Introducing myself & updates on Sacco's

[synergyseeker.livejournal.com]

Hi Everyone,

I had the pleasure of meeting ron_newman last week and he invited me to post (thanks for the invite Ron!). I want to say a quick hi and introduce myself. My name is Trish and I’m in the process of purchasing Sacco's Bowl-Haven. I moved to Somerville about 4 years ago from Northampton, MA. I live on Elm Street and I have spent a lot of time in Davis, enjoying the Diesel, Somerville theater, Johnny D’s and other great local establishments. I have wanted to get more involved in the community and now this project has given me that opportunity.  

There’s a lot to share about myself, my team and our vision for what we hope will be a great addition to the Davis Square community. Its hard to condense into a short blog entry. But I wanted to at least start the conversation ….

 

Very briefly  - our concept is called The Connections Center and it’s a new kind of community center. The quick overview is that we want to develop unique spaces and services that (1) help people meet each other (2) expand people’s homes and offices and (3) enhance the creative/renaissance lifestyle. (Features like flexible meeting space, unique social events, art and music salons are some examples.)

We are still in the process of developing the plans for the bowling alley, and a lot depends on community feedback and support…. and of course, getting the needed permits.  Ideally, we would like to have at least a beer and wine or full liquor license.....and incorporate food as well (catering will be important for events).

 

I know one of the biggest concerns many of you have is losing the tradition of the Sacco’s bowling alley. After learning more about the history of Sacco’s and speaking with other community members, we have now decided to incorporate some of the lanes into our concept. We will be dedicating the lanes to the Sacco family and having information about the history as part of the design.

I will be at the task force meeting tonight but will only have a couple of minutes.  Our plans are to set up a time in the near future were we can present our ideas in more detail and get community feedback. I will also be posting updates and sharing more of our plans as they unfold.

 

Finally, I want to invite you to come to meet the Connections Center team. October 13^th we will be having a free community party with free bowling, pool playing, food and fun at Sacco’s from 5pm -8pm. We would love to have you come meet everyone and play!

 

I look forward to meeting you all!

[Bad username or unknown identity:     ]

Comments

[mrpet.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a great concept. I live in the square along with some other artists. It would be great to have a place to use for work/meetings as well as teaching classes. I've been wanting to do something like that for a while.

I was written up on the front page of the Somerville Journal (http://www.townonline.com/somerville/archive/x301605519) recently.

I also DJ (downtempo, ambient, triphop, worldbeat, as well as electronic and industrial) so if you ever need music for an event I can provide sound as well as music.

http://www.curiouscouture.com
http://www.getdjpet.com

[synergyseeker.livejournal.com]

We will be definitely in need of DJ's. Ill put you on our list! Thanks for your feedback and sharing your business. I love the idea of a custom corset...

[ron_newman]

Thanks for posting this. If anyone would like to meet Trish before the 13th, come to tonight's Davis Square Task Force meeting, 7 pm at 167 Holland Street.

[i-custard.livejournal.com]

It sounds like a great idea.
I must say I'm one of those who are bummed about Sacco's, as I used to live near Davis and just moved back. It was one of the things I was excited to move back for.

But your venture sounds great and it's way better than some hip chain restaurant going in or something.

I am confused about whether or not the lanes you are keeping will just be for show or can people actually still use them every once in awhile?

[ron_newman]

When I talked to her Tuesday morning, she said she wanted to keep about half the lanes open for bowling.

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

Sounds interesting.

Is "The Connections Center" going to be the name, or is that just the concept/working title? Because that sounds like some sort of creepy dating service or possibly the front for a cult.

Also, so, uh, have you talked to the Someday Cafe people?

[mrpet.livejournal.com]

possibly the front for a cult

Well as long as they don't serve koolaid ;)

[nonnihil.livejournal.com]

Having to go to a "Community Center" just to bowl sounds pretty dire, but probably worth giving a chance. After all, it's either that or the comically over-priced and noisy Lanes-and-Games.

