a day ago
Howell's The Alley District brings more business to downtown
The Alley District in Howell has a new summer display.
"We do all kinds of different themes based on time of year and what's happening," said Sarah Davey, the owner of Simply Charming Too in downtown Howell.
Every season, the alley district gets decked out, like hearts for Valentine's Day, a Christmas theme when the weather turns, and umbrellas for summer.
"The umbrellas that we currently have — this is something we talked about a year ago," said Davey.
The businesses adjacent to the alleyway get together a year in advance to plan out their displays, and each storefront brings a little piece of itself.
"What I love about it is it really kind of shows and showcases the business and each business's personality as well," Davey said.
Charissa O'Malley, who works at Betty James boutique, said she doesn't have a hand in decorating, but she's noticed the positive impact of having such a fun space.
"I've seen engagements, I've seen graduation photos out there, I've seen bachelorette photos, all kinds of things, so it's really just this little hidden gem," she said.
O'Malley said once people notice the alley, they're likely to pop into more shops that they might have otherwise missed if the alley weren't so aesthetic.
"They'll come and they'll see the alley, and they're enamored with it, but then you start finding the shops, and they're all so complementary of one another where there's so much to see, so much to find," she said.
The owner of Carriage House got the ball rolling beautifying the alley years ago. She was too busy to chat on Friday, but said she hopes to see businesses here continue working together to make this place special.
