Market Place Comes to Downtown Westport

Imagine a one-stop shopping expedition where you can purchase a unique hostess gift for under $50 and exquisite Judaica jewelry for a special someone. A place where you can have your measurements taken for a custom-cut-and-designed, but reasonably priced, fine leather boot and top it all off with a visit to a fortune teller to learn what's in store for you in 2010.

All those possibilities — with more to come — are presented at Market Place, a 10-booth, communal retail shop across from the post office at 153 Post Road East. The first five tenants have just arrived and there's room for five more.

Dividing the 2,484-square-foot storefront into separate retail spaces to attract multiple tenants was the brainchild of Linda Tse, who owns the property and others in downtown Westport.

The Post Road property had gone vacant and several prospective tenants walked away because of the large and somewhat awkward space.

Born in China, and transplanted to Westport by way of Canada, Tse was intrigued by shops she has visited in New York's Chinatown —many of which are subdivided into tiny stalls occupied by competing merchants.

Tse hired a contractor to create 10 distinct spaces of varying sizes divided by waist-high separators within the store. She hopes the shared-space arrangement will prove to be a successful business model.

Susan Altschuler, proprietor of Table Talk, which occupies the prominent space nearest the front door and offers "everything for the table and entertaining," could not be more enthusiastic.

"In a year's time, we'll rock," she exclaimed. "This will be the hottest retail environment in Westport."

To Altschuler, the idea is to vitalize the Westport shopping experience with back-to-basics retailing in a "marketplace" format modeled after the traditional European and Middle Eastern marche and bazaar.

"We've lost our moms and pops on Main Street — the Remarkable Bookshop, Klein's, Party Barn to name a few — to retail corporatism," she said.

"When you shop here, we won't tell you the computer's down and we don't know the price," Altschuler said.

"We are our customer and we provide know-how with a creative edge," she added.

After running her own establishment, Table Envy, in an 1,800-square-foot space farther east on the Post Road for many years, Altschuler has downsized but hopes to retain all her former customers and win over new ones.

Westporters will remember that 153 Post Road East was the home for 40 years of The Tack Room, purveyors of top-of-the-line custom-fitted equestrian boots, helmets and saddles as well as an extensive line of cowboy and specialty boots.

The Tack Room vacated the premises to pursue its online business several years ago, but the family-owned business has returned to occupy several spaces until new tenants arrive. The Tack Room will continue to sell its wares from its own booth.

Tack Room proprietor Ron Friedson inherited the business from his father, Samuel. Ron learned to ride a horse from an early age — their Westport home was a horse riding academy  — and from the age of 12 he helped out in the store.

The passage of time has not dimmed Freidson's love for the shop and all things equestrian.

He's proud to say that all items sold are produced in the United States of America. That goes from customized saddles to a pair of mystery five-inch platform boots on display.

The Tack Room fills theatrical orders and created the customary three pairs of the same boot for an actress to wear in an upcoming film, which he would not reveal.

"We are known for our zealous protection of customers' confidentiality," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

Still, the best-selling item remains a basic cowboy boot designed by Samuel Friedson, updated with a detachable chain-link strap.

Friedson's shop is riding the wave of the fall fashion over-the-knee boot. He said customers are wont to spend freely on high-fashion boots that will not last beyond the season: his sturdy wares are made to last, he said.

Matching custom belts and dog collars can be ordered as well.

"This is not a mass-market world. These are not one of 100,000 boots made in China," Friedson said. "Step out of that world."

Susan Pomerance presides over Yofi Collection, Westport's first store specializing in Judaica.

From her 100-square-foot booth, she sells a wide range of prayer shawls and ritual items and will try to locate any hard-to-find treasures.

"Evil eye" bracelets range from $12 children's bracelets to $245 enamel 14-karat adult bracelets and appeal to both Jewish and non-Jewish patrons.

The shop enables Pomerance to showcase many items available on her website,

www.yoficollection.com.

Next to Yofi is a booth filled with microfiber rainwear designed by Jeffrey Weiss and also made in the U.S.

All the way to the rear of the store, psychic consultant Stephanie Tan greets customers for whom she will perform a tarot card reading (3 cards, $20), a full tarot card reading ($50), a psychic reading ($75) and a "full-life read" ($100).

Gift certificates are available as are appearances at parties and special events.

Stephanie is the great-granddaughter of an eastern European psychic and she believes her psychic gift descends from her.

Give her your name and your date of birth and you may be amazed at the intimate insights she shares.