FEATURES – January 2009

Saturday Night on Prince George Street

Bruce Ebert spends some time with Williamsburg locals, escapes the colonial overload and finds that it's pretty hip in this square.

By Bruce Ebert

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In the heart of Williamsburg, where it's easy to be overwhelmed by crowds seeking out the 18th century, finding a place where 21st century locals and students can hold their own against the tide of tourists can be a challenge.

The answer lies just one block north of Merchants Square—the 400 block of Prince George Street, between Henry and Boundary streets—where the vibe is laidback Southern and the vibemeisters all have Williamsburg addresses.

Prince George Street is Williamsburg's "scene." Tourists are welcome but locals rule. Preppies. Latter-day grungers. Woodstock nationals. Retirees. All make for a diverse human tapestry.

Just ask Cameron Church, a 2007 College of William & Mary grad who, on typical days, can be found tapping away on his laptop for hours outside Aromas, a coffee shop/restaurant that—maybe because it has the most tables and chairs out front—is Prince George's home base.

"I live here," says Church. Actually, his address is on the other side of Williamsburg, but he lives on Prince George, taking advantage of the Wi-Fi access, meeting friends, discussing the issues of the day and watching what he calls "the many flavors of personalities" that stroll by and grab the café tables next to his.

"We share music, share stories, talk," says Church. "Everyone knows everyone. And every day here is something new. Williamsburg is a very open community, with a lot of people who are, or have been, very interesting and successful but are also very unassuming."

"I have office hours here," says Jason Danner, an ethics professor at William & Mary. Danner, who came here from Charlottesville, points out that being free of national chains is an important element of Prince George Street's charm. "It is Williamsburg, and not much is left to chance, but here it does feel different, less contrived, more spontaneous," he says. Being one block from the college, which he calls "the most authentic part of Williamsburg," enhances its ambience, he says.

In these days when it is Seinfeld, not Father Knows Best, that offers the backdrop setting for young and almost-young America's ideal life, every city worth its zip code has a street that moves the Richter scale of cool. For all its ups and downs as a shopping district, Norfolk's Colley Avenue is still anchored by the single-screen Naro Expanded Cinema, independent restaurants and brick apartments filled with aspiring connoisseurs of urban living. Boston has fashionable Newberry Street, Washington has historic M Street and Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown, and New York has ... well ... pick one—or 101. On Prince George, those who inhabit or own businesses in Williamsburg's downtown think they have something distinctive.

"A very hospitable feel," says Sharon Scruggs, who, along with husband, Billy, runs The Fife & Drum Inn, a bed and breakfast atop a few of the ground-level shops.

"A lack of pretension," says Danner, citing The Blue Talon as a place that eschews the snob appeal that a top-notch French restaurant might be tempted to foster in other small towns.

"A feeling of safety," adds W&M student Liz Truelove of Duxbury, Mass.

And, adds Church, for all the hip and bustle for which larger cities are known, "I've had more personal interactions here than in any city I've been." (And take note: the man is from SoCal.)

That interaction is fostered by people like Church and like Rob Hennessy, a teacher, actor and guitarist who is occasionally spotted strumming from a bench in front of Aromas. "I don't like bars, and I don't like being up late," he says. "I play for my own pleasure."

His own pleasure often rubs off on others. Kids particularly "get all wide-eyed when they see me," he admits. "They'll cross the street just to watch; we have marvelous interaction."

Potential postcard scenes are offered from every angle. Both sides of Prince George are lined with brick sidewalks and 15-foot-tall maple trees flanked by terra cotta pots full of geraniums. The buildings are either their original reddish brick hues or painted in cheerful, yet muted colors—all with the good taste for which Williamsburg is noted. For those who can't find a spot in front of a café, there are benches for those who need a rest or a place to sip a smoothie.

For all its sparkle, Prince George has its downtimes—periods in mid-morning and mid-afternoon when, but for a few cars and bicyclists, the street can look deserted. "Quiet time," as Church calls it, perchance to read and think. Nights can fool you—in this city that rolls up its sidewalks early, often the last feet moving in Williamsburg will be walking on Prince George.

For the rest of Saturday Night on Prince George Street, pickup our January 2009 issue wherever magazines are sold.

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