With 3 boutiques gone, what’s next for Upper Lawrenceville?
“If you build it, they will come” doesn’t just apply to building a baseball diamond in an Iowa cornfield. The famous line from the 1989 film “Field of Dreams” also describes what some retailers along Butler Street in Upper Lawrenceville think their stretch of the neighborhood needs to catch up with the bustling boutique scene on the opposite side of Allegheny Cemetery.
Within the past month, three boutiques have either vacated or announced that they will be leaving their storefronts in Upper Lawrenceville. After almost five years at 5300 Butler St., Glitter & Grit bridal boutique closed in March to merge with its sister store, Luna boutique, in Sewickley. Shortly thereafter, the men’s shop Vestis relocated to 4415 Butler St. after spending 2½ years at 5124 Butler St. This month, the vintage lingerie shop Calligramme, at 5417 Butler St., announced that it will close in May. It opened there in December 2014.
While these shopowners all acknowledge that it wasn’t just one thing that prompted their decisions, a lack of foot traffic tied to a scarcity of other nearby destinations, be it restaurants, bars or
other stores, was a factor.
In less than a month in its new home in Central Lawrenceville, Vestis has already seen on weekends “four or five times the amount of foot traffic as the other spot,” says owner Phil Romagni. In Upper Lawrenceville, he relied on word of mouth and online recommendations to attract shoppers. “Already I think my customer base is getting a little younger with this spot. At the old one, my average customer was a guy who was probably in his late 40s.”
His new location, which formerly housed the Joan shop for women’s clothing and home decor, shares the block with the vintage apparel shop Mello & Sons. Candle Lab, a tattoo shop and a body piercing and jewelry store are other neighboring businesses. While his rent is higher now, it was a “no brainer,” he says.
Calligramme owner Marissa Vogel echoes his concerns about too few people out and about browsing what Upper Lawrenceville has to offer.
“It is much different than Oakland or Shadyside or a mall,” she says. “There are no retail anchor stores there.”
Nevertheless, she found the neighborhood to be “a good space to foster creativity” and plans to evolve Calligramme beyond its brick-and-mortar roots by manufacturing its own clothing line with a vintage cheeky twist. She felt as though her inventory and vision for the brand had outgrown the store.
When Glitter & Grit was on Butler Street, owner Erin Szymanski says it wasn’t uncommon for clients to acknowledge that they didn’t know her block existed.
“If they didn’t go past the cemetery, they thought that’s where Lawrenceville ended. That’s definitely changing, but it’s been slow.”
Because the shop was by appointment, the minimal foot traffic didn’t seem to impair Glitter & Grit’s development. “It was definitely difficult to think about merging, but it was also kind of potentially what was going to happen,” she says. “A lot of our brides wanted to see what we had at both stores.”
Stores that are faring better in Upper Lawrenceville are ones situated near other destination businesses, or have become destinations themselves. Shawn Aversa, who owns the eclectic home decor shop Von Walter & Funk at 5210 Butler St., credits B52 vegetarian/ vegan cafe and Butterwood Bake Consortium for a pretty regular flow of customers. Nearby stores that sell complementary items, such as the City Grows garden shop, help, too.
“So many times people walk in here with a plant and they’re looking for a pot to put it in. Or they’ll buy a pot here and then they’re over there looking for a plant,” he says. “A lot has to be said about how well this block is kept. It’s clean, there have been some upgrades and even the vacant storefronts look nice. It’s invit- ing.”
Other retailers rely on a solid core of followers to keep their doors open.
Source: Esri That’s been the case for tAhresenal cosmetics shop Gilded GirPl Beauty Emporium, which opened 2½ years ago at 5104 Butler St. Ample free parking on the block makes it convenient for the store’s regulars.
“We could always use more foot traffic around here, but I’m confident that will come,” owner Liz Quesnelle says. “Our plan is to open more locations, but we love this space. It’s just beautiful.”
Book club events and an adjacent coffee shop have helped Nine Stories book shop build a following during its first year at 5400 Butler St. Frequent happy hours at Allegheny Wine Mixer and community events organized by the Lawrenceville Corporation bring people into Upper Lawrenceville, as well, says John Shortino, who owns the book store with his wife, Allison.
The Lawrenceville Corporation doesn’t see these recent closures as any cause for alarm.
“There was a time when we would see three emerging vacancies and think that the sky is falling. That is just not our approach to the evolution of the business district,” says executive director Matt Galluzzo. “I don’t view it as a level of fragility there at all.”
Instead, he’s pleased to see that Vestis is staying in Lawrenceville and happy that the neighborhood could serve as “a launching pad” for the growth of Glitter & Grit. He also hinted at a couple of new boutiques that are looking to move into Upper Lawrenceville. Plus, he’s optimistic that neighborhood-wide events, such as the corporation’s new Wedding Walk on May 20 — a spotlight on 30-plus Lawrenceville businesses than can help couples plan their big day — will keep the public open to discovering new parts of Lawrenceville.
“The sign of a healthy business district is that there is a churn and when businesses that we value leave, while that certainly pulls at our heart strings, we’ve seen waves of new businesses,” he says. “We’re confident that new businesses will emerge in the neighborhood.”