Shop local this holiday

Dear Neighbor,

I’m writing this as a personal letter, from a neighbor, because one of the things I love about living here is that there are so many people who really care about the community and about keeping it a great place. I think a lot of you feel the same way I do when you see parts of the neighborhood going downhill, and want to help pull it back up again.

A few months ago I read a column in the Plain Dealer that I really liked, about shopping locally. The columnist suggested we try to spend $50 a month at an independent store – not a national chain. It occurred to me that we could bring that idea closer to home: why not try to spend $50 a month right here on E. 185th Street?

So I started doing just that – and it’s not just easy, it’s fun! I can buy hand-cut meat and fresh-baked bread, imported cheeses, milk, shampoo, cold medicine, windshield wiper fluid or dog food. I can get my hair cut and visit the dentist, do all my banking and mail all my letters. I can meet friends for lunch, grab a cup of coffee, get a bottle of wine for dinner. And with the holidays coming, there are lots more possibilities – gifts of specialty chocolates, imported beer, Tshirts and music and video games, cards and stocking stuffers and fresh flowers and gift certificates.

And when I can I put the baby in the stroller and we walk, I say hi to neighbors and get to know the business owners and it’s great. This is our neighborhood, and it’s friendly and fun and something you’ll never find in a big box or suburban mall. And every dollar we spend is like a dollar invested, in helping support the businesses that support our community.

Some of our local merchants helped put together a promotion, to encourage more of our neighbors to shop locally this holiday season, called "I Shop 185" -- if you haven't already got a contest card you can pick one up for yourself at any of more than 30 participating merchants:Beachland Hair Design, Chili Pepper’s, Federated Auto Parts, Gus’s Diner, LakeShore Automotive, Northeast Shores Development Corp, Patria Imports, Tuthill’s Florist, Adriatic Pets, Arabica, Fresh Catch , Helping Hands Day Care, Joe Compoli, Attorney, National City Bank (now PNC), Shore Carpet, Azman Meats , Best Friend Self Serve Dog Wash, Blue Sky Bike, Cebar’s, Groom Room, Lakeshore Florist, Martin’s Men’s Wear, Music Emporium, Old World Plaza Barber Shop, Oz Collectibles, Scotti’s Italian Eatery, Seven Star Muffler, Used Cars,Inc., Video Game and Record Exchange, Villa Rosa Pizzeria and Vince’s Barber Shop. And there are also the Weekends on Waterloo Holiday events, including the Holiday Sale at Arts Collinwood Gallery, Dec. 11-13. You may have seen the ads in the Collinwood Observer.  If not, you can find out more about both at wwww.artscollinwood.org.  I hope you’ll stop into a local store and ask for a card, or a sticker. Win some prizes, get some good stuff, let them know you live here. 

Between the independent stores on E. 185, the great galleries on Waterloo, and all the services on Lakeshore, you can give yourself a gift and enjoy your own neighborhood this holiday.  I hope you’ll give it a try.  And I hope I’ll see you out shopping.

Sarah Gyorki lives on Canterbury