Amarillo livelies up its Sixth AMARILLO , TEXAS (hppr) - Haslett: Yes, you can hear live jazz in Amarillo. But the ensemble you hear playing a Miles Davis tune isn't at a bar. They're playing at a bookstore- the Nat Bookstore, on 6th, the small shop on the north side of the old Nat Auditorium building. The Nat Bookstore is one of several businesses that are part of a new energy on 6th. The street is just west of downtown, along the parthway of old route 66. Its official name is southwest 6th avenue, but the locals just call it Sixth Street. Over the past couple of years, a number of new ventures have joined the antique shops, burger joints and bars that kept this commercial district alive when there was little else. You can still find antiques and green chile cheeseburgers on 6th. But now, you can also get a fish filet a la Veracruzana, Italian ice cream, and yes, there's a coffeehouse. Jason Barrett is proprietor of the 806, which features an extensive coffee and tea menu along with light meals and other drinks. Barrett began working on the place in 2006 and opened two years ago. He says in the short time that the 806 has been around, he's seen a lot of changes.

Barrett: Before we opened, you know, when we were here working all the time, I noticed it was just a lot of antiquers and just people kind of wandering around trying to find something. Now there's just a ton of people all over the street all the time, and it's a really diverse mix of people that are up and down the street-

Haslett: Sixth bisects Amarillo's San Jacinto neighborhood, a historic residential area that's grown scruffy over the years. As San Jacinto's commercial street, Sixth reflected the neighborhood's somewhat neglected feel. But with each newly-painted storefront, the vibe gets a little more cheerful and welcoming. More than anywhere else in Amarillo, Sixth is where you see people on foot- shopping by day, checking out music or other cultural events at night. Barrett says that the ever-changing lineup of events at the 806 has helped keep business lively, even during the recession.

Barrett: We kind of try to work it as a community center. We have the art shows, music, tonight we have belly dance from the new studio across the street. Groups meet here all the time. I don't know- we kind of just play around and do whatever seems like a good idea at the time.

Haslett: Just up the street from the 806 is a store called Nest, which sells new home furnishings and accessories. The items for sale at Nest mix contemporary design styles with a rustic edge. Owner Kasey Robinson opened the shop this past July. She says her store also features a number of environmentally-friendly goodies, such as a solar backpack. Three small solar panels charge a battery than can, in turn, power your cell phone, ipod or other device.

Robinson: These are the backpacks- they're actually made out of recycled plastic Coke bottle material, so they're waterproof. And then- they've gotten a lot of publicity. The store that carried them in Dallas just closed, so we're the only vendor in Texas that has them.

Haslett: The revival on Sixth goes beyond entrepreneurship. Kaylee Hamill and Ryan Koch aren't business owners, but they've organized a "Make Sixth Street Weird" campaign. You can find their group on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Hamill says their first major project will be an event this Halloween.

Hamill: And it's going to kind of be like a carnival down here. We're going to have belly dancers and fire blowers and fire twirlers. The wristbands' proceeds are going to go to the ASPCA, and with that wristband you get discounts at all of the locations that are going to be open that night.

Haslett: And if Halloween isn't your kind of thing, remember, you can still find quilts and rocking chairs on Amarillo's stretch of Route 66. This is Mark Haslett, HPPR News. © Copyright 2010, hppr