[magpie-leah.livejournal.com]

I think this sounds like a really neat idea. And I know that lots of groups swarm in on Diesel for meetups and it gets filled up there often. So it could be great for this aspect.

I also personally like the idea of:

"(2) expand people’s homes and offices"

My main gig is that I'm self-employed and work at home. I've often wanted a place where I could occasionally go and get away from home and network with others. But full-on renting an office isn't feasible for me.

I realize this is probably down the ways a bit but if/when you have a website that describes your space and your services, could you post it here?

Good luck!

[synergyseeker.livejournal.com]

The idea for the office space came from my working out of my home as well and having the same need as you! Meet-ups are another aspect that we are looking at...so we are on the same page...

I will definately post our website here when its up...

[fanw.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I actually use Sacco's far more for pool than for bowling. One of the things I most enjoyed about Sacco's was seeing the "rest" of the community, those who aren't uber-hip and ready to drop $12 for a martini. I want to make sure that, no matter what it ends up being, it's still a place where local teens and geezers can hang out. Try to be inclusive.

[gildersleeve.livejournal.com]

Yes... I applaud your idea as a positive one (and as someone noted above, certainly better than seeing the place become an Applebee's or something) but I second the idea of keeping it accessible and friendly to local youth.

If you can retain the decor and feel in whatever portion remains a bowling alley, rather than 'cleaning it up' you will go a long way to retaining the bowling crowd, and making the transition into your new center more seamless. I think if you modernize it to a point beyond recognition, you might scare away that crowd.

Of course, since you are no doubt paying a great deal of money for the building, and will be paying very high property taxes, you can certainly do whatever you want!

[derekp.livejournal.com]

I, for one, will miss bowling. I only went a few nights per year, but it was a kind of off the wall random thing you could do that made Davis unique.

[ron_newman]

If she does what she says here, you'll still be able to bowl.

[obie119.livejournal.com]

Love the idea, but the name would scare me off. Welcome!

Love the Idea

[shana-lyons.livejournal.com]

Your plan sounds excellent. The name doesn't bother me as much as it does some other people. Good luck and keep us posted.

[ifotismeni]

yea, as i mentioned above, anything with the word "connections" in it sounds rather creepy. why not make it plain and simple: davis square community center? it's boring perhaps but at least people know what it is.

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

Except if it's a for-profit enterprise, that's kind of misleading.

[ron_newman]

I have no idea if October 13th from 5 to 8 even potentially overlaps a Red Sox playoff game, but you should prepare to deal with that possibility somehow.

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

Yes - ALCS Game 2. (Assuming the sox make it past the first round this week). Compounding matters is that it could easily end up being against the Yankees. It might not start til 8 PM though.

[bettyw.livejournal.com]

Yay for keeping the bowling, and hopefully the current vibe of it. I hate being forced to use "auto-scoring" that doesn't do it right...

[Note - the icon is a sweater my grandmother knitted for me circa 1966!]

[synergyseeker.livejournal.com]

great sweater!

[masslibrulgirl.livejournal.com]

That sounds awesome! I wish I could come to the community party, but I will be seeing Regina Spektor at Brandeis that night. Will there be any more events coming up soon?

[synergyseeker.livejournal.com]

We will be having additional events. Ill be posting here as they get booked! Hope to see you at the next one....

[turil.livejournal.com]

Is this a non-profit? If you are, I'd be interested in hooking up with you for my >a href="http://www.localcabbage.com">Local Cabbage project...

I also agree that the name is pretty unfortunate. Try for something nonsensical and fun to say. Or at least create a fun acronym.

And, yeah, having a workshop/meeting space is absolutely needed in Somerville. So that's cool!

[synergyseeker.livejournal.com]

We are a for-profit company. We debated about being a non-profit because a lot of how we run the company is more suited to a non-profit....but I have a personal mission to show that you can be a profitable business and have a social mission.

