While in Orlando for a conference, I went downtown with a group to the Wall Street Plaza, an area the size of a block with several bars and restaurants and enclosed by a portable gate (tagline: “8 Venues, 1 Destination”). The advantages are that you only have to get carded once (as you enter the gated area), you may bring your drinks outside the bar to the common area and the center serves as a good place for live music.

The plaza made me ponder where we could put one in Madison. The obvious thought is State Street, since there are already an abundance of bars and restaurants, and the only vehicles are buses and taxis. I wouldn’t recommend blocking off the entire street (a la FreakFest); rather, two segments. The first is on the campus end from Lake Street to Frances Street and include the bars on University Avenue (Wando’s, Church Key, etc.). This unfortunately would require some sort of fence on University Avenue itself. 

Another could be in the 100 block by the Capitol (Frida, Zander’s) combined with the 100 block of W. Mifflin Street (Ivory Room, Silver Dollar).

Speaking of the Capitol, I could see a plaza in the 100 block of E. Main Street, where the Argus, Maduro, etc. exist. That segment already has seen block parties in the summer, plus the bars aren’t across from a hotel like the 100 block of W. Main Street (Inn on the Park) is. 

What do you think? Where else could we have a plaza in the Madison area? (Sorry, I couldn’t find an aerial phot of Wall Street Plaza. Its Web site is a piece of shit.)