P48/ 2 WHEELS GOOD

Alexes K., director of Meridiens Urban Museum, takes us on a personal

tour. Sometmes the best way to see the city is by bicycle. By Franklin M.
P60/ BIN THERE, DONE THAT
The way we generate and dispose of refuse is not sustainable in the long
run. Thats why Meridiens Waste Disposal guru, Glen W., is developing new
ways to get residents of their trashy ways. By Ella G.
P68/ FARM IN THE BACKYARD
More and more Meridien residents are forgoing the fower garden and
swing set for tomato plants and chicken coops. Local contributng editor
Martn H. talks to some of these modern-day Old McDonalds.
P12/

LETTERS
P18/
THE LOCAL
LIST
From art restorers to res-
taurants, your monthly mix
of beter urban living.
P22/
PRODUCT

PROTECTION
The latest do-no-harm
wares that Local editors
have been using, abusing,
and keeping around
the ofce.
P30/ 3X3
Our three monthly prob-
lems for another three of
our favorite creatve types:
what to do with Meridiens
empty South Square.
P76/
BY THE
NUMBERS
How does Meridien stack
dept.
JAN/FEB 2010>>DESTINATION>>MERIDIEN
LAT:47360 LONG:14310
Beauty and culture are vital to
any citys appeal, but they be-
come prety irrelevant if the air
is so polluted you cant go out-
side.
Nathan, Your Partners
LOCAL >> JAN/FEB 2010 P3
When I asked Alexes, director of
Meridiens Urban Museum, to give
me her personal tour of the city shes
resided in since her teenage years,
she accepted, but only if we did it by
bicycle. Im not a fit ness freak and
Meridien is known for its formidable
hills, so when 6 am rolled around,
when I noted damp streets outside my
apartment window and my cell phone
started buzzing, I was hoping it was
Alexes calling to tell me that we were
switching to Plan B.
Sorry, Charlie. Were not going to
let a little misty air ruin our fun. Any-
way, the forecast says it will clear up by
late morning.
So much for Plan B.
We met at the Smith Street subway
station, a mid-century, mildly brutalist
concrete cube designed by architects
in 1962 that is in the process of a full
greening renovation.
I love this building. Its a modern
masterpiecepoetic instead of cold
and off-putting. The city could have
torn it down and put up a more con-
temporary structure, but they recog-
nized its historical importance and
instead are just working to make it
more environmentally friendly and
energy efficient through our Off-Grid
program.
We were here not to tour the sub-
way station, though, but to pick up our
transportation for the long ride ahead.
And, no, werent t aki ng t he t ube.
(Its not going to be that hard a ride,
Alexes emailed me earlier in the week,
Meridiens f latter t han you t hink.
Especial ly i f you know t he secret
routes.) Meridien has its own bike-
sharing programcalled HUBthat has
become increasingly popular with the
locals, especially now with hundreds of
bike drop-off/pickup stations scattered
across the city.
One swipe of your credit or debit
card and youre off to the races. Amaz-
ingly, the program has reduced traffic
in the city center almost 50%, even in
the chilly winter.
We grab our bikes and zoom across
the street to the bike lane that skirts
the northern edge of the park. Part of
the bike-sharing programs popular-
ity is that Meridien has invested heav-
ily in creating dedicated cycling paths
to accompany the thousands of new
bikes on the streets. We rush past the
pastiche of architectural styles and eras
that characterize Meridiens eclectic
urbanism, something Alexes has made
a career of celebrating. A real city is
never homogenous, she remarks.
One of Meridiens urban success
stories is the rejuvenation of the Old
Town district. Just five years ago, the
areas cobblestone streets were strewn
with trash and drug paraphernalia.
The cit ys homeless would congre-
gate here, and the historical buildings,
some dating back to the 18th century,
were primarily abandoned. But with
t he elect ion of Mayor Pierre H. in
2006, the government allocated funds
for a renewal project that provided new
businesses and nonprofits with startup
funding to renovate and occupy these
empty structures. Before long, artists
were occupying the upper floors, and
boutiques, galleries, and cafs began
to spring up to fit their lifestyles. Com-
bine this with more robust social ser-
vice programs that provided housing
and drug counseling programs, and
the area underwent a speedy, remark-
able renaissance.
The bumpy roads result in a pre-
carious ride that makes steering the
bikes in a straight line virtually impos-
sible. Luckily, auto traffic is mostly
banned from Old Town, making it a
favorite destination for those who dis-
dain cars and much safer for our own
clumsy veering. We stop in front of
Frugal Grounds, an airy caf/gallery/
performance space hybrid that was one
of Old Towns first new businesses, to
meet Scott G., Meridiens supervisor
of urban renewal. He, too, arrives on
a HUB bicycle, stylishly dressed for the
weather in a medium-length Nehru
style jacket and knit cap, the ensem-
ble nicely complemented by a pair of
stylish spectacles and a worn leather
shoulder bag.
There are some hard-core purists
who dismiss this development as nega-
tivegentrification to ease the fears of
yuppies who wouldnt come near here
before, Scott remarks, but I find
their argument difficult to support in
light of all the good that has come to
Old Town. We didnt move the blight
out and then hide it somewhere else.
We helped the people who needed
assistance and let them stay as long
as they werent committing any vio-
lent crimes. They receive housing and
there has been phenomenal success in
getting many back into the workforce
and making them part of the commu-
nity again. How can this be bad?
Our next stop is Friars Market
an open-air agora for Meridiens local
farmers and produce growers to sell
their fresh organic sustenance to resi-
dents weary of the old supermarket
model. The long arcade is a kaleido-
scope of natures colorsfruits, vegeta-
bles, and meats meticulously arranged
in bins by their growers and producers.
The best part of the experience
here is that I get to converse with the
people who actually grew this stuff,
beams Alexes. Nothing against the
nice folks that work at the supermar-
ket, but Friars Market vendors have
such an intimacy with what they sell
here. Its their lifeblood, their means
of survival.
How could I argue? The green
apple I bought and consumed on the
spot was so scrumpt ious it al most
made me want to grow my own tree de
pomme on my buildings roof.
We cut up Grayson Boulevard
towards the Green Light district,
Meridiens center of provincial haute
couture and cuisine, where rustic cafes
huddle alongside boutiques offering
hemp clothing and hipster hubs that
sell art, books, and the latest designer
accessories. After a whirlwind browse
through almost ten different retailers,
we greet the setting sun by settling at
Alexess favorite evening hangout spot,
Le Bon Mot.
Ill always be pushing for Meridien
to move forwardto promote thought-
ful development by utilizing our best
and brightest creative minds. But Ill
be honest Alexes eases back into
her chaise lounge and smiles, theres
nothing like the vibe of an old French
bistro, even if were not in France.
P4 LOCAL >> JAN/FEB 2010 LOCAL >> JAN/FEB 2010 P5