Arts Beats and Eats in Royal Oak. What did you think?

**jerrytimes** · September-04-10, 06:51 PM

I thought that it was horrible this year. The roads are too narrow to have an event like this. I preferred Pontiac any day.

**alsodave** · September-05-10, 07:04 AM

The roads *are* too narrow! Next year they might want to close Lafayette* and give everyone a bit more breathing room.

*allowing access from 11 Mile to the bus station

**jerrytimes** · September-05-10, 09:20 AM

There were times where we weren't even moving because there just isn't enough room. Also, screw Royal Oak for charging $15 to park, and then I had to pay admission. Are you kidding. Correct me is I'm wrong but wasn't it only $5 to park in Pontiac and there was no admission charge?

**Johnlodge** · September-05-10, 11:00 AM

I'm riding my bike, so no parking fee. Will 'report back' later today. I believe there are places you can park with free shuttles to avoid the parking fee if you have to drive. The Post Bar in Ferndale had a shuttle, but they aren't open on Sundays, so no good for today.

The following ABE run lots are $10 with a free shuttle [[not a great discount, but better than $15 I guess):

1. Royal Oak High School
Located off of Crooks, North of 13 Mile
1500 Lexington Boulevard
Royal Oak, MI 48073-2400

2. Hazel Park Raceway
Located off of Ten Mi Rd- East of Dequindre
1650 E 10 Mile Rd
Hazel Park, MI 48030-1262

**oldredfordette** · September-05-10, 12:59 PM

I never went to Pontiac for the festival, now that I can hear it from my house it seemed goofy to not go. It's too small an area, the city of Royal Oak is going to have plenty of pissed off citizens giving them holy hell for the complete mess it's made of the city. It's near impossible to walk through the center, it's so jammed with people.

On the other hand, we do have better music than any other area in the U.S., do we not? A wealth of excellent tuneage.

**Detroitej72** · September-05-10, 01:57 PM

I think I'll go to the Hamtramck Festival instead. I can walk there and I can watch the Polish Boat Races down Jos. Campau before the parade.

**Johnlodge** · September-05-10, 04:01 PM

Exactly what jerrytimes said. Nearly impossible to enjoy anything, just one giant non-moving pack of people on every street at all times. Wouldn't go again if they aren't planning to change anything. I think more people went this year due to the location, and the setup isn't as good. Only bright spot was the free bike corral with someone watching the bikes at all times.

**fryar** · September-05-10, 04:25 PM

Dammit! Where's the thread about guns?! I want to call someone a name!!!

Oh. Oldredfordette posted. If she posts it, they will come. After all, she seems to be the target of the week. Where are DetroitNerd, DetroitPole or DetroitDad when you need them, ey?!

checkraisej · September-05-10, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by Johnlodge

I'm riding my bike, so no parking fee.

Didn't your gun get in the way?

**fryar** · September-05-10, 05:27 PM

.......

**Johnlodge** · September-05-10, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by checkraisej

Didn't your gun get in the way?

Ha, I didn't see any of those folks around. I think they just needed to make their stink, prove their point, and then be on their way. Of course, being the entire place was like general admittance at a Stones concert, I couldn't see much anyway.

**Nicodeme** · September-05-10, 07:25 PM

This was my first time going, like oldredfordette, I can clearly hear it from my house so I might as well go.

Way too many people in too small a space, especially on the numbered streets. Washington was tolerable until the food booths began. The smaller side streets were just a nightmare. I won't be going back unless they really change it around next year.

Also, is it just me or was like all the art way overpriced? Some photographs that looked like they were put on a canvas at a Meijer photo kiosk with a plain black frame were going for $600 or more. Why exactly should I pay so much for a generic picture of a forest with a little dirt path?

**Zacha341** · September-06-10, 08:42 AM

Yeah a non moving crowd is not appealing. And some of the art was just way over the top in terms of price. Though who knows what the 'booth' prices were! Everyone's out to make a buck. The layout in Pontiac was more spacious.

