Reannen Wright

456 FISH officially opened its doors on November 23, 2003. It is part of a Downtown Renaissance that has been flourishing since the eve of the new millennium. This rebirth is hardly a new concept though. During the 1920s Downtown Norfolk experienced an era of new construction and expansion. New banks, including the Southern Bank of Norfolk and the Tidewater Bank and Trust Company were established. It was an exciting time to be in Norfolk. The current site of 456 FISH, 456 Granby Street, was also built during this time (1923) and was originally occupied by Curley’s Billiard Parlor and the Navy Store. It has played host to other businesses since then but has never quite captured the feeling and nostalgia that 456 FISH has. During the Great Depression, our country was overcome with unemployment and lost opportunity. However, the local economy was less affected than many other cities partly because of our stable military presence and the booming coal exporting industry. Downtown Norfolk continued to thrive through it all and ultimately gained a great deal of character. Downtown Norfolk has indeed seen its great moments. In the dining room of 456 FISH, downtown history from the early 20th century to the present is captured in nearly twenty black-and-white images ranging from sailors celebrating V-E Day, the Miss Azalea Festival and Parade, the numerous stores and theatres that once filled the streets, the crowds swarming department stores anticipating the lighting of the Christmas Trees on the day after Thanksgiving, to numerous other events which have defined the downtown area. 456 FISH is now part of that ever-changing historic landscape and sitting at the corner of Granby Street and Charlotte Street occupies a space that is both comfortable and inviting. On behalf of the owners, manager, chef, cooks, and wait staff we are proud to be part of Norfolk’s latest Renaissance.