Brunch & Rhythm

Downtown Kingston comes alive with elegance

THE KINGSTON waterfront was transformed into an oasis of elegance on Sunday as Jacqui Tyson and friends presented the first in what has been dubbed 'Brunch & Rhythm'.

With a cool breeze coming off the sea and music playing low in the background, dozens of persons were introduced to Tyson's idea of what a transformed downtown Kingston could become.

Brunch & Rhythm was an idea put forward first by my business partner Dr Dennis Howard and he said we have to find a way to bring downtown alive because that was the basis of his thesis Downtown as the Cultural Echo Chamber of Kingston," Tyson told The Gleaner as she took a break from meeting her several guests.

She said Brunch & Rhythm is set to continue over the long term, at least one each month, in an effort to bring activity and life to the waterfront.

Tyson scoffed at the suggestion that the brunch would be better supported if it were held in New Kingston or somewhere in upper St Andrew.

"Downtown has a vibes like nowhere else. It is the cultural place. Most of our top reggae acts were born downtown. Bob Marley did not come from uptown," argued Tyson.

"I mean uptown has its perks, but we seem to forget that downtown is a big part of our heritage."

According to Tyson, downtown is alive and open for business and more persons should head that way when they are setting up shop.

"I do business down here and I have no drama or problems. I walk from here (waterfront) to Coronation market and people are now so hot that you can call your seller in the market on her cellular phone and she will drop the goods at your doorstep.

"I can run to the meat shop and say cut this down for me, even if I didn't buy it from them. that kind of community you find nowhere else," said Tyson.

Unfortunate and unfounded

She noted that when many persons think about downtown Kingston they immediately think crime, but for Tyson that characterisation is unfortunate and unfounded.

"Downtown Kingston people are not offensive ... people don't come here and try to solicit, when you go to Ocho Rios beaches you get more pestering. When you are downtown, people are on their own steam."

Tyson argued that, like any other market district in the world, there will be persons trying to sell to shoppers in the streets, but that should not be a problem.

"Anywhere else in the world, this would be a fabulous place to be. Downtown Kingston can make South Beach (Florida) look like it just a come, because you know we in Jamaica, when we do it, we do it," said Tyson whose company From Thought to Finish provided good food, good music and good vibes in a wonderful ambience for guests.

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com