Holiday Shopping? Check Out What Old North Salisbury Neighbors Are Offering!

If you, like many of us, are holiday shopping and want to avoid the malls, we are proud to steer you towards what several of our neighbors have to offer!

(1) Have you been to * Hot Junk * 205 S Main St. * Salisbury NC * yet? Hey, some of us in this neighborhood could even walk there! Well our neighbor in the North Main/Steel Street area, Josef Medlin, is the owner and creator of this wonderful shop. And 'Hot Junk' is getting a lot of favourable comments like this one:

Whenever I am in town, Salisbury, I make a B-line to Hot Junk. I am a designer and artist from New York/ Florida and as everyone knows, New Yorkers know style, and this joint has style! Joseph has given a new meaning to the term "going green". He has taken the hot fashions of yesteryear and given them a new life. This is done by making patrons feel as though they are shopping in a high end Manhattan boutique. In our current economy, this is the type of thinking that makes people feel a little bit better about what they have in their pockets to spend on fashion. Kudos to you my friend. Keep up the great work work. ~ Donna Richardson, Port Lucie FL

'Hot Junk' is a recycled and vintage clothing shop. Vintage at 'Hot Junk' means from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Many items are less than $20, with some pieces in the $8 range. Josef would like to make 'Hot Junk' a true vintage clothing store with future plans to add some vintage furniture from the same eras.

Joseph has lived in the North Main St. neighborhood for about a year and half and chose Salisbury over Charlotte for its character and potential, and the people he's met here. Go Josef ~ we're so glad you're here!!

(2) How about * Robert Crum's Fine Art * 116 East Council Street * Salisbury NC * ? Robert Crum moved his studio and home to downtown historic Salisbury in 2002. In 2008, while keeping the Council St. studio, Robert made his home in the North Main Neighborhood in the Miller St./N. Main area. Welcome, Robert!!! Robert is a full-time professional oil painter and muralist. In his studio, he completes still lifes, portraits and figurative work using the same materials and methods utilized by the Masters for centuries. In 2005, he completed a porcelain mosaic mural on a 110 foot long exterior wall located in downtown Salisbury on Depot Street, and it is called “Smoke and Steel.” It is a public art project commissioned by the City of Salisbury. You really must see this! And while you are downtown, you will enjoy visiting Robert's studio in heart of historic Salisbury's downtown art district. You can contact Robert directly with any questions or inquiries about his works. Visit Robert's website at www.robertcrumfineart.com. Talk about a special holiday gift . . . A unique work of art that will last a lifetime!

(3) How about the gift of music? Who doesn't love music ~ the international language! You must really stop at * Stringfellows Music * 105 N. Main St. * Salisbury * !! Owned and operated by our neighbor and highly touted originally singer/songwriter Tripp Edwards of Jackson St. and a Salisburian native, Stringfellows is Salisbury's ONLY full service music store: instruments, strings, picks, pedals, lessons, repair center, recording studio, amplifiers, and over 2000 vintage LP's (at like $.50 each!!) for the audiofile on your list. Stringfellows will also purchase your used equipment so there's an opportunity for you to clean the closet, get that old fiddle out you meant to learn to play, and get some extra holiday cash as well! Many local musicians work at or visit Stringfellows so you are sure to be well informed and maybe even entertained! Before Stringfellows opened their doors on Main St. several years ago, there was no place in Salisbury to go for musical instruments and the like ~ the local musician had to travel to Concord or Greensboro! No Way! A huge thank you to our neighbor Tripp for filling this void!
(4) You've heard us brag about our neighbors Andrew & Anne Waters, also of the North Main & Steel St part of our neighborhood and their wonderful art gallery and yoga studio: * The Green Goat Gallery & Blue Ewe Yoga Studio * 516 S. Salisbury Ave. * Spencer NC *. Well what better time to stop by and pick up a wonderful gift of artwork be it hand crafted jewelry, pottery, or painting ~ or a great gift certificate for yoga classes from the Blue Ewe Yoga Studio for that person you know has been 'fixin to' getting fit! The Green Goat Gallery/Blue Ewe Yoga Studio is located on S. Salisbury Ave which in Salisbury is none other than our North Main St.! Just keep heading north along Main and slow down in Spencer (literally! - the speed limit there is 20 mph!) and when you see the North Carolina Transportation Museum on your right, look to your left to find the Green Goat Gallery and a good parking spot! We cannot say enough good things about this gallery (check our our earlier entry on the GGG). Thanks Andrew & Anne!!

(5) While you are out & about ~ making a list & checking it twice: Take time to relax over a hot cup of mocha latte whipped cream & all or your favorite coffee confection at * Spenzanelli's Coffee Shop * 329 N. Main St * Salisbury NC *. Our neighbors Carol & Keith Earnhardt of the Henderson St & North Main portion of our community keep this wonderful place a-hopping. Another great place to walk to within close reach of the North Main neighborhood ~ you can relax with your coffee, peruse works of art that Carol keeps current along the walls, play a game of Scrabble - all within walking distance of our wonderful downtown shops and galleries. Carol keeps the bakery case stocked with delicious muffins, bagels, and other wondrous tasties to keep your energy level high while you get your shopping done! Thanks to our neighbors Keith and Carol for another successful downtown biz and a great place to visit and hang out!

(6) After you've got your energy back, you ought to take a walk about a block over from Spenzanelli's Coffee to * The Rail Walk Studios & Galleries * 409–413 N Lee St. * Salisbury NC *. Two of our neighbors are showing their work there:
- Our neighbor Sean Meyers, alias Photagator (http://www.photogator.com/), has some beeeaaauuutiful black & white framed photos at the Rail Walk. Sean lives and works in the 1600 block of North Main St with his wife Elizabeth, two dogs Stella and Stanley and Pluto the cat. You may often see some of Sean's work in the Salisbury Post, but his real art is in these captured moments like the ones at the Rail Walk. More of Sean's work can be seen at the Green Goat Gallery. We are proud to say that Sean has also been known for his preservation efforts here in our neighborhood. He has restored his home on North Main and others to help retain the beautiful architecture here. Thanks, Sean!

- Our neighbor Jimmy Lee Alston has both his studio and gallery showing his fabulous oil paintings and pastels at the Rail Walk. If you have not been to see Jimmy and the other artists at the Rail Walk, you are really missing a bit of treasure in downtown Salisbury. And here is a treat: Jimmy will be performing live soft jazz December 17th, 2008, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. See why we are so proud of our Old North Salisbury residents? Way to go, Jimmy!

(7) Heading south for the winter ~ like to Albemarle? Our neighbors Scott & Heather Teeter of the Jackson St. & North Main area are the proud operators of * The Boardroom Bar and Bistro * 135 W Main St * Albemarle, NC * . Now you are really in for a treat! Starting with the ambiance: rich, deep red walls, a beautiful and enormous antique bar, wood & warm soft lighting with candles everywhere, you will not feel as if you are in a small town, but as if you are in the big city. Scott and Heather are often your hosts and will treat you graciously. The menu is getting 5-star reviews and is an elegant Italian bistro style cuisine! Way to go Scott & Heather! . . . and oh yes . . . YUM!!!

So here's your chance to bring a little bit of Old North Salisbury home for the holidays ~ and to share it with your friends & family. Hey ~ if we are leaving someone out, please let us know! We know this is just a sprinkling of the wonderful people, projects, businesses, and talented folks that make the North Main area their home and add vibrance to our community. We welcome the opportunity to showcase the wonderful contributions our neighbors are making to make our little world a better place to live. Here's wishing you a most wonderful holiday season from Old North Salisbury!