No one we know wanted the party to end at the Party Shoppe, the very small-town mom-and-pop — selling balloons, greeting cards, paper napkins, and tiny trinkets you stuff into birthday party loot bags for more than 34 years at 82 Park Place — when it closed forever last winter. Its owner retired, and the anxious eyes of the village turned to see what fresh horror of luxurious uselessness might fill the empty storefront.
But then something unexpected happened. The retail turnover produced an unusual new boutique called Gathering Marketplace where the business operator and landlord came together to make something good happen. As described in a press release, “The initiative offers a shared storefront model designed to support independent brands, reduce the financial barriers of traditional leasing, and foster year-round local commerce in one of the country’s most high-rent retail destinations.” In other words, more than a dozen small makers are sharing the shop and sharing costs.
Together with the laudable (and also landlord-led) initiative to make nearby East Hampton Square (formerly Eastman Way) into an attractive and appealing community hub, positive things are happening around the Reutershan parking lot. Kudos to the property owner, to the Anchor Society, which offered advisory support, and to the operators of Gathering, James Paul Cheung, an entrepreneur and designer, and Susan Nieland, a jeweler.
Gathering Marketplace sells a chic selection of stuff, from rare teas to ceramics, that you simply cannot find anywhere else. It’s a breath of fresh air that the stakeholders worked together to create something positive for the community and for local small business, rather than just leasing to the highest bidder (who almost inevitably would have been a real estate office or someone selling $600 swimsuits). Gathering deserves support. Check it out!