The ECHO has taken a look at how the nightlife on a busy north Liverpool shopping strip is being revived by a handful of trendy new bars and restaurants.
Walton Vale has been a staple shopping area in L9 for generations. Some of its buildings were flattened in The Blitz and rebuilt, and it even once had its own cinema, which is now home to Wetherspoons pub The Raven.
While shops have changed hands, traditional pubs have stood the test of time - namely The Black Bull, The Windsor and Joey Orr's. But in recent years there has been an explosion of new venues serving both food and drinks.
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The Vale Bar recently celebrated its sixth anniversary. Ed Kelly, a former psychiatric nurse, runs the eclectic venue with his partner, owner Keith Prothero, who was previously a builder.
The idea for the couple to run a bar started at one of their house parties. Ed said: "We'd never done anything like that before in our lives, but six years ago we quit our jobs and did it.
"We have regulars now and they're in all the time. They like the Vale Bar for the staff and the atmosphere - they say it's like sitting in their own living room. It's so small, so everyone has to talk to each other."
The Vale Bar now has Mo's Bistro, named after Keith's mum Maureen, above the bar area. Ed said the opulent space has "really took off" and now serves roast dinners as well as hosting private parties and bottomless brunches.
Mo's is just one choice for diners on the Vale; it boasts Italian restaurant Kurdina, O'Live Greek & Grill, The Edge at Joey Orr's and newcomer Rooney's Sports Bar and Grill. The team behind Aintree Gin also opened The Cove bar on the corner of Warbreck Avenue last year.
Ed told the ECHO the pubs and bars on Walton Vale "stick together". They've set up a 'pubwatch group' with the landlords and ladies of The Windsor, The Black Bull and the Tiny Tavern.
Chris Tyson-Carr launched the Tiny Tavern in June 2021. He said: "The local community has been great towards us.
"With us being local and growing up here, we already knew the potential of the area and the premises suited what we had planned. Walton Vale has the potential to be north Liverpool's version of Lark Lane."
Rooney's opened a little over two months ago in the former HSBC Bank. It's led by the same team behind Franco's Italian restaurant on Warbreck Moor.
Nick Strauss from Rooney's said Walton Vale is growing. He added: "There's a lot of great pubs and bars on the Vale so we thought we'd offer something a little bit different to the area. We wanted to be accessible to everybody, with great food and drinks and open all day."
Rooney's serves American cuisine and Nick said they wanted to create a space to "bring the family for brunch and chill out with friends at night". He added: "The response has been fantastic. Everybody knows it's a friendly area , so many of the residents come in saying it's a great addition.
"Everyone, especially people who live here, are looking forward to how much the area is going to grow in the next three or four years. It's evolving and there'll be even more options."
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