B R O W N S T O N E S

Here's a taste of my latest story for the Printz:

Just across Highway 49 lies a plethora of venues that offer both interesting and exciting experiences in music, art and restaurants. One of these is Brownstone’s, a New Orleans-style favorite of the downtown scene.

Brownstone’s opened four years ago on July 4 by Ken Brown who said, “We purposely pursued this downtown location for Brownstone’s to complement other local music venues, such as Thirsty Hippo, B&E Wine Bar and Benny’s Boom Boom Room, and help foster the ‘college town’ experience which towns like Oxford, Starkville, Tuscaloosa and Athens, Ga., have established.”

Brian Beck has been working as a server at Brownstone’s for three weeks and said he enjoys working in the downtown atmosphere. “ People seem to think that West Hattiesburg is all that Hattiesburg has to offer, but downtown is really beautiful and has a lot of culture,” he said.

There’s a sense of community and camaraderie that comes from working amidst the quieter downtown scene. “People that work in the downtown community are friends,” Benge said. “We all hang out together.”

Ken Brown agreed with many downtown employees, stating his interest in revitalizing down town. “We wanted to participate in the Downtown Hattiesburg revitalization and be an integral player in the growing restaurant and music scene,” Brown said.

Beck said his favorite thing about coming to work is seeing Downtown Hattiesburg in the morning. “It’s so beautiful seeing the sun come up over all the buildings, there’s just so much beauty here, and I don’t think people know that.”