In Search of Mom and Pop
11/5/2009 | Mya Frazier
Big-box America thrives up and down Ohio’s highways and byways, with all the major players well represented. So, if an itinerant shopper presumed that our fair state lacked a certain panache when it comes to indie boutiques, he or she would be forgiven. But dig a little deeper than the local shopping mall and you’ll uncover a colorful landscape chock full of one-of-a-kind shopping destinations.
Columbus
If Urban Outfitters is the chain-store clothier for wannabe hipsters,
Tigertree is its antithesis. The shop stocks up-and-coming clothing designers like Lifetime Collective, Kai-Aakmann and Plastic Island. It is also a shopper’s best source for quirky curiosities like the mesmerizingly dated Magic Garden science toy. Tigertree is best known, perhaps, for its line of eco-friendly leather belts, which are made on site by husband-and-wife owners Josh and Niki Quinn. The signature belt buckles have a laudably green twist, as most are recycled from the covers of long-forgotten children’s books. One is constructed from the remnants of “Adventures of a Country Boy,” whose cover shows an axe-wielding boy peering at a bear from behind a tree. Describing his shop’s unique holdings, Josh says, “It’s really just stuff that we love. We wouldn’t sell anything we wouldn’t wear.”
Just a few doors down the road from Tigertree is
Sole Classics, a shoe store designed for the “hip-hop and skater crowd,” says co-owner Chris C. Davis. At this funky store, easily pinpointed thanks to its blaring underground beats, finding an inconspicuous pair of plain-old vanilla sneakers is about as likely an occurrence as a Cleveland Browns Super Bowl win. Shoes and clothes – mainly hooded sweatshirts and t-shirts – scream with color, a palette so varied and intense it can brighten even the darkest of moods. The store, which opened in 2006, is for “young people who are fashion conscious enough to differentiate their look from the mainstream,” adds Davis. Feeling freaky? Snag a pair of Dunk High Premiums, a $120 collaboration from Nike and London-based designer Cassette Playa.
Akron
Want to shop where new wave rocker Chrissie Hynde of Pretenders fame does? Then head to Highland Square, the hippest shopping district in Akron. Located about three miles outside of town, the neighborhood is home to a number of indie gems, not the least of which is the 700-square-foot boutique,
Revival. Sister-and-brother owners Robyn and Adam Yuratovac have created a hip and homey hideaway that specializes in unique designer threads and rare vintage finds. “We keep it edgy and order small size runs to keep it really limited,” explains Adam. Though some wares climb to as high as $200, many more are reasonably priced, offering shoppers the ideal range of new and used, luxe and budget. Revival also makes its own line of graphic tees boasting distinctly Akron sayings. “It’s all downhill in Akron,” reads one, a reference to the city’s Soap Box Derby tradition. Buy the shirt and consider yourself in on the inside joke.
Cincinnati
Over the past few years, Cincinnati has experienced a veritable retail renaissance, best exemplified by the ultra-tony Hyde Park Square shopping district. In addition to numerous bistros, galleries and specialty boutiques, the square is home to the venerable
Delamere & Hopkins, a 15-year-old field and stream outfitter that attracts well-heeled outdoorsmen from far afield. Brimming with all the gear a guy (and gal) could need, the store stocks fly-fishing gear, hunting accessories, and the appropriate clothing and footwear to go with them. This is also the place to go to get reliable info on beginner’s fly-fishing schools, guided adventure travel, and general refresher courses. The roomy 2,300-square-foot store means you’ll always find your size. “Stock, we have stock,” promises owner Mark Walters. “And everyone who works here hunts and fishes, so we can answer your questions.”
Cleveland
Banyan Tree boasts literally hundreds of friends on Facebook. Spend a little time perusing the comments (“Love everything” and “Awesome!” and “Great clothes collection”) and you’ll begin to see that the passion this indie boutique instills in shoppers is a tad out of the ordinary. Located in Tremont, a neighborhood known for its artistic bent, Banyan Tree maintains a one-of-a-kind selection of clothing, jewelry, accessories, and dreamy home décor items. Husband and wife owners Christie and Dale Murdoch do a fantastic job finding drool-worthy items that make gift shopping an absolute breeze. Of course, you might as well pick up something for yourself while you’re at it. A recent expansion has upped the available space for designer clothing lines Haven, Kelly Lane, Linq & Level 99.
Dayton
In Oakwood, the first suburb south of Dayton, the mansions are big, the money old, and the charitable impulses of the affluent set refreshingly alive and well. Nowhere is that generousness of spirit so prevalent than inside
The Little Exchange. Founded in 1950 by Elsie T. Mead, of Mead Corporation notoriety, this gift shop doubles as a charitable organization, donating all of its profits to various Dayton children’s organizations. While the selection is ever-shifting, inventory typically includes jewelry, antiques, baby clothing and accessories, and home décor items. Set inside a quaint Victorian house that once served as village library, Little Exchange is operated by a cadre of dedicated volunteers.
Toledo
It seems that some of University of Toledo’s independent spirit is escaping the confines of campus and generating a wave of edgy economic growth. Located just over a mile north of the university, Cricket West is fast becoming an incubator of mom-and-pop shops, with upwards of 20 taking root.
Red Envy Boutique, opened by Amy Foreman in 2006, is a perfect example of this movement. This women’s clothing and jewelry boutique focuses on emerging designers, including Tulle, Gentle Fawn, and Toledo’s own Beth Doane, the name behind Andira Rain Tees. Foreman intentionally purchases her clothing in limited quantities, guaranteeing that customers “won’t run into someone else with the identical outfit,” she says.