People, it seems, love a mashup.
The world is one brand collaboration after another these days (Snoopy + anything sells itself at this point) and crossover genres (howdy, Beyonce) have never been more popular. It would be blasphemy not to mention the combination Pizza Hut/Taco Bell that '90s kids are nostalgic for.
You don't find many creative combos when it comes to the average Twin Cities store. Don't get me wrong, we have boutiques and thrift stores and all the other places the hipsters love to hipster, but somewhere you can be comfortable outside your house, where you might even want to become a regular? That's rare.
The metro area is home to a few of those "third space" places that sell multiple goods or services and also strive for an environment ripe for hanging, chilling and chatting. Here are our top three:
Cream and Amber
Combination bookstore, beer bar and coffee shop
Location: Downtown Hopkins (1605 Mainstreet)
Vibe: Relaxing but lively. There are comfy chairs in the front of the space (which used to be a house) for curling up with a good book. If you go, expect a steady stream of customers, but it's not so loud during the workday that you can't chat with a friend or work from one of the tables set up in the dining-room-like space. A bonus: Nab the tucked-away seating area if you're planning on dropping first and last names during your gossip session.
Selection: Books, beer and cold brews are top-notch. The beer selection is a small but mighty, with a tap list from different Minnesota breweries that changes frequently. The book selection is also on the small side, but offers a highly curated mishmash of literary fiction, non-fiction, genre, kids' books and cookbooks.
The cool part: Co-owner Kacey Hruby Wyttenhove said their goal is to draw people in and keep them coming back. A used book exchange program (for store credit) keeps the books flowing and brings book geeks coming through the doors. "Flight nights" for beer tastings are designed to lure sippers.
Disco Death
Combination coffee shop, record store and film processing
Location: Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis (721 W. 26th St)
Vibe: Chill and fairly quiet. The concrete-floored cafe has tables and chairs near the front so you can spread out and get comfy. If you're lucky this spring, you might be able to snag one of the tables outside. The records are spread out, too, so there's plenty of space for multiple people to browse. Often, a staffer will play one of the records from the store's collection. (Tom Waits was jamming when I stopped in.)
Selection: The records Disco Death stocks are a nice mix of hard-to-find niche records and more mainstream sounds. It's a smaller selection than you'll find at Cheapo or Electric Fetus. Co-owner Joel Eckerson explained: "We don't have a ton of room, so we want to hit the classics, but also hit some things you wouldn't find in a bigger spot."
The cool part: Shooting 35mm + 120mm film has become a throwback hobby for many people, and Basement Lab, the film processing apparatus of Disco Death offers options for people dabbling or immersing themselves in the craft. Jordan Enger, who runs the lab, processes all the film by hand on-site, including black-and-white film.
FlipSide
Combination THC dispensary, record store and listening lounge
Location: Uptown (901 W 36th St., Mpls)
Vibe: Low key and much quieter than the nearby cafes. Most of the space is devoted to selling the cannabis portion of the business (with space to grow as regulations loosen) with a modern, quirky interior designed by co-owner Tess Fellman.
Selection: The edible selection has some great Minnesota brands (including a small selection of house THC beverage additives, which have a curated Spotify playlist to go with them).
The cool part: Tess and husband Josh Fellman have created a a listening lounge in the back corner of the store with soft, plush cubbies and record players. People can sample records for sale or bring in their own music. It's evocative of an old-time record store or lending library. "You're free to just enjoy without feeling pressure buy anything or even look at anything in the store," Tess said. "We're in an area where the lake is like literally right here. People can come in and just relax for 10 minutes when they're on their way to something else."
