Boldly Go Solo

When I wrote about my youth hostel stay in Pennsylvania a couple of entries ago, I didn't mention the great shopping I did the day of arrival.

If anyone lives within a couple of hours of New Hope, PA, and still has Christmas shopping to do, you'll just HAVE to go alone. You can't bring the people you're buying for now, can you? And you don't want to be slowed down when there's so much to see. And buy.

New Hope is this great town with one long street of gallery after gallery, boutique after boutique, with artists galore. Stores selling handcrafted glass boxes and lamps, Florentine leather, hand-painted kitchen tools. The best thing is that the town, and those nearby, try desperately to woo and retain independent merchants rather than chain stores.

Always a plus in a world where Starbucks and McDonald's worm their way in just about everywhere.

Like it or not (in terms of political correctness), you won't find a sign saying, "Unattended children will be sold as slaves," in your neighborhood Abercrombie, as I did in one of the tchotchke shops there. The independents always offer something, whether oddball humor, offbeat charm or great finds.

In all, 280 shops, restaurants and galleries. That's one large artists' community. If it's too late for the holidays, there are always birthdays to buy for.

Art:

Peter Petraglia, "Forward Approach."

Hugh Breckenridge, "The Valley."