Let’s start with the winner of the Innaugural Urban Mystery Picture contest. First, the picture: I thought it would remain a mystery until I revealed the answer after time expired. I was way wrong. David Evola,...

The dog screamed, “Can you come get me already?” for ten minutes. When the weather is nice I try to wind my way down to the river. It’s a little different walk than most routes around the...

Tugboat moves barge into position to catch the falling bridge, Tennessee River, Knoxville While there have been more developments on the business front even since my last two posts, I’m going to leave the business arena,...

Today’s information comes from a multitude of sources. My favorite business blog is Josh Flory’s Property Scope and much of what I’ll mention in this post came from that site. There has been a great deal of...

It’s not been that long since I gave a business update, but so much is happening that I feel the need to note a few changes around town and mention developments that have emerged elsewhere. This...

Blacksmith working on Union Avenue, Rossini Festival 2011, Knoxville When something like the Rossini Festival comes along pictures loom more important than words, so this post will be long on the pictures and shorter on the...

I’m going to give a shot at a contest, of sorts. We’ll run this on Saturdays for a while and see just how well the Urban Blues community knows downtown Knoxville. I have to confess that I think...

Urban Toddler, Recovering Mardi Gras Addict, Dancing on the Square, Knoxville What makes a city feel like a city? Most people would agree that downtown Knoxville didn’t really feel like a city twenty-five years ago. What...

So much of the allure of downtown is the excitement of the unexpected. The city’s ability to surprise is as important as the amenities and joys you assume. First Friday often holds at least one, if...

Pamela Neal creation, Emporium, Knoxville, April 2011 Every First Friday features art with a capital “A.” The Art Market features an artist each month and somehow I usually miss that, so I’m planning to put more effort...

Piano reverie on the square, Market Square, Knoxville, April 2011 As the experiences of a First Friday broaden, it is becoming more difficult to put it all into one post or under the umbrella of a...

Starting line for the Knoxville Marathon at the World’s Fair Park, April 2011 It was a jam-packed weekend in downtown Knoxville. A weekend like this one makes blogging difficult in a good way: Where to start? Chronologically,...

Have you ever had the experience of hearing music in the distance and realizing it isn’t your neighbor’s stereo or  a distant boombox, but real, honest to goodness music played by live musicians? What did you...