Naming Stuff

[daft.livejournal.com]

On a recent trip to Nashville, I discovered a place called "The Family Wash", or just "The Wash". It's a bar/restaurant/music venue, but used to be a laundromat. I didn't encounter anyone who was confused by the name, nor were the show fliers difficult to understand.
My point? (I have one, really) The name doesn't need to be something totally spot-on descriptive. People will figure it out.
(And that said, what's wrong with taking part of the old name and just calling it The Haven? It sounds like that's what you're trying to create anyway...I guess you could have a long-n-officious name like The Davis Square Social & Community Haven...)

Re: Naming Stuff

[synergyseeker.livejournal.com]

I really love the name "The Haven". Going to give that some serious thought! Its obvious from this discussion that The Connections Center name needs rethinking! Thanks for all your input!

[lissie930.livejournal.com]

Sounds great! I don't mind the name (though I like The Haven better), but I'm pretty much as unhip as you can get, so take that FWIW!

I am a mom and would love a place that was toddler-friendly (like Carberry's/O'Natural's used to be, I haven't actually been in since it changed hands so I don't know if it's still got the play area) that served food and good coffee. A place where I wouldn't feel like my kids were bothering the other patrons (even if you had a new parent coffee-hour, sort of like Stella Bella has but for Davis Square people!).

[wallacestreet.livejournal.com]

Somewhat OT, but Boloco (in the Carberry's/O'Natural's space) does have a play area but it's much reduced both in size and in interest from its former glory. No more train table or doll house. Mostly books and puzzles now. Not really worth the trip IMHO, especially since there are much better burritos (Anna's and perhaps Chipotle) and wraps (Blue Shirt) to be found in the square. It's a shame, though.

On topic, I'd vote for The Haven or The Bowl or some clever and non descriptive variation on those. Since the concept is somewhat squishy, why confine yourself with a descriptive name when you might want to push out in some new direction soon enough. A descriptive name is most useful if you're relying on the yellow pages, but I suspect this is not going to be a yellow pages kind of place.

p.s. Anyone remember what happened to the last person who asked for business advice here (http://community.livejournal.com/davis_square/951226.html). Just goes to show you. What it goes to show, I'm not sure, but I do know that it goes to show something...

[c-m-i.livejournal.com]

Just call it "The Bowl" or something - you have bowling plus bowls-as-melting-pot imagery to work with. Plus you can serve ricebowls, soups, and other bowl-needing foods, which as not being wrapped in a tortilla would be a strange an alien food in Davis.

[ron_newman]

I like it. The Davis Bowl.

Define better

[jokabri.livejournal.com]

You said you wanted to "(1) help people meet each other (2) expand people’s homes and offices and (3) enhance the creative/renaissance lifestyle. (Features like flexible meeting space, unique social events, art and music salons are some examples..." and I have to say "huh?".

1. help people meet each other -- slightly confused. Assuming you are talking B2B then what's wrong with the chamber of commerce? If you're talking singles - then what's wrong with any bar?

2. expand people’s homes and offices -- I'm confused here. Temp office space or as-you-need-it office space? If it is as-you-need-it office space then ok -- that may fly. Lots of people are self-employed and this could work. Especially with a liquor license to bring clients in casually.

3. enhance the creative/renaissance lifestyle -- I'm really confused now. Like head exploding confused. How do you intend to do this in an old bowling alley? I don't even have a mental picture of what this means or why it is needed.

I wish you the best of luck, but - IMHO - I would more clearly define what you intend to do with the space (to make money). Clean the place up (yeah), get a liquor license (yeah), leave some alleys working (yeah)and maybe do a hooters theme (hot women serving beer and wings for sporting events). Davis square needs more diversity now --- too many of the artsy/fartsy types have moved in and they're killing businesses left and right. They don't spend $$$$ and with their sense of entitlement they just end up whining and complaining a lot. It just get ugly.

I also think the name is fine as is - too many people chiming in and things get out of wack. Go with what you like.

Re: Define better

[ron_newman]

Killing businesses? How so? There's hardly a vacant storefront left in Davis, except for the ones under construction.

So no more Sacco's?

