Antiques galore decorate this funky Grand Rapids street
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Antiques galore decorate this funky Grand Rapids street
By Phyllis Rose
Special to the Kalamazoo Gazette / Phyllis Rose. Kathy Nagy, owner of East Fulton Art & Antiques, 959 E. Fulton St., and her dog, Ellie, are ready to greet customers.
GRAND RAPIDS - What fun we found on funky Fulton Street in Grand Rapids.
The fun started a few steps from the car when I noticed a window full of cookie jars. I'm probably the original "Cookie Monster," so I had to look. Well, it was Van's Pastry Shoppe, 955 East Fulton, which has been baking goodies since 1929.
We had to go in because it's part of history, right? With our history, I got two wonderful sugar cookies with red sprinkles and Best Ever Friend Dave got a bismarck filled with strawberry jelly, which he said was made "just the way God intended."
Van's display of cookie jars includes Barney and Fred Flintstone, Wizard of Oz characters, and a monk with the admonishment, "Thou Shalt Not Steal Cookies." Display cases are also filled with model cars - which Dave was more interested in than I was.
This neighborhood bakery had a constant flow of people looking for sweet treats.
After the cookie detour, it was on to our original destination, East Fulton Art & Antiques, 959 E. Fulton, where we were greeted by Ellie, the shop dog. Owner Kathy Nagy told us how she'd found Ellie, a stray, and now Ellie seems to be the official greeter.
After accepting our pats on her head, Ellie allowed us to wander through the shop to explore the antiques, home accessories, and garden accents. Before we left, Ellie agreed to pose for a picture with Kathy, but disappeared under a bed after I accidentally stepped on her squeaky toy.
IF YOU GO
Fulton Street in Grand Rapids is about 1 hour or 50 miles from Kalamazoo.
DIRECTIONS
Directions: Go North on U.S. 131 to Exit 84B, U.S. 131 Business Route. Turn right onto Oakes Street, left on Division Street and then right onto Fulton Street. Metered parking is 25 cents/hour. There are small parking lots behind some of the shops.
MORE
Amaryllis, 616-451-3019
Bluedoor on Fulton, 616-456-7888, bluedoorgr.com
City Antiques Resale Boutique, 616-776-5500
East Fulton Art & Antiques, 616-774-3320
Lighthouse Furnishings, 616-458-8212
Schnitz Deli, 616-451-4444, schnitzdeli.com
Van's Pastry Shoppe, 616-458-1637
Across the street at City Antiques Resale Boutique, 954 E. Fulton, clerk Jane Gillis, welcomed us and told us about the three-year-old shop owned by Sherri Taylor and Alex Maxim. Despite being filled with a tremendous variety of antiques and collectibles, this shop is neatly arranged creating a treat for the eyes. You feel like you're entering a wonderland.
It's also a "wander" land because you need to wander around several times to be sure you didn't miss anything. One item you can't miss is the huge gentleman's chest, something like you'd see in the stately homes in England.
Down the street at the Bluedoor on Fulton, 946 E. Fulton, clerk David Roets, explained that vendors rent shop space for their antiques and home decor items. Here we found beautiful stained glass windows which looked like they came from old churches or Victorian-era homes. Furniture painted in delicate pastels also caught tour attention.
And was that a real cat sleeping on a sofa or one of those fakes? Benny, the store cat, answered our question by stretching and yawning.
Ever since I came home from Prague, Czech Republic, last fall with a cheese grater in the shape of the Eiffel Tower, Dave is always on the lookout for Eiffel Tower shaped items so he can tease me about it. Here, he found the perfect weapons - a lamp with an Eiffel Tower base and a large Eiffel Tower glass bottle.
Venturing a few blocks farther down the street to Lighthouse Furnishings, 1141 E. Fulton St., we visited with clerks Susan Teunissen and Julie Flikkema before checking out the store's used furniture, antiques, and collectibles. Dave found a red towel with a Scottie dog on it to add to his collection of all-things Scottie.
And at Amaryllis, 1011 E. Fulton St., he added another item to his collection, a small lamp with a red/black plaid shade and a Scottie base. He couldn't snap it up quickly enough! Owner Kent Piskin had to help us get the cord untangled from behind the display case. Dave was happy.
Amaryllis also features Asian-themed antiques along with traditional home decor items, special gifts, and home fragrances.
Special to the Kalamazoo Gazette / Phyllis Rose. City Antiques Resale Boutique is a "wander" land for the antique lover.
For lunch, we took the advice of Susan and Julie at Lighthouse, who had recommended Schnitz Deli, 1315 E. Fulton St. This is an old-fashioned deli with an orange tin ceiling and scuffed wooden floors. Like the pastry shop, it was doing a brisk business.
My cheddar corn chowder was sweet and delicious. My turkey sandwich with cheddar and pepperjack cheeses on an onion roll was huge. Dave was in heaven with his traditional reuben sandwich, which he described as a "real reuben."
"It's like a trip home," he said because it reminded him of the sandwiches in the Chicago delis when he was growing up.
Fulton Street felt like home by the time we left. In just a few blocks, we'd found friendly people, fine food, and fabulous antiques. It was definitely a "grandtiquing day" in Grand Rapids.
Joel C. Carrier
Bluedoor
946 E. Fulton St.
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616.456.7888
Twitter: @bluedoorgr
Facebook: Bluedoorgr
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