Big, stable employers plus the UVA student body add up to paying customers for the small businesses that give Charlottesville its spunk. An eclectic mix of more than 150 shops, galleries and restaurants line the historic downtown pedestrian mall. For example, one-year-old Siips Wine and Champagne Bar has already become a hot spot with its ballroom-dancing and tango nights. Just a block away, Sharon Nichols opened her Dog and Horse Lovers Boutique a year earlier. She chose Charlottesville for her dream store because it’s a “vibrant city surrounded by horse country.”
This counts as good news to counter some of the ongoing negativity surrounding the wider economy. The Charlottesville region is by no means isolated from the issues that continue to face our nation, but this story and recognition hopefully serve as just that – some hope that we can hold onto.
