As Allentown celebrated its Friday Gallery Walk series last night, there was another celebration going on across town on Amherst Street. A series of gallery owners were showing off some of their own homegrown charms, while artists and friends gathered to show their support for the rebounding district and the people infusing it with life. While Gallery 464 was literally packed wall-to-wall, and Artsphere was alive with wide-eyed spectators, an empty storefront lay dormant just down the way… as if in stealth mode, patiently awaiting its turn to play a part in the resurgence of Amherst Street.
491 Amherst Street (seen here) was recently purchased by Sue ‘Frenchy’ Cholewa, the same person who successfully rehabbed the former Howie’s Appliance Store (now Gallery 464). After spending some time gallery hopping, a couple of us bounced to Frenchy’s latest conquest. True to form, the exterior of the commercial building has been preserved as if frozen in time. The leaded stain glass transom windows glowed warmly above the old world storefronts. The inside was just as wonderful – original tin ceilings, polished wood planked floors, original light fixtures and counters… the previous owner even left behind her collection of records and crazy cool Califone record player in working condition.
When I see someone like Frenchy snag a building like 491, and I see the energy, the excitement and the vision that goes along with the acquisition, I am left in awe. Like Mark Goldman on Chippewa and Prish Moran on Grant Street, Frenchy is helping to pave the way for a new wave of business owners. She’s investing into the community one building at a time, and in the process she is attracting a series of tenants who are willing to work together to establish their district as a unique destination. It’s a powerful strategy, and not one that is at all guaranteed to work. Fortunately she cares as much about the passengers that she brings along for the ride, as she does mapping out her journey.
I’m sure that it won’t be long before this space is filled, and a new establishment adds to the vibrancy of the street. It doesn’t take an army of businesses to brand a destination. It takes a few strongholds that are willing to be pioneers on the street. Then it takes the adventurous crowd that is looking for items of interest found off the beaten path. Just remember, the beaten paths always start off as unmarked trails that lead to uncharted discoveries. That’s what we’re seeing on Amherst Street thanks to trailblazers like Frenchy.