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Downtown Staunton awash with shopping delights
Day Tripping
By Margo Oxendine, Staff Writer
STAUNTON - It's rather amazing, really.
While downtowns across America are, sadly, disappearing, Staunton is vibrant and bustling.
How did it happen?
Rosemary Brady can tell you. She's owned The Golden Tub for decades, and watched the rebirth unfold.
"Way back, 30 years ago, downtown was not very pretty," she says. "There was an organization called Staunton United Revitaliza- tion Effort; all the merchants put some money toward trying to get things going. When we finally got the city to give some money, the Staunton Downtown Development Association was formed. That's what really got it going and, once the Shakespeare theater, Blackfriars Playhouse, came in, that was really the catalyst."
Pointing out some of the gorgeous architecture that abounds in downtown Staunton, Brady notes, "That is really a draw. People findStaunton on the Internet, and they tell us, 'We came because it's so pretty.' The transformation of our downtown has simply been astounding."
That's where the fun comes in: finding this out for yourself. Here's a sampling of what you can do on Beverley Street in downtown Staunton.
At Short Circuit, you can buy a CD player, or a DVR, even get that old VCR repaired.
Slip into Design @ Nine, and you can finda slip of a summer sundress, and flippy, fabulous sandals to match.
At Grandma's Bait, you could choose a charming gift for a baby who's on the way.
You can buy a treasured piece of estate jewelry at H.L. Lang & Co., and pick up the hottest new bestseller at The Bookstack. At any number of antique shops, you can finda dresser to die for, and an unusual lamp to place upon it.
You can get your favorite camera repaired, or buy a new one at Camera & Palette.
Everything mentioned above, I might note, can be done within two blocks. But downtown Staunton offers so very much more, it is impossible to name everything. A helpful brochure, "Historic Downtown Staunton, Virginia," is available at the visitor's center on New Street, just off Beverley. Should you tire from all the walking around, hop on the free trolley. It runs daily except Sundays from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. from January through April, and until 10 p.m. from May through December.
If you shop until you're about to drop from hunger, yummy sustenance is only a few steps away. See "Dining Delights" in this issue for a look at what The Beverley has to offer. But, downtown Staunton has something for every taste. Those who might like to pretend they're sitting in downtown Avignon can grab a sidewalk table at Cranberry's Grocery & Eatery; there's plenty that's fresh and healthy here. If you've a taste for Italian, head into Luigi's, pronto! The Pampered Palate Café, the Pompei Lounge, Zynodoa, Shenandoah Pizza, the Clocktower Tavern, the Baja Bean Company and the Staunton Grocery - if you can't finda great lunch on Beverley Street, you're not paying attention!
If you're dragging after all that lunch and shopping, drag yourself into the Daily Grind for specialty coffees; it's just off Beverley, on New Street, across from the visitor's center.
Should it come to that, why not just stay the night and shop another day? The newly-redone Stonewall Jackson Hotel is just steps away from everything, including evening entertainment at the American Shakespeare Center and Blackfriars Playhouse. If a movie would be more "as you like it," The Dixie Theater is on Beverley, and the Visulite Cinema is just off Beverley on Augusta.
So, make Staunton a day trip, or go all out and spend the entire weekend. We haven't even mentioned how deeply the town is steeped in history. Find out more at stauntondowntown.org.
Or just hop in the car and go make your own favorite discoveries.
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