree, or try the sourdough-nuts at Pinkman’s
A
is for art Bristol Fine Art, 74 Park Row Teeny-tiny it may be, but it’s stuffed to the rafters with the most incredibly varied art supplies. The focus is on quality and responding to customers’ needs; it’s a real part of Bristol’s art community.
B
is for bread Pinkmans Bakery, 85 Park St Pinkmans is not somewhere you visit just once. They bake everything from scratch in their Park Street ovens, menus change daily, and they’re not afraid to try new things. Try their polentacrusted quiche or sourdough-nuts for starters, and you’ll be hooked.
C
is for crafts Makers, 82 Colston Street This place is a gift! Local, handmade, arty and crafty: the gorgeous, curated products on sale are well-priced and have that glorious one-off feel. The owners run a great range of workshops too.
D
is for drama Bristol Old Vic, King Street For one brief moment last September, this was simultaneously the oldest continuously working English-speaking theatre in the world (still is), and also the youngest, when the final stage of its beautiful multi-million transformation was revealed. Even if you never make it into the auditorium for a show (and you so should), the new all day kitchen/bar is an effulgently lovely place to while away a few hours.