Mahncke Park Neighborhood

Earl's: The Food ain't the ONLY Thing Goin'

Jan 30, 2006

When the Ides of March pass, the eyes of Texas may mist over in the long goodbye to Earl. But, on a recent evening I realized that the loss was even more important that I'd thought. In the reflection of the high-gloss of the black street after a shower, I thought of the how less the neighborhood will be when the wonderful neon adorning the property, sparkling and snaking along on Broadway's pavement that night, is gone. It then struck me how I'd missed notice of a profound and unique quality of the MP business district; neon signs. I might be mistaken, but it seems that much of San Antonio is sorely lacking the red, yellow, white, and green glow that I've taken for granted along the nighttime MP stretch of Broadway. I counted about 13 neon signs of varying significance that night. Is there any stretch of road in SA that can brag about such elegance, history, and glamour in such a short length of pavement? Probably not. The signs, you know, range from that barely flashing, worn, and charming Ranch curving arrow, to the quirky Hung Fung pagoda, to the tacky-funky Jane's. Of course, there were, at one time, many more. I'm sure you old-timers remember (as I do), for example, the Frying Fish where the Whataburger is now. I can't say that orange and white signage was replacement in kind, or even kind.

Maybe to you it isn't such a big deal. And maybe it isn't. But, besides the conservation angle, I challenge you to think about it in terms of place. That is, this is one of the unique qualities that we as a neighborhood can claim as our own. It really is something that adds that extra little sparkle to our quality of life. On any night (but in particular on a night where the streets are wet) compare and dispair by weighing your emotional response to the light coming from the Earl Abel's (while you can) and the light coming from, for example, the sign for the Taco de Jalisco (sign sucks but the food is excellent and I eat there almost weekly).

My opinion is to enjoy it while you can. The neon may be on its way out and, unfortunately, as in many places in the city, tackiness is on the way in.

R.