WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2004
LAWRENCE
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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17
So close...yet so different North Lawrence is unknown to most KU students
By Marc Ingber
minger@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Merely minutes away from Massachusetts Street, the only thing that separates north Lawrence from the downtown area is a bridge.
Though the two areas are close in proximity, the social atmosphere at the bars and restaurants share little in common. Massachusetts Street is a haven for University of Kansas students and local high school students, whereas north Lawrence tends to draw an older crowd local business people and former University students.
"I've never heard much about it," Shane Stecklein, Dodge City junior, said of north Lawrence. "It could be interesting." Stecklein said he and his friends went to Massachusetts Street often, but never ventured across the river.
Tadashi Momma, Tokyo freshman, said he never went to North Lawrence because he didn't have a car and didn't want to walk there.
They are not alone. Rick Renfro,
owner of Johnny's Tavern, 401 N. Second St., in north Lawrence, said the college student business he had now doesn't compare to what it was in the past.
He said that from 1979 to 1985 Johnny's was popular with college students. But after Kansas changed the drinking age from 18 to 21 in 1988, his college student business decreased dramatically. Renfro said.
Now, about 20 percent of Johnny's business is college students, Renfro said, and for them it is more popular as a restaurant.
"The bulk of KU students come for a cheeseburger and fries as opposed to late-night partying." he said.
Maggie Del Campo, manager of La Tropicana, 434 Locust St. in north Lawrence, said they didn't have a lot of student business either.
"Most of our customers are local business people," she said. "They kind of like it here because the students stay on Mass."
She said most of the students who do come know about La Tropicana by word of mouth because the restaurant doesn't
do much advertising at the University.
"When we get a student they keep coming and coming and they bring friends," Del Campo said.
Renfro said most of the reason for the lack of popularity among college students was that north Lawrence had negative stereotypes attached to it about its socioeconomic standing. He said that had been changing recently.
"Over the last ten years a lot of younger families have been moving here," he said.
Renfro said he was not so sure he would want Johnny's to have the popularity of bars on Massachusetts Street. He would like to see more college students come, but he wouldn't want a huge throng of them coming every week, he said.
Ted Boyle, president of the North Lawrence Improvement Association, agreed.
He said he was nervous when the city of Lawrence began trying to limit the number of bars on Massachusetts Street because he thought some of them would migrate to North Lawrence.
"We'd like to see some commercial
Courtney Kuhlen/Kansan
Johnny's Tavern, 401 N. Second St. in north Lawrence, estimates it gets about 20 percent of its business from college students. Owner Rick Renfro said students might avoid North Lawrence because of negative socioeconomic stereotypes, but those sterotypes aren't necessarily true.
developments up North Second and Third streets," Boyle said. "But we don't want it to turn into a strip."
— Edited by Miranda Lenning
Agencies downsize to stay in business
By Nikola Rowe editor@kansan.com Special to the Kansan
Lawrence residents looking to take a trip this summer are going to have to look a little harder for a travel agency to help with planning.
The number of travel agencies in Lawrence has dwindled to four, and those remaining, have to find new ways to stay in business.
Some of the travel agencies have downsized in order to stay in business. Lawrence Travel Center moved into a smaller office building in the bottom level of the First Med Building, 2323 Ridge Court.
Beverly Falley, Lawrence Travel Center vice president of marketing, said that this was not a hard move because it didn't take much space to run a travel agency. Others, like Travellers Inc., merged with Ruth Hughs' agency.
John Novotny, vice president of operations for Travellers Inc., started working with Travellers in 1978. Novotny said the key to staying in business in Lawrence was providing good service.
Travellers Inc. has served the Lawrence community since the 1950s.
"With all the online availability, if I can do it online cheaper I won't go to a travel agent."
Paul Paggi Dallas alumni
"People buy from people they like," Novotny said.
Paula Paggi, Dallas alumni, went to Carlson Wagonlit Travel when she and her roommate wanted to take to trip to Mexico last summer.
Novotny has seen a trend in more family travel, but both Travellers Inc. and Carlson Wagonlit Travel said student travel for study abroad programs and spring break trips provided the most business.
Paggi's experience was pleasant, but she found that it was easier to save money by using the Internet instead of agencies.
"With all the online availability, if I can do it online cheaper I won't go to a travel agent." Paggi said.
— Edited by Miranda Lenning
HOME:10 students will live in house
Bakers biggest construction challenge, though, may not be leveling uneven floors or repairing torn walls.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The house has received private loans from a number of sources: $100,000 from the Sunflower co-op, $20,000 from the Lawrence Preservation Alliance and $50,000 from other private sources.
He said construction always cost more than originally estimated, and banks wouldn't give loans on the house because it had no value until it was occupiable, forcing Baker to turn elsewhere for much needed funds.
The upside, he said, was the opportunity to save a big house with some history.
The house itself was free, and the owner of the lot agreed to suspend payment requests for one year so residents can move in and acquire rent to pay.
Ad Astra was originally intended to be an Appropriate Technology house, which means it would use environmentally friendly construction materials and renewable methods of using water and energy.
But construction delays, a lack of consistent volunteers, and rising costs have put this venture low on the priority list for now.
"There's been some talk about installing a solar water-heater," Baker said. "But for now we're just trying to make this place livable, so we'll worry about that later."
Valley Moving of Wamego is scheduled to remove the aging railroad ties sometime this week, Baker said, which will allow the house to drop five-to-seven-inches onto permanent supports.
"There's been some talk about installing a solar water-heater. But for now we're just trying to make this place liveable, so we'll worry about that later."
Baker and volunteers then have to create an entire basement from the bare wooden frame and enough space for four of the house's 10 rooms.
Ad Astra will likely not see completion or at least occupiable conditions until the middle or end of October, later than the expected September move in date.
Chris Baker Weatherby Lake, Mo.
This additional delay means 10 KU students may be without a place to sleep for half a semester, a problem that doesn't seem to bother Baker.
"I had a friend couch-surf at my place for a month and a half last summer," he said. "So I figure she owes me."
— Edited by Miranda Lenning