The 'forgotten block' of Elmwood is not so forgotten after all. Resurgence of restaurants in the Elmwood Village have made it the hot spot to grab a bite to eat.
Brianna Burrell, a resident in the area, does more than just sit down to eat there. "Clothing boutiques, tattoo shops, dentist, restaurants, everything you need is on Elmwood," Burrell explained.
One of the upcoming restaurants opening Friday, Thin Man Bewery, chose to open up in this area for specific reasons.
"Elmwood Village is the lifeline of the city," said Mike Shatzel, co-owner of the brewery. "To be able to put a brewery right in the middle of the heart of the city... there just isn't a better location."
He added that the area is developing so quickly, that the demand for employees keeps increasing.
"What hurts a little is trying to find guys to cook for you because there are so many more positions open in the city so the pool is shrinking," Shatzel said.
However, it was not always that way on this block of Elmwood Village.
"This block was a pretty dead block," said Rocco Termini, local developer.
Owner of Midtown Kitchen, another restaurant that opened four weeks ago, Charlie Barone says the rebirth of this stretch of Elmwood is thanks to the taste buds of millennials.
"I see a big culinary push," said Barone, co-owner of MTK. "A lot of the old mom and pop type places that are still existing some of them are either forced into early retirement because millennials want their property and want to try to expand their culinary operation."
The closing of Women and Children's Hospital will bring change to the area. According to the owners of the restaurants, it will bring positive change.
"It's going to bring more residents," said Barone. "Just more action, and more vibe over here."
"There's going to be a lot of housing here," said Termini. "There's going to be a Dash's food market across the street, so this will create more energy and activity on the street. That can only help us."