[youandwhosearmy.livejournal.com]

There goes my last reason to ever return to Davis Square. I'm sure you mean well mind you, but people buying up places with history rarely (no matter how hard they try) ever truly get what they are doing. Since business was a bust there though near the end, I doubt you'll have much trouble making any money off the place.

Good luck with that.


"Killing businesses? How so? There's hardly a vacant storefront left in Davis, except for the ones under construction."

I think he meant to say, killing family owned business. Which if you really look at objectively, is whats been happening there for a long time. I think they should just turn the whole square into one giant Store 24/Starbucks, and get it over with.

Re: So no more Sacco's?

[ron_newman]

If she does what she says she's going to do, there will still be a bowling alley. Joe Sacco wants to get out of the business, and just about anyone else he could have sold it to would have torn it down entirely.

[elements.livejournal.com]

I'm not thrilled with losing the whole alley. Not at all. On the other hand it sounds like you're the best chance of saving even some lanes, so, eh.

Maybe take a look at the Milky Way concept in JP. I like that it has arcade stuff and hangout space in addition to the bar area and that it's possible to go with a fairly diverse group and find something for everyone.

Ok, once I am over mourning Sacco's I'm sure I'll think this is great. It sounds potentially great in theory. I will try to come to your thing on the 13th. Is it possible to add myself to some RSVP list so I won't forget? elements at livejournal.

[abilouise.livejournal.com]

Count me as another vote for someone who would probably avoid a place named "The Connections Center", or at least feel sheepish admitting to going to a place named that. It seems like a name that is a bit on the long side with no obvious and easy way to shorten it. I like the suggestions that work the word "haven" in, because then there is something easy to call it. (though certain folks will probably go on calling it sacco's no matter what you name it, ala the Osco lot & Porter Star.

[spatch]

Well, of course, when Shaw's and Star did their little unholy merger of, uh, merging, there was a bit of confusion over which name would win out, Squeedly or Meedly. Even today I still sometimes can't remember which one won out, so I just start saying "Sss--" and let it take over from there.

here we go again

[petula73.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't occur to people in this neighborhood to just let her be...

Complaining about the name, about the concept.

Seriously, this neighborhood is getting to be one big giant nosey drag.

Re: here we go again

[gothic-ham.livejournal.com]

Well, she's posting here & going to the task force because she wants input. Considering that she's buying such an iconic place, I'm glad she actually wants to know what people in the neighborhood think about her ideas. For the most part the comments haven't been very negative. What's wrong with that?

(Besides, having the name contain the word "Haven" (per abilouise's suggestion) would be awesome.)

"sacco's bowl-haven" tag added

[ron_newman]

As one of the moderators here, I've taken the liberty of adding a sacco's bowl-haven tag, since I think the topic will generate a lot more discussion over the next year. If you click on the tag, you'll see some previous posts that mention the bowling alley.

how about just a plain ol "good luck"?

[petula73.livejournal.com]

Yes, it is unfortunate that nobody in the Sacco family wants to keep the bowling alley...

My point again is, I do not think people should be feeling free to be criticize this idea that she has posted here.

She wanted to give everyone a heads up, probably not expecting that people would be analyzing every square inch of her plan.

I feel like appropriate responses would be something along the lines of "great, good luck"...or "I loved to bowl there, times change, good luck"...not posts with the idea that the world is going to end if there isn't cheap bowling.

I do not understand why change is so hard to accept- people bought property in the square at ridiculous prices, so naturally those people (yes, yuppies) are going to want things that appeal to them and I do not think that is a bad thing.

Re: how about just a plain ol "good luck"?

[jokabri.livejournal.com]

Petula, here I go "great, good luck" and "I loved to bowl there, times change, good luck". Happy now? Sorry to see that some did not tow the party line, Mein Fuhrer!

No one was analyzing every square inch of her plan. I think people were just trying to get an idea of what the plan is/was. Sounds like Synergy is still ironing things out, but I certainly wish her/them the best of luck. I also am ok with the name.