Disc Exchange, Chapman Highway, Knoxville, December 2012
Just before Christmas I had a week off and found myself in need of a few CDs. Given my aversion to driving when I’m off work, I decided to walk to the Disc Exchange. I’ve loved the store for years and have shopped at the west location in the years before it closed and at the south location many times. All those trips involved a car. This time I decided to walk.
Obviously, the first detour involved the missing Henley Street Bridge, but the Gay Street Bridge is pedestrian friendly and I had a few photographs to take in that direction, anyway. I reasoned that the bridge closure would actually help because, after walking along Blount Avenue from the Gay Street Bridge, I could cross Chapman Highway at the south end of the site previously known as the Henley Street Bridge. No traffic moving north and south meant I could cross without taking my life into my own hands.
Kern’s Bakery Building, Chapman Highway, Knoxville, December 2012
Sara Lee, Chapman Highway, Knoxville, December 2013
Before crossing I noticed I’d have to traverse parking lots because there would be no sidewalk help.Further, on the western side of the road I would actually have to walk in the highway for quite a stretch because of a guard rail and a precipice. I opted to take the sidewalk on the eastern side, but that meant crossing the highway further down. With rolling hills obscuring long-distance vision and extremely fast traffic even with a missing bridge, this proved difficult.
Cuppy’s, Chapman Highway, Knoxville, December 2012
Southside Package Store, Chapman Highway, Knoxville, December 2012
I noted some of the businesses along the way. The Kern’s building is now, I believe, only partially used by Sara Lee. Cuppy’s looks like a cute idea that didn’t make it. I’m not sure if it closed before or after the bridge closure. Southside Package store looked about as forlorn as you might expect from the name. Shoney’s continues to operate.
Disc Exchange Shopping Center, Chapman Highway, Knoxville, December 2012
Disc Exchange Shopping Center, Chapman Highway, Knoxville, December 2012
Jas Fuentes, Chapman Highway, Knoxville, December 2012
Wee Care, Chapman Highway, Knoxville, December 2012
After screwing up my courage and sprinting across the highway, I arrived at my location, which is a strip mall jammed up against a mountain of kudzu. It once housed the Book Eddy, which moved with the bridge closure, became Central Street Books and subsequently closed its doors at the new location. Also previously in the shopping center, a pawn shop and a bar, both long closed, though their names remain on the marquee; the bar never officially added, represented by a banner draped over the top of the sign. A Mexican restaurant and children’s used clothing stores have opened, though they aren’t noted on the sign.
Disc Exchange, Chapman Highway, Knoxville, December 2012
The Disc Exchange has remained remarkably the same, offering new and used CDs. The biggest change in recent years has been the addition of vinyl as it continues its remarkable resurgence. It’s still a place like all great record stores used to be in which you find not only a great selection of great music, but people who love music and love to talk to customers about it. I’ve walked out with CDs I heard playing over the sound system a number of times.
Disc Exchange, Chapman Highway, Knoxville, December 2012
The store is large and offers the best selection of CDs of all types. There is enough folk, blues, jazz and local music for me to lose myself and forget to check into the massive rock collection. There I’m likely to find a forgotten gem, hopefully used so I can save a few dollars. If you frequent the store and just want to know what’s new, they have a section just for that as well as for new releases.
Disc Exchange, Chapman Highway, Knoxville, December 2012
And none of this begins to cover the great live music they have in-store from time to time. A couple of favorites I remember hearing there are Jill Andrews and The Civil Wars. They don’t seem to have quite as much live music as they used to, but it still happens from time to time.
My CDs secured, I ran across the highway and walked home. I thought about development on the south side of the river and the erstwhile missing bridge. I thought about the resistance to slowing traffic on Henley Street as it spills onto Chapman highway and I felt a bit confounded by the sum of it all.
When the bridge re-opens, traffic will only move faster. That kind of traffic doesn’t seem like the sort to slow down enough to support the businesses lining the street. If there is no better pedestrian access, the exploding population of downtown will do little to help. At a mile and half (my house to Disc Exchange), it’s already farther than most people will walk. Even if the former Baptist Hospital became condos, I can imagine those people choosing to take the easy walk north to great options rather than the treacherous walk south to few businesses of much interest.
While I love the Disc Exchange, it was hard to see much reason to return to the near southside of the river for any other reason. And really hard to want to do it on foot.
Enjoyed the post. I admire you walking to the store. I thought of the Eddie Murphy character in “Bowfinger” crossing the busy highway. The last time I did so was in high school in the 70s. I walked to Gaylord’s to buy Elton John’s “Caribou” album. Love to CD/album browse in stores but I’m afraid it’s becoming a thing of the past. Music is disposable now. I was given an iPod for Christmas, and it’s still sitting unused on a shelf. Eventually I will succumb to ITunes mania. Hope places like Disc Exchange survive.
