FESTIVA: Welcome to the new Downtown McAllen

Nov 28, 2008 (The Monitor - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- AUST | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- The two women stand impatiently outside the Boiler Room, listening to what they're missing.

The muted indie-rock melody and the clamor of the crowd drift past them down McAllen's South 17th Street. In high heels and designer dresses, they don't look like the type who wait in line on a Saturday night.

And, it turns out, they won't have to.

The bouncer breaks the bad news to them: The Boiler Room has reached capacity.

They hesitate for a moment. What now? Where can the stylish twentysomethings and the two men accompanying them find another party?

If this were 2007, they would've gotten back in their car and made a bee line for Nolana.

Instead, the four head north on foot, bound for a glitzy martini lounge less than 20 yards away.

The wait is over. Welcome to the new downtown McAllen.

Here, you can buy a drink at seven different venues all within a five-minute walk. That's just beginning. Three months from now, your options will double.

But the significance of the downtown revival is greater than simply a new place to get a buzz. It's the rebirth of an economic and cultural bastion of the past that most were ready to let die.

Against all odds, the pulse of this forgotten place is quickening.

The heart of the city is alive, and through it flows the blood of a new generation.

The new bars, night clubs and restaurants:

--Vicio

--The Patio On Guerra

--The Dive

--Speakeasy

--Shine

--Rhythm & Brews

--House. Wine.

--Flesh

--Element

--Club M

--Boiler Room

--Bar 201

The city wants McAllen's 17th Street to look like Austin's famous 6th Street, a nearly mile-long stretch of bars, lounges and music venues. They have even invited a tattoo parlor downtown to enhance the atmosphere, similar to what you'd find in Austin's entertainment district. That strip attracts revelers from across Texas and the country. And that's what McAllen wants, says Joe Rodriguez, director of Heart of the City, a non-profit agency working to promote the downtown area.

McAllen has encouraged investors to open bars downtown rather than on the north side. Plans call for 17th Street to eventually close at night, letting people walk freely in the street. And Rodriguez works daily to soothe investor concerns, fix problems and analyze the wants of customers.

Entrepreneurs have sunk more than $4 million into downtown business ventures, Rodriguez says. And many paint this project as an incredible opportunity.

Albert Gonzalez has owned and operated bars in the Valley since 1989 when he opened Klub X. He has also started Metropolis, Prada and Mint. He has seen much success, and he says he knows a great opportunity when he sees it.

Gonzalez bought the building at 201 S. 17th St. more than a year ago. He plans to open Bar 201 before New Years, when the city will through a massive party complete with a Times Square-style ball drop.

"It's not a competition downtown," Gonzalez says. "The more the merrier. The more bars that come down, the better for everybody. Not any one bar downtown is a destination bar. The area is a destination."

And McAllen's residents have started embracing that concept, as evidenced by The Boiler Room's bouncer, who turned away droves of potential customers.

Leonel Moreno and Bertha Garcia, a pair of lifelong McAllen residents, hit Boiler Room early, beating the capacity crowd.

After a night at the lounge, they stepped back onto 17th Street.

Garcia lit a cigarette and Moreno spoke with a couple of nearby friends. Both say they have visited Austin's 6th Street, always having a great time. But tonight, the destination was 17th Street, located in the heart of their hometown.

"It's good for here in McAllen," Garcia says. "In the Valley, there's not many places for you to interact and meet people."

Maybe not right now, but give it a few months.

Zack Quaintance covers features and entertainment for Festiva. You can reach him at (956) 683-4447.

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