Old Postcard Of Downtown Gadsden
Downtown Gadsden Now
An Anthropologie DisplayYahoo!! Finally, a new store, "Let There Be Light", has opened on Broad Street in the downtown area of our town which is only half a mile from my house! When a friend told me about it about a month ago, my heart started to flutter since it was a used furniture and home decor store with a very cute window display. Brown paper covered the door so I couldn't see in until this week when I passed by and saw a "YES WE ARE OPEN" sign! I speedily parked right in front and happily walked in to the great unknown. And a lovely place it was, small but filled with some cute things at very reasonable prices. I bought an old basket made of chicken wire for only $6.00 and promptly put it in front of my dining room fireplace where it is destined to hold sticks or pine cones. (I only pretend that it works, I have THREE non-working ones that look awful pretty but don't give me that cozy warm and wood burning feeling )
The gentleman running the store was very nice and told me that the vision for the store was to have Anthropologie inspired things at reasonable prices! I could hardly contain my excitement as that is one of my favorite stores to browze in, and although I have snatched some sweet cups, mugs and plates on clearance there, it is mostly way out of my price range!
He said that his wife spruces up some of the furniture with paint or fabric, which is the very thing that I also love to do! Paint is a very powerful medium!
Now, we just need oh, about 5 antique shops or vintage consignment shops, and a killer coffee shop ( we have one downtown, but one more with really good strong coffee would be even better) and some good lunch cafes and this town would just explode! The bones are already there, but there are many vacant places just waiting to be filled!
There is a nice shop , "Alabama Gift Company" where everything in the store is made in Alabama or by an Alabama native and they sell some nice Birmingham roasted coffee beans that are really good. There is also an old 5 and 10 called "Gadsden Variety" which is exactly like Woolworths from when I was a kid in New York. And a candle shop where they are made on the premises and have a zillion choices, among many other shops and places including the Cultural Arts Center, Gadsden Museum of Art, and Imagination Place, an interactive children's play area and learning place.
Anyway, I am not complaining, I am just dreaming of what could be expanded in this quaint and cozy town!
oooh!! How fun!!! I love a little painted furniture!! I have been thinking so much about "The World Longest (Largest) Garage Sale" Didn't you say it starts in your town?
ReplyDeleteyep it does! It's usually the beginning of August and you should come!! We have the "Highway 127 Antique Alley" I think in May some time and that was really good too!
ReplyDeleteI love Anothroplogie but for the most part it's way out of my price range. You're so lucky to have a new store in your town like that. One like that could entertain me for hours and probably empty my pocketbook at the same time.
ReplyDeleteDarlene, thanks for the positive comments about historic downtown Gadsden! The wonderful thing about our shops and restaurants is that they are managed by the owners so if you have a problem, you can get a solution in a hurry! Now you need to come by 635 Broad Street (the old Runt's Hamburger joint) and see the DGI office!
ReplyDeleteohhh I love painted furniture too!! and Im alll about the little stores. we have quite a few in these parts and now that its getting warmer out, its getting to be time too hit the streets! great post. :) xoxo LA
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