i think the other problem is our skyline. why is it that are tallest building was built in the 20's and nothing taller has been built since. we are really going backwards here

Better go catch it. Run far far away.

Downtown businesses would be open later.
But like somene pointed out lot of cash sales means more chance of being robbed.

As one who has a downtown business, that for the most part is closed by 7p.m. can't get the neighbors to join me in the efforts. Here is our dilema, YOU are the reason we can and will stay open later! Where are all of you who love downtown? I know the parking thing sucks baseballs but the garages are'nt that bad. I'm positive more and better resturaunts will come to where the people are. Even if your just a weekender here downtown there is ALWAYS some fun to be found.

(note to self: write letter to local water supply magistrates requesting the reintroduction of zoloft into city water supply...)

I think those north Fresno upscale snobbish restaurants would be less safe, if someone pulled a "Pulp Fiction" Robbery on a restaurant you would think they would go to that upscale place were there would be more money, but then wait all those people with there Lexus and Mercedes are using credit, So you have to steal all their jewels and gadgets.

"Any of you fucking pricks move, and I'll execute every motherfucking last one of ya!" - Honey Bunny

All of the places AntiMusick mentions sound wonderful compared to the upscale safe restaurants available in North Fresno such as P.F. Chang's or Fleming's Steakhouse. Fresno's fine dining "goers" aren't about to risk getting their Lexus' or Mercedes' stolen or even scratched by driving it across Fresno from their Woodward Park home to eat at a hole in the wall restaurant!

lots of locally owned restaurants, in fresno and beyond, are closed on sundays and mondays. i'm surprised if this is the first place you've encountered it. so, yeah, it can be difficult to go out to eat @ some places (locally owned) on sunday and monday. but, i thought i saw lipari open, and 'stones. and sequoia.

irene's was closed? that's surprising. i know i've eaten there on a sunday evening.

but as craig mentioned, golden is open. i'm pretty sure ming's is open as well.

anyway.

is always a good Sunday choice, for the Chinese food that we grew up with in the seventies!

Craig
Fresno: Garden City under the Sierra Nevadas

The following places of chompin and a grinnin' are closed on Sunday, (at least they were just this afternoon.)

-Million Elephant.
-The fish place next to Starbucks and down the corner from Irenes.
-Chicken Pie Shop.

not sure of the Mexican joint, KiKos? CoCos? KooKoos? dunno...
(nice Mole' sauce, by the way,) next to Second Space (down the block from Mil. Eleph.) they looked closed too, but it may have been the way the sun was hitting the windows...
(Their guacamole ain't too shabby, either.)

I think it would be great if the Trolley that runs during lunch time could run at dinner time too. Maybe just on Arthop night's to begin with, if it catches on, add Fri nights then Sat nights and so on. Just run a continuous loop that includes the parking garages. That way people can come into downtown, park in one of the garages and just catch the trolley from there. I dont know just spit-ballin' i guess.

I totally agree that there's a 'central tower cluster,' thing going on with places to eat relax, or walk around in. It's also about, what, two to three blocks long, (not real huge, but it's nice.)

I think the whole 'is anybody open past 9p? thing is a concern too... (I usually roll up, check a place out, and talk to the busboys cleaning a place and ask if there's anything open where the food is good. It takes a few hits, but you finally get some excellent advice.
-Since Million Elephant is closed on (is it Sundays? Mondays? I forget...)I bounce to Livingstones where they have a 'late,' menu of burgers and aps.

What is kind of funny, about the Tower is that it's kind of like Center City Philadelphia was 20 years ago.
Folks were there during normal business hours, and then a lot of shops closed up by time the evening rush hour was over.
We had one main drag of the eclectic, theatres, music, food, shops,(etc. called SouthStreet, -but most of it was open well up to 2a.)
(Downtown Fresno is an even more equal example... in both cases the streets were rolled back up by 6p, and it was not unheard of to see a lonely soul throwing the switch to shut out the lights for all of CenterCity.
(I think we left one on around Broad and Chestnut to keep the roaches down, and make it easier if Billy Penn had to step down from his perch and use the bathroom if he had to in the middle of the night, (he's getting up there in years.)

The downtown eateries here I don't know a whole lot about,(and I like to explore and find decent grub.)
So maybe some sort of 'how to link these places,' map could be developed.
(It's been three quarters of a year of BikeHop, as well as having worked downtown for quite sometime. So I finally can make it from Tokyo to INFOShop, to Broadway, and know how to bounce up VanNess to the Tower, but figuring out how to connect the dots and jump around is still a little confusing.

Maybe a 'Downtown Chow for Dummies' or something?

I also cheat. I ride a bike, (usually,) and I don't care to connect the dots by walking the downtown parts.

Not to harp on the constant battle, but there is more of a sense of mobility, control, and quicker timeframe, when passing from really 'abandoned feeling' areas to the venue that I'm looking for.
'Walking that' instead causes a bit of a feeling of 'wandering a concrete and cinderblock ghosttown.'

Yep, a Tower or Downtown map, based upon what you might want to eat (with a general route or so, thrown in for yuks,) would work for me.
(...If I'm really writing to Santa on this one? including which gas stations have working air filling stations that have actual gauges on the end of the hoses... o boy, o boy, o boy... (that are free, even.)

i can't say this is true of every "hip" downtown, but it seems like these other places have a "main street" with all the restaurants, clubs, coffee shops, etc on it. which, in my opinion, is similar to olive ave in the tower.

since downtown doesn't really have that street currently, the businesses that have remained down there are spread about. but, (closing eyes and wishing) if fulton can revitalize, or continue to revitalize, it could be like that small town main street.

of course, some of it is just perspective on walking. you can easily walk from kern street cafe to fagans to mezcal to robertito's to tokyo garden to coney island to central fish and back to your car. that's a lot of walking, but i've walked from tower to coney island. then i was warm, sweaty and lazified and took the bus back to tower. i'm just pointing out that you could valet park @ club one, play a hand or two of cards, and stroll to many places to eat.

I see Mr. Rubio's point. Many donwtowns have the feel of a dining, stroll district. Even the Tower feels that way. You could meet a group of friends, and then decide where you wanted to eat. I think that I've eaten at every place that you guys listed, but they are so spread out that there is no overlapping restaurant foot traffic?

What do you think?

Craig
Fresno: Garden City under the Sierra Nevadas

The Cosmopolitan.

nope there's not a lack of dining, just ones open after 5pm, as well as no real 'look at me' places the north seems to favor.
and the stupid parking meters will certainly ruin any nice night out.
beware the mostly illegible rules where you put the coins, if you still carry change..

You can find : Asian | American | Basque | BBQ | Burgers | Cafe | Fast Food | Italian | Mediterranean | Mexican | Seafood | Variety : All with in and near Downtown Fresno...

see the incomplete Downtown Association's Restaurant Guide

since you seem new to eating at restaurants in Downtown Fresno I'll suggest that you try both Basque Restaurants, Central Fish Company, all of the Sandwich shops, and the Tons of Mexican food places and don't forget the Old Fresno Hofbrau.