How to survive in South End now that The Common Market is gone

On Sunday, the day after The Common Market in South End finally closed, I saw a gaggle of people outside the back gate, staring in. Clearly they hadn’t gotten the memo that this beloved, one-stop hipster shop for drinks, snacks, food, gag gifts and hangouts officially shut its doors July 30 after eight years in the neighborhood.

“Well what are we going to do now?” one guy asked.

A most excellent question. Some of my answers, until Common Market finds a new South End home:

For wine tastings

Try The Vin Master, which generally has one Mega-Tasting a month ($15 for more than 25 wines to try). The next one is Aug. 18. Then there is Wine Wednesday at Bulldog Beer and Wine, which offers wine samples at $5 per glass.

For convenience store items

Queen City Pantry has some fun foodie items to sift through at Atherton Mill and Market such as Bertie County Weeping Mary’s Ghost Pepper Peanuts, Anson Mills Heirloom Popcorn and Cannonborough Beverage Co. Ginger Beer.

Also at Atherton Mill is the Nibbles stand, which sells items like Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Pumpkin Bread and Peanut Butter Chip Cookies. In case you miss Common Market’s plastic-wrapped treats by the cash register (farewell, fluffy black-and-white cookies).

As for tracking down some kale chips, coconut water and Gin-Gins beyond a grocery store — I’m not sure yet.

For good coffee

RIP Bad Hair Day and Sexy Power in white paper cups for now. But places like Not Just Coffee at Atherton Mill and Market, Nova’s Bakery (where you can also pick up retail bottles of wine) and The Gallery South End will hold us above water.

For artsy types

Part of me wonders if I’ll even encounter the same crowd in South End anymore, the kind of crowd in which nobody fits but everyone somehow blends in.

Where else in this neighborhood will I find a guy hanging out on a bench with a sketchbook willing to strike up a conversation with me and a friend? Where else will I find a cluster of tattooed musicians congregating at a picnic table over beers? Or the deep thinker reading a book over a bottle of wine and one glass? Is South End just going to become a buttoned-down, brewery-going corporate territory?

To the artsy people: Let’s take over a new place. You pick.

For a made-to-order deli counter at lunch

Common Market sure knew how to sling a sandwich or a two-scoop hummus salad. Sunflour Baking Company on the South End/Dilworth border functions similarly — you order at the counter and it has plenty of sandwich options (and tons of natural light). And, I admit, a better WiFi connection than Common Market.

Bleu Barn Bistro food truck rolls over to Atherton Mill and Market regularly — they were parked on Thursday and share location updates on their Facebook.

For creative breakfasts

Gone are the Dragon Slayer and the Greens ‘N Stuff. But Owen’s Bagel has all sorts of goodness with wonky titles like “Aunt Beanie’s 1st Prize.” You can also grab Pure Intentions Coffee here.

For beer and kombucha

We’re pretty safe here in Brewery Land, from Lenny Boy Brewing Co. (the kombucha mecca that also serves beer) to The Unknown Brewing Co. (where weirdness is a virtue). Plus Good Bottle Co. and Bulldog Beer and Wine are stocked when it comes to retail bottles of beer.

General funk

Phat Burrito might be the only other place that has the same graffiti-and-grunge vibe as Common Market. Go for the guacamole and the patio with string lights.

Quirky patio

Speaking of patios, Common Market’s patio is a great loss. Will the next jungle-like, graffiti-riddled patio with a decorative bathtub please stand up?

Photos: Katie Toussaint

This story was originally published August 5, 2016 at 1:00 AM.