A Look Ahead

Over the last five weeks, I’ve led you to my favorite local treasures here in Athens: Donkey Coffee and Espresso, Athens Book Center, Casa Nueva, Athens Underground and Bagel Street Deli. I must say, I’m glad I had an excuse to visit each of these, and then promote them through my posts.

As a part of this project, we are required to have an interactive map. So for mine, I decided to mark the places I’ve been to in pink, the places I will be visiting shortly in purple and where I live in yellow.

View "Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?" in a larger map

As you can tell by the map, I haven’t really branched out from on- or near-campus attractions. After this week, I intend to change that. While my next few treasures are still within about a mile (walking distance) from my little corner on East Green, Read Hall, they’re a bit of a trek for me, though I’m sure I can manage.

So, without further ado, I would like to present my final few destinations.

Passion Works Studio 
Passion Works is an art shop and studio located on East State Street. The best and most unique part about this artwork remains that it is a place were creativity is born and collaboration is the key.

Beads & Things 
This shop not only carries beads from around the world, but also bags, sarongs and gemstones. Customers are even allowed to make their beaded art in the store, where they will receive free instruction by employees.

Village Bakery 
The Village Bakery offers a wide selection of baked goods and pastries made from locally grown produce. This café measures its success on its “social, environmental and financial impact in the local and global communities,” according to the menu.

Miller’s Chicken
Though I don’t know much about Miller’s Chicken yet, I’ll be updating you as soon as I do. I do know, however, that its menu items include fried chicken, seafood, fries, sandwiches and salads. I’m definitely anxious to try it.

Undergrounding Photos

We took these photos before the employees yelled at us for taking pictures in the store.

I wanted to be a part of the Red Hat Society.

Leah and I felt like wearing all the old-fashioned hats.

Jess is pretending to be a cowgirl.

I found a copy of Life Magazine from 1942 dated Dec. 14, my birthday. 

Welcome to Vintage Heaven

Now that Halloween is only nine days away, the vintage and costume shops in Athens are buzzing with prospective customers searching for the perfect outfit to wear around Court Street next Saturday. If you’re planning at all to walk around on Halloween, you are required to have a costume.

  Like most Ohio University students, I’ve had my costume planned since last Halloween. Next Saturday, I’ll be sporting the old-fashioned movie star look by dressing as Audrey Hepburn’s character in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. And thanks to a trip to Court Street yesterday, I found my remaining piece, a fake cigarette holder.

The search for the cheap cigarette holder took me to one of my favorite places in Athens, Athens Underground. And since I could not take photos inside the shop, I captured shots of my walk from Read Hall to Athens Underground.

I arrived at the store around 1:45 p.m. and walked down the narrow, concrete staircase to the Underground, located at 90 Court St. I slowly turned the tiny, delicate doorknob and pulled open the wooden door. As I entered, the musty smell of old clothing instantly smacked me in the face (the scent reminded me of my grandma’s basement filled with old knick-knacks, boxes and the ever-present mothballs).

I was overwhelmed, as usual. Everywhere I turned my head, a new vintage item came into sight. In my immediate view, I noticed an array of glasses, ranging from 1950s “cat” glasses to aviator sunglasses. Through the doorway next to the glasses was a single-dorm-room sized room filled with shoes and undergarments, including old-fashioned lingerie (some resemble armor).  Sorry, but I don’t see how this would be sexy.

The next room was busting with dresses—from 50s style June Cleaver dresses, to 70s sequined dresses, to 80s shoulder-pad-filled prom dresses. The next, with men’s formalwear. The one after, with vests, scarves and hats. Now, back to the main room.

The main room consists of collections of records, books, magazines, sheet music, postcards, Playbills, *insert breath* formal hats, prom-style clutches, broaches, rings, necklaces, China dishes, linens … I can’t think of anything else right now, but you get the idea. Athens Underground has everything.

OK, almost everything. The shop doesn’t carry cigarette holders (I found mine at the costume store down the street), which was the initial purpose of this venture. However, although it didn’t have what I was looking for, my “trip through time” made it worthwhile.