I was so happy to see the construction on Gaines Street finally come to an end. The long standing construction was taxing on the businesses in the area. So much so that St. Mike's Pub used its sign to convey a simple yet widely shared opinion, "Fix the damn road." It was always such a hassle to navigate around the area every time I wanted to grab food at Voodoo Dog. Now that it's over, I can check out the merchandise at some of the shops in the area like Two Moon Trees, Phaze One Skate Shop, and the new Retrofit Records.
The new Gaines Street area looks a lot nicer and is now friendlier to the afternoon stroll. Two Moon Trees opened for business early May and has been doing some exciting things since then. Every first Friday of the month, while all the surrounding area is most lively from all the First Friday events, they host artist events in their shop. From time to time, they also put on some artist-lead classes to instruct and inspire those young artists in the community. The store also opens its doors to live music events and poetry and fiction readings.
Their selection of artwork showcases some of Tallahassee's talent. Some of the paintings feature some quirky science fiction themes like towering robots parading across rural landscapes while others delve into more natural themes like love birds perching on the stems of delicately painted flowers. A lot of these pieces take different shapes to create different decorative possibilities. It was really exciting to see how many different forms art can manifest itself into.
Since its opening in 1992, Phaze One Skate Shop has been the destination for all your skateboarding needs, from the stylish yet durable skate shoes to the eye catching, light weight deck. I was never much of a skateboarder but I always respected the fashion. The clothes encompass a lot of what's thought of urban life. It uses the skylines of many major cities to show the connection the skateboard culture has with the streets that it runs rampant in. Graffiti style artwork shows how it's really a grassroots community that is all about expressing yourself.
Between Two Moon Trees and Phaze One is Retrofit Records. Almost a month old, this record shop shows a lot of promise. I stopped by the shop a few days ago and I was surprised to hear Portland, Oregon's Menomena playing over the speakers. Playing such a great album earned Retrofit Records some high marks in my book. I had a great chat about some recent musical trends and about some old school hip hop with one of the knowledgeable staff members and he pointed me in the direction of some must-haves for my music collection.
Much like Two Moon Trees, Retrofit Records is its own live music venue. One of the bands they had in their store, Cheveu, hails all the way from France. Retrofit Records also showcases local artists' CDs which helps cultivate the music scene we have in our own town. I picked up Little League's album "Frames" and it hasn't left my car stereo since. This pop emo band sounds like Braid or a heavier American Football.
Since the summer heat is starting to fade, I think that the newly renovated Gaines Street will have a lot more people enjoying the roomy sidewalks. I plan on stopping by the shops on Gaines to work off a delicious Tijuana Dog.
Tags: Gaines Street, Phaze One, Retrofit Records, Shopping, Tallahassee, Two Moon Trees, Voodoo Dog
Pedro SemperteguiPedro Sempértegui is a recent graduate of Florida State University's English department. After growing up in the quiet suburb of Coral Springs, Fl, he moved to the capital to pursue writing. Since Tallahassee's nightlife has introduced him to new music, awesome food, and delicious microbrews, it's only right that tries to pass on that knowledge.
