Storefront Watch: Farewell to Las Locas

People come and go in one’s life. Especially here in the big city.  We meet people and to one degree or another we get to know them and then they are gone.

Seems like we forget most of those people; that’s just the way these kind of things go.

This is no less true for those of us who like to support small businesses. They come and go, and we tend forget most of them.

One of our local gallery boutiques is closing next month. La Vida Loca Galeria will be no more after the end of March. This shop in Highland Park is a unique place--and that will make it much more unforgettable.

Owner Anita Acosta tells Patch, “We have had a wonderful ride with the store. This store was never about money, but was purely a way to bring community together. The store was a place where people could come by and hang out, have a cup of tea, read, talk and even sit and watch the news.”

The shop was a very active place. Manager Marla Street also ran the Kid’s Krafts on Saturday afternoon when kids were provided with materials for rock art, paper lanterns, t-shirt decorations and tie dying. And there were sewing classes and knitting classes offered.

On NELA”s Second Saturday they promoted a local artist and often had a food truck outside.

They held fundraisers for Benjamin Franklin and Wilson High Schools.

But life can be hard sometimes, and life has dealt Acosta a few bad hands recently. And life must be attended to before running a business like La Vida Local Galeria, which requires so much.

But she sees the next month as a celebration of the year they have been open. She and Linda Aguilar will be there for the next month.

Aguilar tells us, “We still have a wonderful selection of books, kids toys, new and  vintage high end clothes for men, women and children, mirrors, art, and furniture. We are giving a 50-percent discount as a thanks to our friends and the community.”

Acosta adds, “All those things in the store made it beautiful and inviting. They made our store a beautiful painting in itself.”

They will be open next Second Saturday in March, with an artist’s work on the wall, so try to visit then.

Lastly, Acosta wants to express her, “Great thanks to the community and always remember to ‘pay it forward.’" She also reminds us that, “Karma is alive and well.”