Long before I attended University of Wisconsin, both of my parents lived and worked in Madison. One of their favorite stories about their college experiences involved my parents’ shared time in the service industry. My mother was a waitress and my father would help out in the kitchen when he wasn’t bartending.
On one particular day, he happened to be on kitchen duty. Diligently he hacked away at the lettuce, creating the table garnishments that we often push aside for bigger and better dishes. Suddenly, a shiny object or a loud voice distracted him — yes, I am a space cadet by genetics unfortunately — taking his eyes momentarily off of the knife.
A sharp pain brought my father’s attention back to the cutting board and then to his finger, which was now missing a few centimeters. In his words, “It hurt like a sonofagun.” He was quickly rushed to the hospital for stitches and off of the kitchen staff list. The kicker wasn’t that he learned he was a better bartender than a cook that night, or even that he was back at work the next day. It was that many years after my father had graduated and gone on do to better things, the owner still remembered him as the guy who had almost chopped off his finger.
In this day and age, restaurants owned by such people with that personal touch are becoming an endangered species. I walked down State Street yesterday, glancing at what now lines our city streets, and I began to reflect on just how generic they have become. Neon signs manufactured by the millions screamed their message at me from their plate glass perches, just as they do across the Midwest and the country.
Yes, the titans still stand tall, commanding the usual suspects and tourists. State Street Brats, Ian’s Pizza, the Nitty Gritty and others – you know the places. They stand as beacons of originality amid a city slowly letting its streets succumb to close-minded chains obsessed with food comas. I feel that the spirit of our great cultural artery has been cheapened, bogged down by cookie cutter clutter.
As I averted my eyes from the neon and bright colors of acrylic consumerism, I was greeted by a lonely concrete skeleton reaching its fingers to the heavens. I am speaking of the new apartments being built on the 500 block of State Street. Replacing the University Inn, now frequenters of State Street Brats can enjoy the view of the open sky as reflected off a shiny metal and glass eyesore. I am only harsh on the project because one of the most striking parts about Madison is its lack of tall buildings, giving visitors and residents stunning views of the capitol. Not only does the low skyline display the pearly dome of our government, but it gives our city a unique identity. Why pay such a high price for yet another modern apartment?
Perhaps this is just my own opinion, not shared by anyone else. I have always been labeled a curmudgeon for change and a chronic complainer about construction and the hassle that comes with it. Call me old fashioned if you will, but I believe the motley storefront and charming “skyline” that was already on display down State Street was beautiful, and needed no changing. Yes, businesses come and go, and yes, we do need more housing for the population. I would just appreciate it if we didn’t fill the gaps with things that can be found in any other city, but had some creativity to come up with new and exciting facets to add into the mix. In 30 years, I don’t want to be sitting around a table telling my kids how I had a great time being a fry cook in some conglomerate’s kitchen.
Elias Radtke ([email protected]) is junior majoring in chemical engineering.
