A cafe moved, but not just any ol' cafe. It was the Virginia Cafe. I stepped back to get the entire unlit neon sign.
Here is what will be at its site, instead.
And this on the World Wide Web, with a photo of the new location.
The first visit Mama and I made to Portland, in the summer of 2004, Lamont and Leland and the two of us walked from the Benson Hotel on Broadway to the Virginia Cafe. The guys thought we'd enjoy ourselves there since it struck them as much like the Cherokee, a beloved restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi. The guys were right on all counts--the food, the ambience, the fun we had at the Virginia Cafe.
Several years ago the Cherokee moved from one side of I-55 North to the other, taking its menu and ambience to a larger location. The guys, who used to work there, got to see for themselves when they came home to move us up here in June, 2006. The long-time establishment remains one of Jackson's favorites, winning and/or placing in multiple categories in the Jackson Free Press' yearly Best of polls.
Here's one of my favorite shots I took of the Cherokee's neon sign.
Have you witnessed the move of an icon in your city? How did everyone react to the move?
