business

Vintage Green Review opens zero-waste store on Magazine

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Vintage Green Review, a local zero-waste education and consulting business, has opened its first brick-and-mortar store at 3530 Magazine St. After gauging community interest over a multi-week pop-up at the same address, the store’s owner, Sarah Andert, was so encouraged by the reception that she signed a lease to make her residence permanent. “Operating out of a physical location allows me to engage directly and regularly with customers,” Andert said. This marks New Orleans’ first zero-waste store and bulk refill bar, according to a press release that states it offers “a long-term option for plastic-free living, sustainable shopping, zero waste supplies, and the ability to refill household and personal care products in reusable containers.”

While the shop is currently open for business, its grand opening weekend will kick off on Earth Day, April 22, and continue through April 25. The event will feature discounted supplies, product giveaways and pop-up food vendors.

Gogo Jewelry’s entire inventory stolen from Magazine Street shop

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Gogo Borgerding’s entire inventory of iconic cuff bracelets and other handmade pieces was stolen from a Magazine Street shop, where Gogo Jewelry had held a pop-up sale on Saturday (March 13). The robbery was discovered Wednesday morning. Chad Ramey, Borgerding’s assistant, said he arrived at the former Francesca’s boutique at 3333 Magazine St., where the pop-up was held, at about 10 a.m. on Wednesday and saw the display jewelry was gone. He started to get anxious, but thought maybe Borgerding had moved it. Then he walked in.

business

New wine shop from Second Vine Wine proposed for Magazine Street

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The stretch of Magazine Street between Gen. Pershing and Milan streets has seen a lot of comings and goings of businesses through the years, and even more recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One new business that plans to open in the next few months is Second Vine Wine, in the space that most recently housed the Claudia Croazzo clothing store, at 4210-14 Magazine St. If the wine shop’s name is familiar, it’s because Second Vine Wine was previously located in the Marigny Triangle. It closed last year in March, just after the pandemic and lockdowns began. But you can’t keep a wine lover and educator away from Bacchus’ call, and Troy Gant, one of the previous Second Vine Wine owners, is harvesting a new wine shop.

business

Dolly Parton tribute and a king cake cartoon grace Magazine Street businesses

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Scriptura and Parcels & Post have both installed storefront floats to bring the Carnival spirit to Magazine Street. And together they represent some popular images in the house float craze: oversized flowers, king cakes, alligators and Dolly Parton. 

Scriptura has a 25-year history at 5423 Magazine St. It started in just the front room, and gradually grew into the owners buying the building and taking over every square inch. They have their letterpress studio in the back, retail in the front and offices on the second floor. 

Scriptura’s storefront “house float” is dedicated to the country music star because of the inspiration she provided during the difficulties of last year. The year 2020 was full of personal loss for the owners of Scriptura.

Mardi Gras

New storefront floats in full bloom on Magazine Street

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The New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts and Sosusu Boutique on Magazine Street have storefront floats that add to the Carnival spirit on Magazine Street. Both of these professional creations light up at night. 

In more than 40 years of being in the same building at 5256 Magazine St., never did the nonprofit New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts imagine that they would be turned into a house float. The school located on the route of many Uptown parades usually has a viewing stand. This year, school officials had planned to turn it into a fundraising event for the institution and charge admission. 

But the pandemic and canceled parades changed all that. “We wanted to have our installation look like a real float,” said school President Dian Winingder about the creation entitled “Gogh Mardi Gras.”

It is of course an homage to Vincent Van Gogh (they call the tractor driver “Vincent”) and, Winingder said, his imagery is easy to recognize and simple enough to make into float props and decorations.

Mardi Gras

Storefront floats celebrate the Margarita and bid good riddance to 2020

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Two more storefront floats have appeared along Magazine Street this week – at Del Fuego Taquería and McEnery Residential. One is part of the Krewe of House Floats subkrewe for the Audubon Riverside neighborhood, and the other joined up with the Krewe of Read Beans’ “Hire a Mardi Gras Artist” project. 

Chef Dave Wright at Del Fuego Taquería summed up their decision to make a storefront float this way: “We’re all really going to miss the parades this year, so when the Krewe of House Floats was formed, we jumped on the idea of celebrating Mardi Gras in our neighborhood. Our ‘Krewe of House Margarita’ is where it’s at!” 

The Del Fuego staff used the Margarita as their inspiration for the DIY float. “We all collectively came up with creative ways to incorporate the ingredients we use to make our fresh-squeezed house Margaritas without breaking the bank,” Wright said. The homemade float flowers’ leaves are painted lime wedges, and the parasols are glittered citrus wheels.

Mardi Gras

Two storefront floats roll out on Magazine Street

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Home Malone and Mignon Faget, both on Magazine Street, have installed storefront floats to bring Carnival to shoppers and passers-by. 

Home Malone is festooned with decorative elements from its own shop and those created by Stronghold Studios, complete with their silhouetted “Throw Me Somethin’ Mister” revelers. Kristen Malone said they put their creative minds together and the result is a team effort.   

In keeping with Audubon Riverside theme “There Is a House in New Orleans” for the Krewe of House Floats, the Home Malone float carries the theme “Tropical Green House.” Malone started out making painted furniture and art objects in her carport in 2011. “My parents were both creative and entrepreneurs,” Malone said, “so I have been around this all my life.”

She sold her wares under the name “Home Malone” at festivals and online. And she also taught workshops and hosted “paint parties,” where she provided the wood cut-outs and all the supplies and people could easily create their own artwork without having to invest in a lot of materials. 

Malone sources things from local artists, as well as hiring them to do classes, such as making headdresses and tie-dye.

business

Silver Lining: Parcels & Posts celebrates its first decade on Magazine Street

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Parcels & Post on Magazine Street is celebrating its 10th anniversary and Carnival in a big way. It will host a float installation to be unveiled in February. Parcels & Post is also helping us celebrate Carnival by offering 20% off the regular shipping price for king cakes. They ship them all over the world. Owner Heidi Hammond and her husband moved to New Orleans in 2007.

business

Viewpoint: At CR Coffee Shop, it’s about the coffee

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Local roaster and coffee aficionado Kevin Pedeaux didn’t intend to open his Uptown coffee house, CR Coffee Shop, a few months before a pandemic hit. However, that’s exactly what happened after his grand opening in October 2019. A year later, it was a success story, bucking a lamentable trend that has seen established local coffee houses — like Café Luna and Hey! Café & Coffee Roastery — shutter along the Magazine Street corridor. Despite the unexpected trajectory of 2020 and City Hall’s ever-evolving COVID-19 decisions, the coffee shop in a white shotgun house, down the block from Magazine Street’s Ace Hardware and cater-corner to Lilette, has steadfastly remained open.

Magazine Street

Krewe of Red Beans partners with Magazine Street shops, the sole proprietors of its Carnival 2021 merchandise

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No parades will be gracing Magazine Street in the Mardi Gras season that begins Wednesday, but the Uptown corridor will still have a place of honor during Carnival 2021. Magazine Street will be the only place to purchase merchandise for the Krewe of Red Beans’ “Hire a Mardi Gras Artist” project, the krewe announced. “Hire a Mardi Gras Artist” is an effort to get the laid-off Mardi Gras artists back to work while brightening the season for all New Orleanians. As an extension of this initiative, the krewe has partnered with the Magazine Street Merchants Association to sell special products that celebrate its “Hire a Mardi Gras Artist” project. Krewe merchandise for sale includes T-shirts, hoodies and flags that relate to the campaign.