This past weekend, Dec. 2-5, Midtown Mile got a makeover. Vacant real estate space on 10th and Peachtree Street was transformed into the first Midtown Pop-Up Shop that offered designers, artists and hard-to-find retailers a chance to sell their unique goods to a new market, all in one place.
Inspired by similar pop-up shops in New York’s artsy SoHo neighborhood, Midtown business leaders were looking for a way to merge a fun experience for residents and employees of the area, while stimulating the economy. The Midtown Alliance and Atlanta History Center partnered with Jamestown Properties, Rohrig-Loudermilk, and Gene Kansas Commercial Real Estate to create an inspiring holiday shopping experience.
Retailers included Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Company, women’s boutique Les Nouvelles and Billy Reid, recently named best new menswear designer by GQ magazine. ShopSCAD was a featured vendor, giving Atlantans and holiday visitors a chance to purchase original artwork, jewelry, books and furniture by SCAD students, faculty and alumni. Other vendors in attendance were AFFPS and Decatur Gallery Artists, Bar Denim Blues, Bella Cucina, Tracery Interiors, Yee-Haw Industries and The Savannah Bee Company.
Tucker Berta, director of communications for Midtown Alliance, said that the Pop-up Shop “gave retailers a chance to test out the space and find out what it would be like to have a shop in Midtown.” Several of the vendors liked the pop-up experience so much they decided to stay through December. Those include Love Train Antiques, Bella Cucina, Billy Reid, H&H Home and Les Nouvelles.
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Osayi Endolyn contributed reporting to this article.