THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 26, 1995 TAG: 9511230193
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Ida Kay Jordan
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan
LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
Last year about this time I took a few hours to ride around Portsmouth looking for stores to Christmas shop. Much to my amazement, I found almost everything and then some - except women's shoes to fit my feet!
This year the number of small shops has grown - still no shoes for my big feet, however. But shoes are not necessary for anybody's holiday gift list.
Someone suggested we run the shopping hints again this year, but that could be overdoing a good thing. Instead, I'm opting to be a little less specific in making another pitch for buying all you can before you cross the city line.
Every dollar spent here adds strength to our economy - directly with the taxes paid and indirectly because successful stores inspire others to open businesses in Portsmouth.
The variety of small businesses is astounding - but you have to keep your eyes open when you're driving around town if you really want to spot the places to find gifts for hard-to-please folks.
One of the nice things about shopping in small local shops is the ease with which gifts can be returned. You can even make arrangements in advance by telling a shopkeeper you aren't sure of the size, etc.
For instance, there are any number of nice clothing stores offering personal service if you're trying to find just the right garment for a spouse or a parent. Most of them will agree to an easy exchange.
Specialty shops have special gifts and Portsmouth has quite a few of them - whether you want a book of verse and a bottle of wine or fishing tackle and boating gear - or even a six-pack of some exotic brew.
From Downtown to Churchland to Portsmouth Boulevard, we have a batch of ``flower shops'' with a vast array of gift items. They are especially good places for small gifts for friends you want to remember at Christmastime.
The city has several wonderful ``hardware stores'' with unbelievable selections of home and garden presents. I usually find something very appropriate and useful at these stores - one year, flashlights; another year, good kitchen knives.
In my family, some of the kids are teenagers with passions for sports, so golf and tennis accessories are perfect choices for their gift packets. For the younger ones, football, baseball, basketball and soccer items work. You can get them all in Portsmouth.
Portsmouth has a number of stationery and office supply businesses. Everybody loves a good pen and a lot of people would like a comfortable chair or really functional lamp for a home office. Or a handsome card case like somebody gave me last year is always good for a person who works.
For easy chairs or other home furnishing choices, we also have some good furniture and rug stores.
All Portsmouth art galleries are well-stocked this year with original art and crafts in a wide range of prices. Some folks on my gift list really liked the Portsmouth pottery I wrapped up for them last year. There are galleries Downtown, in Tower Mall and on Portsmouth Boulevard, so check them out for really unique one-of-a-kind gifts before you journey to a mall in another city.
Don't forget the antiques and collectibles shops. Sometimes you can find just the right gift that you never would have thought of if you had not explored these places. I've found jewelry, crystal and some really crazy collectibles that were just the right choice for hard-to-please people who seem to have everything.
The folks on your shopping list probably are very different from those on my list; but I bet you can find something great for almost everyone of them in a Portsmouth store.
The fact is, all of us can do a lot of shopping in town. Chances are you can park closer to an individual store in town than you can park anyplace else. Most of the time, a small-shop owner also will help you carry heavy purchases to your car.
There's a month between now and Christmas. When you drive to and from work or to the grocery store, start now to leave some time to look around nearby stores. We must support these people who have put a lot of cash and hard work into making an independent business successful if we want to keep any stores in Portsmouth.
Give yourself and your city a present this year. Start your Christmas shopping here before you spend your money somewhere else.
P.S.: If you don't know where to find a store selling what you need, call me and I'll help. by CNB