Enjoying the revitilization of downtown New Albany
By Maria Johnson
“New Albany sucks.”
“There’s nothing to do in New Albany.”
“I’m moving to Canada.”
Have you ever heard these words echoing through the halls of NAHS? I have, and the sound of it is driving me to further insanity. Not that there’s anything wrong with Canada, but New Albany is just as good- minus the drinking age, of course. I have embarked on a whimsical journey into the depths of downtown New Albany’s finest local shops and eateries. On this sojourn, I discovered that my old N’Albany home is the ideal setting for friends, food, and artsy fartsy fun! Several options for a great Saturday downtown are as follows.
Toast
The first thing I think about when I wake up is food. I’m usually so hungry in the morning that I tumble around and satisfy my tummy with Poptarts or generic Fruit Loops. But I learned that getting out of the house with my stomach on empty is totally worth it if I’m making my way to a better breakfast like Toast on Market. This building of breakfast dreams come true started in Louisville, and Southern Indiana folk had no choice but to beg until the 2009 expansion brought Toast to our side of the bridge. “We make everything in house,” said manager Amy Wepf. “That’s just always been our thing. People are sick of over-processed food.” I was blessed to have many aspects of their menu available for tasting. They kind of tricked me. I saw classic items like French toast and bacon and egg sandwiches, so I expected something typical. Boy was I surprised, and in a good way. This surprise was close to, if not better, than when my friends secretly threw me a quinceañera with stick-on mustaches and a sombrero. That’s saying a lot. It was like a party for my taste buds! Not only was the food something to call home about, but so was the service. Mark stood behind the counter working his magic with the beverages, while Morgan kept coming back to make sure I was enjoying everything, as if she needed to check. I love when I can tell that people working actually care about me and my opinion of their work. “That’s the best part of it all, actually doing something that people enjoy and appreciate versus just doing something for the masses,” Wepf said.
Badger Shoe Repair
After breakfast, I grabbed a pair of shoes. For dancing? Nope. For walking? Nah. These shoes were in need of fixing. I strolled down Market to Badger Shoe Repair, where I met with Ron Badger. The welcoming environment of his shop and his friendly personality immediately put him on my list of favorite people to hang out with. He shared about what his shop offers, but I was even more interested in its history, also known as Ron’s childhood. “September 22, 1940,” Badger said. “I was one year old. My dad opened it up. When he opened up, there were 13 shoe repair shops in New Albany. Now we’re the only one from here to Scottsburg.” It was clear to me why they are the only one left. I hear about people buying new shoes all the time. I almost never hear about people getting their shoes repaired. “A lot of people just buy cheaper shoes, and throw them away instead of getting them fixed,” Badger said. “A lot of them can’t be fixed, because of the way they’re making them nowadays. It used to be you could fix any of them. People think that when our economy is bad, that our business is really good, but that isn’t the case, because when the economy is bad, they buy cheap shoes and throw them away. When the economy is good, they buy good shoes and they will last a long time. It pays them to have them fixed. But if they go to Walmart or Kmart to buy their shoes, they split across the sole in about three months.” My favorite pair of black heels are now in perfect condition thanks to Badger and his hard and careful work.
Strandz & Threadz, Artisan Market
Before I meet up with anyone for lunch, I want to make sure my hair is in good shape. Strandz & Threadz is just (almost literally) a hop, skip, and a jump away from Badger, so I head there. I’m greeted by a sweet new friend, Stacy Tullenn, who has been at this for a while. She enjoys what she does and wasn’t going to give it up just because her old employer was closing. “I was a hairstylist and the place I was working at was going to close,” Tullenn said. “My mom was kind of bored and needed something to do.” There are a wide variety of services offered at Strandz & Threadz presented by a kind, classy staff. “We do from head to toe,” Tullenn said. “Manicures, pedicures, make up classes, skin facials, nails, hair, prom up-dos, jewelry, military balls, girls night out, holidays, and birthday parties. And all of our products are plantbased.” Before I even reach the salon, though, I have to walk through Artisan Market. This is not a burden; rather, I enjoy checking out what’s displayed in the shop that was opened this past June, much to the benefit of local artists. “There was a need for a place for artisans to make their product and sell it when there aren’t shows and trade shows going on, so we opened up the store to fill that need,” co-owner Tony Griffith said. “Locally made products are a lot better than your imports. It’s a little bit nicer quality and it’s unique. We have items that nobody else has and unique gifts that parents would love to score good brownie points at holidays.” It’s time to get out and make the most of what our welcoming and self-sufficient hometown offers!
