Save the Shed?

Just your typical Monday night: troll around the M.L.K. neighborhood, try some doors at a historic church, and then off to the soda fountain for a cherry soda.

I was dawdling on the sofa. Billy was busy building his empire from his Lazy Boy, and all was well in the Tiger Den. Well, except that I needed to "go someplace" before the day was over. Billy mentioned reading about a paper boy shed that local history-lovers were trying to save. The problem, it's just an old shed. The county assessor dates the building to the 70s, but the rumors state that it was in use as a paper boy hut in the 1950s. It's pretty run-down today. What do you think? Is the shed worth saving?

The shed is located near the corner of MLK and Meek in Des Moines. We parked in the alley, and as we were leaving we were trapped by an old guy in a flannel shirt. He pulled into a drive way, and when he got out of his car, I asked if he knew anything about the shed. He ambled over and leaned way into the window of my Mazda, eyeballing me through these google-eyed glasses that made his eye sockets look all catty-whompus. I repeated my question, "was this the old paper boys' shed."

"I don't know, but probably not." I rolled up the window and got out of there. Those googley eyes were freaking me out.

But we weren't done yet. Billy's not satisfied with an evening out unless we've gotten kicked out of a place. We went to the church at the corner of Cottage Grove and MLK. The church looks exactly like the churches on Harlem streets in old blacksploitation movies. Billy ditched me while I was taking pictures and found his way inside through an unlocked door. A nice young man showed him around and told him all about the rehab of the church. They are going to the spires back on the roof. I was hoping for a church of disco, but what can you do?

I waited across the street at the newly opened Smokey Row Coffee House and Soda Fountain. I'd been to the Smokey Rows in Pleasantville, Oskaloosa, and Pella while working on my book, Iowa: An Explorer's Guide last summer. These are great coffee shops, with creative drinks, lots of inexpensive comfort food, ice cream, and the glossiest floors I've ever seen in a public building. The shop has been under construction for years, but it's open now, and it has the happy buzz of a place that everyone is trying out for the first time and really, really liking.

Smokey Row is a nice addition to Sherman Hill and a gorgeous rehab of an old building. It's scrubbed up and perfectly balances the historic feel of a place and slick modern comforts--who knows? Perhaps some day the old newspaper boy shed will be rehabed into bourgey-bliss, a martini bar, perhaps? Boutique shoe store? Imported wine shop? If so, I know one guy who won't be the first customer.