By Kevin B. Kalley
Historic downtown Grapevine “defines” nostalgia.
nos·tal·gia [no-stal-juh]
noun
1. a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time
There was a time, not too long ago, when traveling to another city or town afforded the opportunity for unique shopping. Each town had their own clothing stores, general stores, five & dimes, candy shops and such. A stroll down almost any Main Street provided the option of finding items of clothing, decoration or food that you wouldn’t see duplicated by all of your friends and neighbors, or in their homes.
These were individually owned businesses, not chain stores or huge corporations. Nowadays most of our purchases take place in enormous malls or big-box stores that offer the same merchandise over and over again.
But that’s not what you’ll find in historic downtown Grapevine. Chain-stores aren’t even allowed. As a recreational shopper you can choose from more than 80 exceptional boutiques, galleries and shops. Here, the closest things you’ll find to a mall are a couple locations, such as The General Store or The Corner Store, that have upwards of 30 individual vendor’s booths under one roof.
Gifts, decorator items, artwork, clothing, jewelry, gourmet food, antiques, vintage clothing and collectibles, and all variety of things you’ll cherish can most likely be found here. And knowledgeable owners and sales-folk eagerly help you find that “just right” specialty item. All of us seem to have a friend or relative that is almost impossible to shop for, but we guarantee you’ll find something that will let them know you were truly thinking of them.
A few of our favorites include: Antique Revival for fine European antiques; Coyote Cowboy for western apparel; Grapevine Olive Oil Co. for gourmet food, Napoli’s for “penny” candy (well nostalgia has its price, and that candy does cost a little more than a penny now); Hollyhocks for vintage décor and apparel; and Miscellaneous for … just about anything.
If all of this strolling and shopping whets your appetite and thirst, you can choose from an outstanding selection of restaurants, bakeries, ice cream shops, cafes, and wineries, too. Consider Napoli’s Confectionary for a homemade gelato, Main Street Bread Baking Company for a delicious pastry and a latte or espresso, or choose from seven winery and tasting rooms located right in the historic downtown district.
There is ample free parking along Main Street or in convenient lots scattered throughout the Grapevine Historic District. Sidewalks are wide, some are even covered, and there are crosswalks that allow you to easily traverse Main Street so you can further investigate a shop whose colorful window display catches your eye.
And if you “just gotta have” that mall experience… well, Grapevine has one of the country’s premier, destination malls. But that’s a whole ‘nother story.
More Information
817.410.3185
www.DowntownGrapevineTexas.com