Although many might not consider Tallahassee to be a “big city,” it has parts of it that give it a special and unique character. One particular area that helps to give an identity to our city, most especially as having an arts district, is the All Saints area. Consisting of the area between Gaines Street and Railroad Avenue, the All Saints district is home to many great local businesses, and gives a more artistic feeling to Tallahassee.
To learn more about the All Saints area and what it has to offer Tallahassee, I sat down and spoke with co-owner of The Hop Yard and The Grain, Ely Mathes.
Her Campus (HC): How long have you been a business owner in Tallahassee?
Ely Mathes (EM): We opened the Hop Yard about 18 months ago, and opened The Grain back in September of 2012. Before we officially had all of our licenses, we would hold shows at The Hop Yard and have BYOB events.
HC: What makes the All Saints District different from other parts of Tallahassee?
EM: What’s great about All Saints is that it’s a historic neighborhood and has a lot of mixed used land, where businesses and homes are located by one another. For example, there are great apartments above Fermentation Lounge and The Grain. Also, it’s just a very easy area to walk around in and is very pedestrian-friendly.
HC: What are some of the go-to places in the All Saints district that people should visit?
EM: Well, the area is small enough to where you could honestly go all over. I think the All Saints Cinema is really cool- it’s an old train station that has been converted into a movie theatre. Also, people should check out The Fermentation Lounge. You can even walk there from the All Saints Cinema. There’s just a lot of cool stuff to see.
HC: What do you hope to see in the future of the All Saints District?
EM: I honestly just want to see more people living in the area, especially in the mixed use housing above the businesses in the area. It would be great to have more people within walking distance of the different businesses too.
The All Saints district allows Tallahassee residents to experience something different. Being so close to Railroad Square, First Fridays are always a good time. If you want to have an awesome experience in the All Saints Area, I suggest visiting the area on a First Friday. There are also numerous bars throughout the All Saints area including St. Mike’s, Fermentation Lounge, and The All Saints Hop Yard. If you are into live music, or even the local music scene, The Hop Yard almost always has live musical performances, many of which are local bands, musicians, and artists. Even for those of you who are bookworms and are constantly studying, there’s a twenty-four hour coffee shop, the All Saints Café that provides a nice, quiet atmosphere to get some school work done. Overall, the All Saints District creates an artistic identity for Tallahassee and provides residents the opportunity to experience something new and different.
*Want to learn more about events going on at The All Saints Hop Yard? Check out their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AllSaintsHopYard