Over the past few years, I have been excited to watch the economic growth and expansion occurring in West Tyler. The west loop has seen numerous decayed and crime ridden businesses closed and the real estate sold to make room for legitimate, contributing entrepreneurs. We’ve seen the likes of Wingstop, Subway, Walgreens, Starbucks, Papa Murphy’s, and numerous others, set up shop along the west loop and sixty four. Even the west loop Wal-Mart, as messy and sometimes run-down as it is, has brought with it quite a bit of development since its arrival around five years ago. It all goes to validate the maxim that a rising tide lifts all boats, something most of our current political leaders have either forgotten, or chosen to ignore. The expansion also proves that a great way to foster healthy communities is to allow healthy individuals and businesses to succeed. Give people the opportunity to buy up infected areas and they will purge the corrupted property and bring in new dollars.
With this principle in mind, I must express a certain amount of disappointment that up until this point, the West Loop and thirty one has been largely left out of the recent renaissance. I’ve long been embarrassed by the look and content of thirty one west. It has been Tyler’s ugly back door for quite sometime. It has been, and remains my hope that the development of the Cascades and the new Airport will help buoy property values and bring improvements to this ugly highway.
When the developers do decide to take the plunge and move towards Chandler, I would like to suggest a few eyesores I eagerly await seeing bulldozed completely. I do not even care whether or not they are replaced with more reputable establishments… Well that’s not true, I do hope for improvements. However a pile of rubble is preferable to these businesses (and I use the term loosely). The originally named “Sports Club,”(once named the Unicorn Club), as well as close neighbors “Da Hippy” (I can barely contain my contempt as I type this), the “Dragon’s Byte,” (their spelling not mine) and the nondescript corner gas station, have long been a breeding ground for drug use, crime, third rate tattoo artists, and general filth. The real estate is located at the corner of thirty one and Greenbriar, where a healthier more upstanding business could potentially make a successful go of it. As developments like the Cascades expand toward highway thirty one, properties like the ones I mentioned could be a source of prosperity for some entrepreneurial risk taker. The day “Da Hippy” is bulldozed I’ll be there with popcorn to watch.
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First off I agree that shady business should be removed, but what is Da Hippy? if its a place where you can buy marijuana parffinellia then thats not a bad thing, cannabis is a great way to encourage commerce in our town(especially now that its becoming decriminalized), however I agree drug ridden spots should be eliminated, to often people get marijuana and “real” drugs confused and we need to rid our town of this ignorant way of thinking. But like I said drug ridden spots should be dealt with so if they are promoting real drugs like meth or heroine then they should be shut down. Now on to the subject of Dragon Bytes yes it is misspelled but that keeps up with a new age thing that attracts younger people, despite this edgy advertising method, they are a great establishment. They are far more clean and knowledgeable then any other exotic pet business’ in Tyler. Its a great place for a first time exotic pet buyer, or an experienced owner. maybe the outside building doesn’t look great, (they are renting a space in a building, the structure isn’t their fault), but if you have ever been in the building everything is very clean and well organized. On the note of Third rate tattoo shops I agree also, no one wants a bad tattoo artist, we need to rid the town of the ones that are not qualified, and do bad work. I haven’t personally been in this tattoo shop so I do not know anything about it. However I believe that firing line tattoos should be the standard for our tattoo shops here in tyler, they are great people that do great work and are very professional with what they do. What it comes down to is the building its self is what I think you mean to blame here, as I said before I haven’t been in Da Hippy or the tattoo shop their but if they are as good as dragons breath and and firing line tattoo. It seems that you are making your judgements based on inaccurate stereotypes and superficial levels.
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My name is Jeff and I own Dragon Bytes. This is a very clean and legal store. I don’t use drugs, not a tattoo shop I am a legal reptile and exotic pet shop I am a young upstanding business trying to turn this property you talk about around and make a good living. My shops name is not misspelled. We chose that name for a specific reason. We started out as an internet based business and developed into a store front business. We chose this location because it was out in the county, has plenty of traffic coming by, and is easy to locate. We have had a great responce from the public. We have had plenty of return customers and famlies come in and buy new pets and supplies for their current pets. Our store is one of if not the cleanest reptile/pet store in town. There is also not a more knowledgable staff employed in town. Between the 3 employees in the shop including me we have a combined 28 years experience in owning, keeping and breeding reptiles. From your commentes above it sounds like you have never set foot in my business, just drove by to copy the name off the window. I am hearby extending an offer to you and the rest of the general public in Tyler and surrounding communities to come on out and pay us a short visit. I am quite certain that I will change your mind about my business. Just keep in mind like my Grandmother use to say “don’t judge a book by its cover”.
Jeff P.
Owner, Dragon Bytes Inc.
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