The idea gained little support from the decision makers who seem to have very little vision of anything other than what it is, and so it was pretty much shot down in flames. While I can sort of see why they would be so opposed to such a change, I struggle to understand the purpose of the South Connector bridge, as it seemingly was designed with the goal to take through traffic out of the center of downtown. Instead it’s a largely unused conduit to the South side, and will remain so as long as Henley Street remains a main thoroughfare.
I am a newcomer and after watching the 2 year old slide show about routing traffic through traffic around downtown and making Henley a boulevard, I noticed the posting was two years old. What has happened to this great idea in the interim? Based on one of the comments above, I assume that it went nowhere?
Hey Randy, What Mr. T. said is correct, it just didn’t seem doable to the people who might be able to make it happen. It got confused at the time with the bridge closure and people were adamently opposed and talking as if we wanted to continue the bridge closure, which is simply crazy. I don’t see how they are hurt if traffic actually slows down. People drive through there like the house is on fire.
Cars seem tomtake priority over human beings and communities in most American cities. I like cars too, but I like livable cities even more. Livable to me means walkable. There are many examples of livable cities in Europe, and even some in the US like Portland. It takes a vision though. Is Knoxville’s leadership lacking on that crucial dimension?
I’m pretty sure Cuppy’s never really caught on, and the towel was thrown in prior to the bridge closing. I ventured into the Disc Exchange out West one time and I agree with the above comment, it would be cool if it were downtown. Unfortunately I think increased real estate expenses would make it cost prohibitive. There are some really cool areas in South Knoxville, and I agree that if a lot more emphasis was put other side of the bridge that it could make for a fantastic extension from downtown. If you haven’t already done so, some time when you are in your car take a trip down Woodlawn, right after the BP. Just a short ways down take a right onto Southwood Dr. and check out some fantastic homes tucked away back there. The area is just another of the many hidden little gems in and around Knoxville that are literally right next to you, but yet seemingly go unnoticed. I’ve been told the developer of this later went on to develop much of Sequoyah Hills.
Hey Mr. T, Thanks for the clarification about Cuppy’s. I thought it was cute. As for those houses to which you refer, I actually lived in one just off Sevier Avenue back in the 80’s, so I know the area very well. There are some very nice spots in the area, though not so much in the downtown-walkable portion.
Great Post Urban Guy – I Agree 100%. I was at the City Council forum to discuss slowing down Henley traffic and councilman Nick Pavlis said, and I quote: “over his dead body” would he allow traffic speeds to be reduced. South Knox is a gem if it had the right leadership & urban planning. I’m hopeful that our city mayor who has vision & urban planning experience will prevail there, especially since she’s also a South Knox resident. Slow the traffic, make it bike & pedestrian friendly and it will blossom.
I lived in South Knoxville for several years, and have many friends who live there. Granted, the best spots are a little further down Chapman, but so special and so worth it! King Tut’s on Martin Mill Pike (ask them to turn on the disco lights), and Tea & Treasures (right next to it) are truly different from any other place in Knoxville. I have intentionally spent many football Saturdays ‘trapped’ on that side of the bridge, exploring. Yes, the traffic runs fast, the bridge closure caused some business closings, and it’s easy to get lost over there. But just think of it as an adventure, an urban safari into the ‘unknown’, and pick a day that you don’t have anywhere else to be that evening (except maybe Ye Olde Steak House). I would guarantee that the business owners would truly appreciate it. And, should you accidentally go speeding past something interesting (it happens), there are plenty of chances to turn around. But don’t be surprised if you end up halfway to Gatlinburg as the next ‘oooh-what is that?’ place catches your eye…
Hey, Ex-South – I’m an ex-south, too. I lived there for most of the 80’s and I agree with everything you said about that part of town. Given my blog’s focus on downtown, the question is which places are walkable from downtown and what is there when you arrive to reward your efforts. Much of what people praise about south Knoxville isn’t really close enough in for it to be practical to pedestrians from downtown and that was my point. I think it could be much, much better, but only if there is a way to safely bike and walk there which isn’t really the case right now. Oddly, I’ve never made it to King Tut’s and I want to go badly enough that I think I will climb into my car, soon, and travel to see what the fuss is all about.
You’re a brave man. Not only does the traffic move fast over there, but the hills limit visibility. Not a pedestrian friendly environment. It’s a waste … the big apartment complexes could provide plenty of walkers/shoppers if the area was planned correctly.
If only there were a way to lure Disc Exchange and McKay Books downtown.
Brave or stupid. While it would be my dream to have those two businesses downtown, I’ll stick with Union Ave. Books and long for someone to sanely connect downtown and the southside for stupide pedestrians, like myself.