To the east, a bidding war over concession rights on the Pavilion& Pier that begs questions about Chatham County or City of Tybee ownership. To the west, the creation of a new pedestrian park five years in the works that endured a construction stoppage shortly after pavement was plowed. At the gateway to it all stands Tybrisa Street as the stepchild dependent on continued success of the Pier and acceptance of the Park of the Seven Flags. Downtown Tybee, 2002. A Golden Age in the making or the start of colossal Tybee turf wars stunting progress? Optimists are investing in the Street and taking their chances on a selling season that has yet to be universally marketed in early spring and fall. Business-Winter starts here after Labor Day with temperatures in the early 90’s and re-births during the St.Paddy’s Day festivities.

While all this goes on, Tybrisa Street is experiencing a welcomed renaissance with a powered tribe of entrepreneurs staking claims to making a living here. The South End Business District is riding on their vision and energy. The drama is ready for Showtime and the cast is impressive.

"I’m doing it because I’m bored," says a laughing Wanda Parker and what she is doing is the talk of the Street. Wanda is taking over Rascals and will continue to run her Doc’s Bar establishment, a must see watering hole favored by locals and tourists." I see Tybrisa Street as very cosmopolitan and entertainment stable," she says. Wanda is looking to provide a variety of music on her two dance floors including contemporary bands. She wants to make subtle atmosphere changes with softer lighting. She has a lease with an option and sees the Pier as family respectable. She’s been around Tybee for 20 years and feels a shift of energy to the South End. She is playing with The Sand Bar, The Beach Club, and Trixie’s among others as a new name for Rascals. For sure, Wanda gets high marks running a saloon and is eager to get started. Rascals’ current proprietor, Bert Hubbard, is looking at new starts including the Pier. He and his staff did a giant job in raising acceptability and excitement at the corner of Butler and Tybrisa.

"Wanda will do fine, "says Nickie Alexander who owns the building and remembers Tybee when you dialed the operator to connect to your party. Now he is the recognized Overlord of Tybrisa Street and Butler Avenue property that came his way after 57 years of working and living here. He grew up in Youngstown, Ohio. Not bad for a river kid! "Business will be great," he argues, because of density. He sees more tourists each year from a watching perch at his Butler Avenue Check Cashing office. What Nickie is looking for is "fingertip control "of the money invested in marketing Tybee and sees a local effort independent of Savannah as plausible and a pathway.

Sammy Navon owns American Beachwear and Aloha Gifts on Tybrisa and sees a marketing future using the internet. "2002 was good but I think more people are learning about Tybee this way so 2003 will be good. A lot of visitors tell us that," he says. Sammy wins votes as a good guy and Tybee promoter from colleagues and business operators. "The people themselves say we treat them the best," he argues. Sammy’s been around for 13 years.

At Chu’s, Phil O’Dell is looking at partitioning the landmark store in 2004. His pressing concern is that the Park of the Seven Flags is too big and dismisses needed parking places. Arby’s asked him to intervene with City Hall when the digging began and wants more research on the site. At his end, he describes Chu’s as doing pretty well this year yet off from the past.

John O’Neill’s 16th Street Salon is going to stay in operation and he’s thinking about offering a start-up service next year to accompany hair styling by Lee Hicks. The realtor likes the pamper business and recognizes the new pedestrian park and new businesses make Tybrisa Street attractive.

One of those start-ups this year is Jaime Berdache’s Sundance Bicycle Shop that opened in April. You know her by her bubble machine. She calls her first year excellent in rentals, sales, and repairs and looks to more custom bicycles to offer in 2003 with banana seats, sissy bars, and ape-hanger handlebars! Jaime says she and partner Samantha Claar are here for the duration and will consider going online to sell directly.

Just Chicken&Breakfast Buddies is another newcomer off to a fast start in 2002. A new chicken biscuit and longer hours twice a week were added quickly. Owners Leonard and Susan Herb say the new park will add "walking traffic "to the Street. They opened Labor Day and report business has been steady and better than anticipated. The couple looks for stronger garbage clean-up efforts by the City next year. Susan says she plans a paint job to dress-up the outside ‘

"Everything looks good, "said Robbin Donaldson from the Chatham County Health Department about Gary& Sue Bentley’s permit to open the Blue Sky Café alongside their just launched bakery, Tybee Treats. The Blue Sky Cafe will offer Italian food and pastries. They say a Tybee first approach to marketing is what will win the day for them and the Street.

Dean Morrison’s Sweet Dreams Ice Cream is in his first year opening in early April and also serves hot dogs and pretzels. "It will survive here because one business complements the other, "he says. He sees food competition as intense and does not see an ice cream war with newly opened Ben&Jerry’s because he and his wife run a sit-down shop while their neighbors across the Street offer ice cream to go to the beach. Dean is one of about 5 food concession bidders for a Pier license and was just awarded a two year Pier maintenance contract for 2003. He views the Pier talk of a larger restaurant there as a "very complicated situation "with repairs needed now on the facility.

Lunch specials carried the day for Nell Klein at the Wind Rose Cafe with business not as brisk as 2001. March, 2003, marks her 7th year on Tybrisa and she maintains the Pier still drives walk-in business with parking always a bottleneck. She is excited about the variety of new businesses to complement the tee shirt shops.

At Kaiseki Japanese Restaurant, business is called good for 2002 yet slower than last year. Look for a menu addition called the Explosive Roll made of tuna and red snapper. The Sushi eatery continues to play to a devoted clientele.

Gene Glisson at Super 8 Seabreeze Motel calls this year a good one with an 80% occupancy rating during the season and an investment profit due in 2004 if all holds as planned. Gene argues that a strong and local marketing effort is needed.

The consensus is a need for future based marketing objectives, now.

Julie Walsh-Elliott‘s job is to raise marketing presence and increase tourism. She is two months into finding ways to do just that working for Tony Schopp at the Savannah Chamber of Commerce as the Tybee representative. She is tethered directly to the Tybee Island Tourism Council chaired by Mike Scarbrough. "They have to come up with the plan. It is for them to decide. It is my job to implement," she says. Right now she is working on the Tybee Island Travel Planner recruiting ad money from businesses. Also, she is examining ways to build attractive package destination tours. Her focus is Atlanta. She is in the hot button seat. She has met with City Manager Bob Thomson and is yet to meet with City Council.

She seemingly has to be in many places at the same time.

Ms. Susan Steinhauser is the Executive Director of the Pooler Chamber of Commerce. She says, "A small city has to be aligned with a larger Chamber for existence to sell your area. Savannah is the tourism center and we need to ride the coattails." That may be enough wisdom to satisfy the traditional view yet not enough vision for a self-determining tomorrow if that is what is warranted. There is a sense of expectancy on Tybrisa Street based on history, internet interest, and word of mouth. It is hard not to spot the population bulging in the traditional busy season and read tourist email continually asking about vacation rentals, dolphin tours, wedding locales, parking ticket complaints, and access for dogs on the beach.

Tybee is a targeted, resort market and yet in so many ways of measurement still undiscovered.

Charlie Waggoner worked with Henry Levy on the Park of the Seven Flags and is involved in writing grant proposals. He has a slant on marketing that best explains where Tybee business is and where it is going. Charlie says we only have one industry here and it is competitive." Look at what is happening up and down the coast," he asks. Being there, Street$smart, is a place to begin.