Looks like my old hood is changing from bars to stars.
From the Cornell Daily Sun:
Boutique Owner Aims to Bring Variety to Collegetown
September 17, 2013 12:36 am
By SARAH CUTLER
Natalie Sweeney has long believed that students in Collegetown needed some new places to shop.
Even before she moved from Utica to Ithaca, she was “not impressed” with The Shops at Ithaca Mall, and although the Commons are “neat,” they do not offer the average, everyday clothes students are looking for, she said. This fall, Sweeney is helping to fill that hole in the market with a new boutique she has opened on Dryden Road, Natalia’s Boutique.
Sweeney describes the style of Natalia’s Boutique’s as “bohemian chic glam.”
“You can get those relaxed-fit, cute outfits here, but you can also get the pieces you would wear if you want to glam it up to knock the guys over,” she said.
Her goal? To help her customers.
“I’m not one of those people that will lie to them,” she said. “I want to give them an honest price, and if you look like hell in your clothes, I will tell you, because you’re representing my clothes. I want you to look good.”
Natalia’s Boutique targets young women aged between 18 and 30 years old, Sweeney said. Although she anticipates many of her customers will be Cornell students, she said she is also hoping to attract customers from other corners of Ithaca.
“A lot of the townies say they won’t come to [Collegetown] unless they need to come here,” Sweeney said. “I’m trying to give them a reason to come.”
In moving to Ithaca, Sweeney said she was not quite prepared for the rainy Ithaca climate and is looking into stocking up on more raingear. Still, she said, she has seen both college and high school students dropping in to shop since the store opened Sept. 9.
Cameron Griggs ’15, who visited the boutique Sunday, said the boutique was more reasonably priced than others in the area.
“Other boutiques can be crazy expensive, but this was good, a very cute store and had clothes you could wear every day,” she said. “Speaking with [Sweeney], it seemed like she knew what it was like to be a girl college student.”
Sweeney said she chose her store’s location partially in an attempt to bring back what she says Collegetown has lost. Years ago, when she lived nearby and came to Ithaca to get her hair done, Collegetown had several salons and boutiques — but all of a sudden, “you guys had nothing,” she said.
She said she believes high rents in the area is part of the problem.
“In Collegetown, the rent is just like New York City prices,” she said. “I think you guys would have so much more available to you if the rent wasn’t so high. A lot of people would be happy to come here, but they can’t afford the rent.”
Here's the link:
http://cornellsun.com/blog/2013/09/1...o-collegetown/