Markeshia Ricks Photo
With the most wonderful time of the year upon us, Mayor Toni Harp’s purchases during a recent visit to Ninth Square businesses had a bit of seasonal soiree flair.
Harp is on the last leg of a season of evening mayoral visits to neighborhood business districts as part of an economic development initiative to showcase local stores and restaurants in the lead-up to the holiday shopping season. Leading by example, the mayor has been encouraging the people of New Haven to support local businesses by staying out of suburban malls and into all of the small businesses around the city.
“This is one of the fun parts of my job,” she said. Her most recent visit, last week, brought her to The English Building Markets on Chapel Street, which specializes in all things vintage. Harp picked up some pieces for entertaining including a pitcher and other assorted glassware.
She also had a chance to sample the food provided by another Ninth Square business, 9th Note Jazz Supper Club on Orange Street.
The mayor enjoyed the food so much that she stopped by to give her compliments to Chef Josh Bradley (pictured), unofficially adding an additional visit to her trip.
There she bumped into fashion designer Neville Wisdom. Wisdom, who owns Neville Wisdom Fashion Design Studio just across Orange Street from 9th Note, designed Harp’s inaugural ball gown.
If this had been an actual party in the making, the mayor could check glassware, food, and dress ideas off her list. But no party is complete without a good bottle of vino. And Grand Vin Fine Wine Fine Spirits, on East Grand Avenue, prides itself in having some of the best wine in the city. Harp popped in there on a second leg of the shopping excursion, which took her to Fair Haven.
After sampling the wine, tasting the refreshments from Grand Apizza and El Buen Gusto and posing for a photo or two, the mayor went home with a bottle of red wine.
Her final shop local event is slated for Dec. 17. Idiom Boutique will be the retail host; refreshments will be provided by Chocolate Maya.
Click here, here, and here to read about some of Harp’s previous neighborhood shopping trips.
I would love to finally see a policy driven article, with Harp at the helm, rather than these seemingly endless shop-tactulars.
ps: Little Miss Mess-Up wants to tell Mayor Harp that she loves the polka-dots!!!