Originally Posted by Johnlodge

Exactly what jerrytimes said. Nearly impossible to enjoy anything, just one giant non-moving pack of people on every street at all times. Wouldn't go again if they aren't planning to change anything. I think more people went this year due to the location, and the setup isn't as good. Only bright spot was the free bike corral with someone watching the bikes at all times.

**pffft** · September-06-10, 09:21 AM

Why do I need to pay $15 for parking, $3 just to walk the streets, just to peer at overpriced landscapes done by itinerant artists from all over the U.S. who are at every junky craft fair in the state?

**jerrytimes** · September-06-10, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by fryar

Dammit! Where's the thread about guns?! I want to call someone a name!!!

Call them a name for what?

**jerrytimes** · September-06-10, 09:58 AM

I felt that there was not much art there.

**Patrick** · September-06-10, 02:23 PM

Could Mt. Clemens pull something like Arts, Beats, and Eats off?

**terryh** · September-06-10, 03:25 PM

Great art music and eats but too tight.At least the suburban crowds nowadays arent the rowdy smart off to strangers antagonistic crowds of the 1980s.....there is generally speaking, as far as I can tell more of a maintain-respect atmosphere....maybe not the case downtown-or with the sports crowds....why was the location changed?

**jcole** · September-06-10, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by terryh

Great art music and eats but too tight.At least the suburban crowds nowadays arent the rowdy smart off to strangers antagonistic crowds of the 1980s.....there is generally speaking, as far as I can tell more of a maintain-respect atmosphere....maybe not the case downtown-or with the sports crowds....why was the location changed?

Maybe because there is no police or fire protection in Pontiac anymore?

**terryh** · September-06-10, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

Maybe because there is no police or fire protection in Pontiac anymore?

I wasnt aware of a change in Ponitac city services. Did you go to the festival when it was in Ponitac?

**jcole** · September-06-10, 06:25 PM

I've never gone to ABE at all, but I do remember Pontiac downsizing their city services a while back. Just a theory.

**princealbert** · September-06-10, 11:28 PM

Originally Posted by Patrick

Could Mt. Clemens pull something like Arts, Beats, and Eats off?

Mt. Clemens has the Stars and Stripes festival. Very similar vibe to AB&E, but the City of Mt. Clemens doesn't gouge festival-goers like Royal Oak does.

**everglade carl** · September-07-10, 05:45 AM

I like Royal Oak. I like Pontiac. I've had great times in both cities. One regret for me, with the ABE leaving Pontiac, is it breaks a nice social tie that the city has with the rest of Metro-Detroit. I sometimes feel Pontiac is forgotten about [[except by people than on the NW side) and floats in limbo. The ABE brought people from Grosse Pointe to Ann Arbor to Flat Rock to Romeo.

Besides bars and restaurants, I'd have to imagine that profit was non-existent from Royal Oak businesses. Does anyone know if Royal Oak is under contract to have the ABE for more years, or if it can move freely?

**jcole** · September-07-10, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by everglade carl

I like Royal Oak. I like Pontiac. I've had great times in both cities. One regret for me, with the ABE leaving Pontiac, is it breaks a nice social tie that the city has with the rest of Metro-Detroit. I sometimes feel Pontiac is forgotten about [[except by people than on the NW side) and floats in limbo. The ABE brought people from Grosse Pointe to Ann Arbor to Flat Rock to Romeo.

Besides bars and restaurants, I'd have to imagine that profit was non-existent from Royal Oak businesses. Does anyone know if Royal Oak is under contract to have the ABE for more years, or if it can move freely?

According to an article I read on detnews, it's a 5 year agreement.

**oldredfordette** · September-07-10, 07:23 AM

We talked to some firefighters at the festival and they told us 1) it was a three year agreement 2) firefighters and cops will be laid off in Royal Oak this week 3) the retail stores got a very unexpected boost from the festival. I can tell you the city cleaned up on writing parking tickets, on my street over the weekend, probably 50 $50 tickets were written.

I wish it would go back to Pontiac too, but I don't think it will happen.