When you’re out there shopping this holiday season, don’t forget to support the local businesses that carry Buffalo-made gift items, even if they are not necessarily gift shops. East End Salon in Allentown carries 27 different types of handmade organic soaps, each with a unique aromatic and cleansing nature. From lemongrass to goats’ milk to chocolate coffee, the bars are organic without looking like they were made for a high school project. Actually, I was surprised to see that each bar has subtle (and not so subtle) visual characteristics, which allows for very attractive gifts, especially when packaged at the counter. The soaps are made in Buffalo by Buckdancers and retail at $4.25 a bar.
I will also throw some major kudos to East End for going the decorating distance when it comes to its window display. In it you will see an ode to the Main Street animated characters of days gone by. Salon owner, Patrick Monfort, has assembled a collection of mechanical elves in a setting that resembles Santa’s workshop. These types of displays go a long way toward bringing neighbors out onto the street both day and night. It’s this sort of investment that speaks wonders about a business, and hopefully customers will go out of their way to shop at the stores that contribute so much to the character of the neighborhood. The soaps make #6 on our Buffalo made holiday gift list – click here to see past picks.
East End Salon 47 Allen Street Buffalo NY 14202 716-883-1830
RaChaCha is a Garbage Plate™ kid making his way in a Chicken Wing world. Since 2008, he's put over a hundred articles on here, and he asked us to be sure to thank you for reading. So, thank you for reading. You may also have seen his freelance byline in Artvoice, where he writes under the name his daddy gave him [Ed: Send me a check, and I might reveal what that is]. When he's not writing, RaChaCha is an urban planner, a rehabber of houses, and a community builder. He co-founded the Buffalo Mass Mob, and would love to see you at the next one. He represents Buffalo Young Preservationists on the Trico roundtable. If you try to demolish a historic building, he might have something to say about that. He is a proud AmeriCorps alum.
Things you may not know about RaChaCha (unless you read this before): "Ra Cha Cha" is a nickname of his hometown. (Didn't you know that? Do you live under a rock?) He's a political junkie (he once worked for the president of the Monroe County Legislature), but we don't really let him write about politics on here. He helped create a major greenway in the Genesee Valley, and worked on early planning for the Canalway Trail. He hopes you enjoy biking and hiking on those because that's what he put in all that work for. He was a ringleader of the legendary "Chill the Fill" campaign to save Rochester's old downtown subway tunnel. In fact, he comes from a long line of troublemakers. An ancestor fought at Bunker Hill, and a relative led the Bear Flag Revolt in California. We advise you to remember this before messing with him in the comments. He worked on planning the Rochester ARTWalk, and thinks Buffalo should have one of those, too (write your congressman).
You can also find RaChaCha (all too often, we frequently nag him) on the Twitters at @HeyRaChaCha. Which is what some people here yell when they see him on the street. You know who you are.
We send fresh and beautiful content to your inbox regularly -- you set the delivery frequency. Plus, you'll enjoy access to our premium newsletter when it becomes available.
