Lake Havasu - English Village area still run-down? (Lake Havasu City: spring break, condos)

[gordholio99]

Hey everyone:

Have visited Lake Havasu City many times in the past. Now my wife and I have hit our fifties and are thinking of purchasing a small winter home there for the future, seeing that the prices are right.

I like Havasu and the surrounding area (exact opposite of Vancouver in so many ways), but I can't help but wonder about the local (city) government. I suppose I'm generally referring to the London Bridge area, which could be so much more than it is. Last time I was there (two years ago), the English Village was seriously run down (most everything was closed) and the hotels in the area looked beaten up. This is the center of a pretty nice town, and it looked so shoddy. I wonder if anything new has or is happening in that area. Seems to me it could easily lose the cheesy British Theme and maybe flourish with a revitalized, modern desert-meets-water theme.

And the island - what's happening out there? They still have the biking/running path? Is it still somewhat natural or is it now all built up?

Don't mean to be insulting at all. As i said, I like Havasu a lot, but was just wondering what's up in what should be a gorgeous central hub.

[observer53]

The trail around the island is still there. And, the whole island looks much the same as it did when I first visited there many years ago. As far as the English Village, it is still vacant to a large degree. In this economy, huge changes to that area in the near term are unlikely, IMO.

[azdr0710]

Lake Havasu City was developed by the McCullough Co. (chainsaws) in the 1960s with the London Bridge/English Village as a theme....what was a clever attraction back then has now, apparently, been overshadowed by newer and flashier attractions elsewhere ...the English theme is now a bit trite and dull to most....few go to LHC to shop...a quick drive over the Bridge and you're done

I don't know who actually owns the immediate area there now, but there must be little incentive to do something at the moment....changing the English theme seems contrary to the Bridge being there...they may be stuck between a rock and a hard place....

[sassy2]

I heard a rumor last week that the closed up portion of the English Village had been purchased by the person/people who run Pirates Cove in Moabi. If so, then I assume that portion will be turned into a large bar/eating facility. Pirates Cove did great last summer and if this rumor is true, then hopefully the English Village will get some of its glamour back. The bike/walking path is still the same but they are building some high to moderate end homes on the island.

[gordholio99]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Much appreciated.

I hope it doesn't get really "flashy." Maybe more "natural." Are palm trees natural? I guess not, but a slightly tropical look, or basically anything for that matter, would be preferable to what has become a very trite concept. An English village in the middle of the desert may have worked in the 60s when we were sipping martinis and listening to Dean Martin, but not now. Especially when most everything is closed and basically boarded up. Man, it's been this way for such a long time now.

[Grannysroost]

Originally Posted by gordholio99

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Much appreciated.

I hope it doesn't get really "flashy." Maybe more "natural." Are palm trees natural? I guess not, but a slightly tropical look, or basically anything for that matter, would be preferable to what has become a very trite concept. An English village in the middle of the desert may have worked in the 60s when we were sipping martinis and listening to Dean Martin, but not now. Especially when most everything is closed and basically boarded up. Man, it's been this way for such a long time now.

Hopefully the economy picks up, tourism, etc., and they would redo tactfully, as it would make for a nice trip back there

[Havasu]

Originally Posted by sassy2

I heard a rumor last week that the closed up portion of the English Village had been purchased by the person/people who run Pirates Cove in Moabi. If so, then I assume that portion will be turned into a large bar/eating facility. Pirates Cove did great last summer and if this rumor is true, then hopefully the English Village will get some of its glamour back. The bike/walking path is still the same but they are building some high to moderate end homes on the island.

I also heard the same rumor. It needs something done soon.
The high end homes on the Island are not selling and are now discounted. Lots and lots of empty lots on the Island. The Holiday Inn Express also has canceled plans to build.

[ZonyPony]

I dunno... call me crazy... but if you're going to go out of your way to bring the ORIGINAL London Bridge to Arizona in the first place, then I believe that everything should be done to keep the English theme going as much and as long as possible.

Certainly there are people, groups, or entities out there that could put something like this together - if they so desired.

C'mon! Let's resurrect the spirit of Jack the Ripper!

[ichoptops]

Originally Posted by ZonyPony

I dunno... call me crazy... but if you're going to go out of your way to bring the ORIGINAL London Bridge to Arizona in the first place, then I believe that everything should be done to keep the English theme going as much and as long as possible.

They tried that,,,,,,,,,was not profitable.

The village is PRIVATELY owned. In the past few years the person/company that owned it got into a big p*ssing match with the city and was not interested in really working with anyone, in fact, the whole area almost became condos. You can research it if you want the whole story.

The new owners are trying to bring back the area with businesses (even I was approached on starting a venture there). I wish them all luck. It wont end up being anything "English" themed, but more likely lake oriented stuff. The biggest issue down there is pretty simple, and follows the same reason Kokomos is only open for "summer months". ALL the shops down there only make money during the summer. Winter visitors simply don't spend money, they just walk around. So the issue is coming up with a business that will create enough revenue from March (spring break) till Labor day, to have it survive over the starving winter months, same as Kokomos does.

There has been talk of bars and resteraunts in there, but to compete with Kokos, Heat, Javalina Cantina, will probably be a business that wont survive long. As much as EVERYONE would like the village to be returned to its glory days, no one wants to start a business doomed for failure. I looked into it all extensively when I was approached.

[ichoptops]

Also, I don't know how much history of the bridge you know, but the reason the bridge was brought over was not only a tourist attraction, but was actually cheaper to bring one over that was being torn down than to build a new one.