By Michelle Ramsay
Aside from the shocking news that ACE Mercado and its landlord plan to displace Mellos on December 31st, fall has been relatively quiet in the ByWard Market.
This season gave us two expected openings—Le Creuset Boutique at 517 Sussex Drive and Bella Boutique at 55 Murray Street—and two surprises. City+Cargo is a pop-up leather accessories gallery tucked in an alley at 23½ York Street. Blink and you’ll miss it, which would be a shame because City+Cargo’s lovely handcrafted bags, briefcases and satchels will be available only until Christmas. Origins, a new-concept coffee shop and wine bar, is opening at 111 York any day now. The coffee and wine combo sounds very hipster, doesn’t it?
Another welcome opening is The Handmade Bride, which moved from New Edinburgh to 306 Cumberland Street (at Murray). The beautiful boutique moved into the spot that was formerly occupied by La Petite Mort Gallery, which closed in August after a ten-year run in Lowertown.
The popular bookseller, Patrick McGahern Used and Rare Books, moved from a second-floor space on Dalhousie to bright and airy quarters at 11 Murray Street near Sussex Drive. The location was formerly the site of Angelina’s Café. At 100 Murray Street, Armen moved into the storefront next door to its former location.
Floorplay Group shuttered its Sotto Lounge at 295 Dalhousie Street in October and, a short time later, replaced it with Sentral Night Club, a late-night spot billed as “the place your mother warned you about”.
Another switch-out involved Frou-Frou leaving 11 William Street and replacing its sister store Sassy Beads at 159 York Street. All the beads are gone but the shop continues to offer repair service.
There were two permanent closures in November. We lost Market veteran The Sausage Kitchen at 5 ByWard Market Square, shut down due to bankruptcy, and relative newcomer Spin Dessert Café & Bistro at 17 Clarence Street, which closed quietly and without warning.
In our last issue, we promised to update readers about businesses being relocated by the National Capital Commission (NCC) to do repairs to the buildings that back onto the Tin House Courtyard, from 447 to 465 Sussex Drive.
Richard Robinson Haute Couture will move from 447 Sussex Drive—its location for the past 35 years—to the third floor at 100 Sparks Street. The NCC is proposing to relocate HazloLaw from 449 to 283 Sussex Drive (at Cathcart Street). This use will require a change in zoning. Lastly, despite the NCC’s best intentions, the three other merchants who must relocate have yet to find new quarters. We hope that we can report soon that MaiYa Pearls, ça va de soi, and Julie Thibault have all been able to stay in the ByWard Market area.