THEN & NOW
Revisiting the Renaissance With the pandemic, the South Street Renaissance had to forgo its 50th anniversary party. But that hasn’t stopped one enterprising neighbor from celebrating its legacy. By Joel Spivak
A
couple of years ago, I realized that soon it would be the 50th anniversary of the South Street Renaissance. That “renaissance” was made by a group of people who reclaimed the abandoned South and Bainbridge streets, made vacant for expressway construction, which was ultimately defeated. In the wake of that defeat, a rundown and empty corridor was ripe for rebuilding; members of the Renaissance planted trees in front of their condemned houses, started hundreds of businesses, and created thousands of new jobs.
610 S. 4th Street back in the day, or “What the neighborhood looked like when I moved in.” Trees in bloom on South Street, circa 1976.
QUEEN VILLAGE QUARTERLY CRIER \\ SPRING 2021
I had hoped to build on the 40th anniversary with a parade down South Street, a FUN-raising banquet in the Magic Garden, reunion parties at the Copa, live performances at Dobbs and the TLA for Renaissance musicians—and also performances at the Painted Bride, which was originally founded in a bridal shop in the 600 block of South Street. While planning was underway, the pandemic and its restrictions hit. Public events were off the table, including creating pop-up galleries of art and history on South Street. I still wanted to
