by Joel Addington
Contributing Writer
It’s been more than a year since Rob Gordon has been back to the small Springfield bar near the corner of Main and 6th streets.
He used to sweep the floors when it was called Moe’s Tavern, a place much different than what he saw when returning for the first time Saturday.
“There was no back, no patio,” said the Jacksonville Beaches resident, referring to the outdoor space in the rear decorated with hanging lights and graffiti art. “It was just a little square with a pool table. But there was never any entertainment. We entertained ourselves.”
Something else has changed, he noted.
“We would have problems,” said Gordon, 45. “We’d keep the door locked because people would try to rob the place.”
Today, the spot is called Shantytown Pub, something that’s hard to miss because the name is spray-painted on the side of the building in 10-foot-tall letters next to the head of a baboon. And on Saturday night, the door at 22 W. 6th St. sat wide open as the mostly 20-something crowd began arriving.
There’s almost always some form of entertainment, whether it be trivia, a band or simply a customer with a guitar and lubricated vocal chords.
Only beer and wine are served at Shantytown Pub. The upstart has 12 beers on tap and about 75 bottled beers regularly stocked, including the popular Blanche de Bruxelles, said bartender Dylan Lowvier.
“I understand we’re the only ones who have it,” he said, shortly after scribbling in a thick notebook the name of a hip hop tune patron Walter Grant brought to his attention.
“It’s for ideas and stuff I have,” said Lowvier, a 25-year-old Riverside resident. “I have a bunch of them — notebooks, not ideas.”
On the walls hang paintings from local artists, including one of Clint Eastwood and another of Audrey Hepburn. Hundreds of stickers, fliers and other non-traditional decorations adorn almost every surface. One sticker on the cooler reads, “Google Ron Paul.”
The establishment celebrated its one-year anniversary Nov. 23, which drew a large crowd, said co-owner Ian Ranne.
“It was one of the busiest days we’ve ever had,” said the 27-year-old Jacksonville native. “The day after Thanksgiving is one the biggest drinking days.”
However, Ranne said the pub has been fairly busy ever since it opened.
“We had a formula down from the get go,” he said. “We don’t try to be anything but a common man’s bar. It’s not anything real fancy. People are comfortable coming in whatever they’re wearing. We stick to what we know and to what people like and that’s been a big part of our success. It’s a good punk rock show and a cold beer.”
And that’s something the customers appreciate.
“It’s a cool place,” said one patron who identified himself only as Zeke.
“We know the bartenders. It’s comfortable. It’s like Cheers.”
Ranne and his girlfriend managed another Downtown watering hole, London Bridge, before starting Shantytown. The couple spent eight months renovating the space on 6th Street, which Ranne said is very affordable when compared to leases of similarly sized establishments in Riverside or San Marco, where much of Shantytown’s customer base resides.
“We did a lot of remodeling ourselves,” he said. “We’d make $100 in tips at London Bridge and call the plumber the next day and give it to him.”
Growing up in Riverside, Ranne knew that Springfield hasn’t always had the best reputation. He recalled the period prior to the neighborhood’s revitalization, when the area was known for drugs and prostitution.
“I remember when this area – 6th Street – was one of the worst places in Jacksonville in the 1980s,” he said. “I’m happy to be a part of helping to clean it up a little bit, too. I hear all kinds of stories from the old guys.”And fortunately, those stories are no longer a reality.
“Having more positive energy around makes all the difference,” said Ranne. “If there are a lot of positive people having a good time, the bad element is less likely to feel comfortable, you know.”