With over three hundred articles coming and going on the website each year, it is easy to miss a few each year. These ten might have been hard to miss as they were the most read articles of the year. Development and business always vie for the largest readership. This year, maybe because there was so much business news, development took a clear second place.
Closings are particularly hot topics year after year. In the early years of this website, it was understandable: Nearly 15 years ago, every closure became interpreted as evidence this crazy downtown resurgence would soon end. Now, not so much, but we’re still very interested. I’ll have a few openings and a closing to add to the list next week.
Here’s what you found most interesting this year:
10. Humble Hog is Open: Here’s a Look (Urban Guy, February, 9,623 views)
Do we love some smoked meat? Yes, we do. Witness the fact that the advent of a smoked meat/barbecue place took two of the top ten spots for the year. The interest seems to have translated into a very successful business on Gay Street, giving the Century Building the two commercial businesses facing the street that seemed so overdue. Now if we can just get those condos occupied. I’ll have to peg this restaurant as one of the frequent stops on the Urban Family list. Love, love, love that barbecue sandwich and those lobster hushpuppies.
9. Downtown Knoxville January 2024 Snowfall Photographs (Urban Guy, January, 9,642 views)
I’ve tried to photographically document most every downtown snowfall and this was no different in that respect. Each time we have a significant snowfall, the city looks different than the previous time, making it a perpetually interesting, and beautiful, subject. That said, this one was quite different in scope. I’m pretty sure it was heavier, deeper, and longer lasting than any others in the fifteen years I’ve lived downtown.
8. Happy Holler Restaurant Becomes “The Marlowe” (Urban Guy, July, 10,203 views)
The popularity of this article took me a bit off guard, but I think it’s because I underestimated the popularity of the spot. Initially opening and operated as Bistro By The Tracks while the original restaurant by that name moved to its new location, a bit of confusion ensued after said location, as the two spots shared the same name. Meanwhile, the new restaurant had forged its own identity, developed a passionate following, and deserved its own name. “The Marlowe” is a tip of the hat to both a family member and the Shakespeare rival. I’ll be honest, the Urban Family has enjoyed spectacular food at this restaurant.
7. Land Sold at the Corner of Summit and Central (Former Merchants of Beer); Plans Announced (Urban Guy, December, 10,697 views)
I saw this one coming. Lots of opinions about this corner and Merchants of Beer, breaking development news, and the whole discussion of the explosion of downtown hotels, this had all the makings of a high-interest read.
6. Lilou Officially Opens Tonight (Urban Guy, January, 10,816 views)
The opening of Lilou definitely qualified as big news on several fronts. The opening provided downtown with its first devoted French restaurant in years (Cedric Coant’s Le Parigo closed a decade or so earlier) and represents the second downtown restaurant for downtown culinary power couple Aaron Thompson and Jessica King. The combination of the dazzling interior, interesting food, and excellent wine and cheese programs, ramped up interest in the new spot. This is also a frequent stop for the Urban Family, with the French Onion Soup alone is worth a visit.
5. Humble Hog to Open Soon on Gay Street (Urban Guy, January, 11,639 views – #47 All Time)
I told you so.
4. The Foundry Set to Close after 32 Years (K. W. Leonard, September, 12,347 views – #41 All Time)
Relatively new InsideofKnoxville.com writer K.W. Leonard scored his first top five article for a year with his fine piece about the end of an era for a downtown event venue. Owned and operated by Marianne Greene since 1993, the building is closing a chapter, as is its owner. Those of us who attend downtown gatherings have, no doubt, experienced Marianne’s hospitality numerous times over the years. Best wishes to her as she takes life a bit easier, and here’s to a new life for the venerable old building.
3. Downtown Loses Four Businesses as 2023 Ends (Urban Guy, January, 13,750 views – #29 All Time)
Have you noticed who many big articles broke in January? Four of the top ten most-read articles hit that month. I’m not sure if that was just a coincidence, but it makes me excited to see what comes next month. It’s a closure article and those always do well, with this one cracking the top thirty of all time on the website.
2. St. Lucille’s Cajun Kitchen Opens Tomorrow! (Urban Guy, May, 17,031 views – #12 All Time)
A dedicated Cajun restaurant (adding to the Cajun food available at Knox Brew Hub) set readers abuzz. The location, adjacent to Crafty Bastard’s Emory Place location, made the restaurant all the more appealing. For those of us watching downtown development, a new commercial space on the southeastern side of Emory Place provided a clear win for urban design. And the food? Pretty darn good. Check them out if you haven’t.
1. Two Downtown Businesses Close; A Local Music Icon is Placed on Leave by UT (Urban Guy, July, 20,143 views – #8 All Time)
All others considered, this July article was the run-away winner. It had the closing appeal mentioned above, but also a dose of weirdness courtesy of UT as beloved local music supporter and decades-long station director was put on leave from WUTK.. This particular gumbo launched the article into first place for the year and top-ten status for all-time. That’s pretty impressive when you consider this website has brought you over 4,500 articles in the course of the last 14.5 years.
Thanks for being with us through it all. Here’s wishing you a Happy New Year and raising a glass to the stories that were and those that are to come.