Living Here Guide 2009
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Sunday, Sep. 25, 2011

5 cool homegrown stores

By Ely Portillo
LHN_shopping

Inside Pura Vida Art, an international arts and crafts store on North Davidson Street. DIEDRA LAIRD - dlaird@charlotteobserver.com

  • Sears, Belk, J.C. Penney, more than 60 specialty stores, food court. Interstate 85, Exit 58, Concord.

    Carolina Place

    Belk, Dillard's, Macy's, Sears, J.C. Penney, REI, Barnes & Noble, over 130 specialty stores. Interstate 485 Exit 64B, Pineville.

    Concord Mills

    NASCAR SpeedPark, T.J. Maxx, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th outlet, Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Best Buy, Burlington Coat Factory, 24-screen AMC theater, nearly 200 other stores, restaurants and entertainment venues. I-85, Exit 49, Concord.

    Monroe Crossing

    Belk, J.C. Penney, Sears. U.S. 74 East, at 2115 W. Roosevelt Blvd., Monroe.

    Northlake Mall

    Belk, Dillard's, Macy's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Borders, 14-screen AMC theater, plus 150 stores and restaurants. Interstate 77, Exit 18 and W.T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte.

    Rock Hill Galleria

    Belk, J.C. Penney, Sears. I-77, Exit 79.

    Signal Hill Mall

    Belk, J.C. Penney, Sears. I-77, Exit 50, Statesville.

    SouthPark

    Belk, Dillard's, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Dick's Sporting Goods and upscale specialty stores, including the newly opened Container Store. 4400 Sharon Road, at Fairview Road, Charlotte.

    Valley Hills Mall

    Belk, Dillard's, J.C. Penney, Sears. 1960 U.S. 70 S.E., off Interstate 40, Exit 125, Hickory.

    Westfield Eastridge

    Belk, Dillard's, J.C. Penney, Sears. I-85, Exit 20, New Hope Road, Gastonia.

Charlotte's retail scene can appear dominated by big box stores and humongous regional shopping malls, but if you look a little closer, you'll find a rich world of homegrown shops, selling everything from unique antiques to nifty gifts.

So, once you've settled in, check out these five cool local spots:

Paper Skyscraper ( www.paperskyscraper.com) is in the Dilworth neighborhood, at 330 East Blvd. The eclectic shop offers a funky mix of gifts such as journals, games, purses, stationery and notebooks, as well as favorite books ranging from children's to cooking to fiction.

This season's hot sellers at the 22-year-old store include chocolate-and-bacon bars by Vosges, and Buckyballs, a desk toy made from 216 spherical magnets.

Cottage Chic ( www.chicgoodness.com) is just down the road from Paper Skyscraper, at 1232 East Blvd. (in fact, there are plenty of boutiques and art galleries worth browsing on this stretch, so take some time to stroll the boulevard).

The boutique offers jewelry, home furnishings, women's clothing and more. Bedding is one of their specialties, said co-owner Julie Page.

Other highlights you can find at the shop, Page said, include Heather Moore custom-made jewelry and BedHead pajamas.

Pura Vida Art ( www.puravidaart.com) is an international arts and crafts store located in Charlotte's NoDa neighborhood. The shop, at 3202A N. Davidson St., features items from 40 countries, owner Teresa Herandez said, with an emphasis on fair trade sourcing.

Pura Vida also has a selection of religious items, covering a wide range of the world's religions. Sleepy Poet Antique Mall ( www.sleepypoetstuff.com) features more than 55,000 feet and 250 vendors selling tens of thousands of antiques and vintage goods.

You can find recycled and revived treasures such as antique furniture, old telephones, vintage typewriters and retro clothes at Sleepy Poet, housed in a former auto parts store.

Located at 4450 South Blvd., Sleepy Poet is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Eliza B's ( www.elizabs.com) is a monogramming and gift shop in south Charlotte's Arboretum shopping center, at 8038 Providence Road. Owner Elizabeth Brislin started the boutique after 15 years creating handmade jewelry in her home shop and selling her goods in others' stores.

Popular items now include Scout Bags and Oka b. sandals.

5 other unique local shops

Green with Envy ( www.greenwithenvycharlotte.com), a boutique at Central Avenue and Hawthorne Avenue.

Pasta and Provisions ( www.pastaprovisions.com), a deli and Italian grocery store at 1528 Providence Road.

Lark and Key ( www.larkandkey.com), an art gallery, jewelry and pottery store at 128 E. Park Ave.

Heroes Aren't Hard to Find ( www.heroesonline.com), a comics retailer at 1957 E. 7th St.

Niche ( www.thenichemarket.com), a footwear and apparel boutique at 1504 Camden Road.

Ely covers retail for the Observer.

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