Are you a lover of all things local? Do you like to find hidden gems? Do you like taking Instagram-worthy pictures? Do you like delectable food and drinks? Do you like shopping at boutiques? If you answered "yes" to any of these, you need to head over to The Substation stat!
Sunset Drive is becoming a real hub for celebrating amazing locally owned businesses and The Substation does just that. It's been in the works for around a year (at least that's how long I've known about it) and it's a local paradise. So it's a shopping plaza, but it's super pedestrian friendly since the parking is all surrounding the businesses and they put a lot of attention into the details with their use of recycled materials.
From what I remember reading, The Substation purchased a lot of the materials used for decoration purposes (like the poles used for the lift fixtures and much of the artwork instillations you'll find) from one of the buildings that was in the process of being demolished by UTEP. Historical and nice to look at. Beyond that, they also made sure to include a lot of shrubbery, small trees, and flowers to give the area a nice green feel in an area where you don't typically see a lot of greenery (you'll also have a similar feel across the street at 150 Sunset so it's nice to see the neighborhood going this route).
Most businesses over here are still in their soft openings because shops are still being constructed and filled, but even so I enjoyed walking around and checking out the businesses that are already opened. Right now there's a children's boutique, a women's clothing boutique, 2Ten (you NEED to try their 2Ten Cookie Butter Waffles!), Ardovino's Pizza, and The Blend. There's space for at least 15 more shops so it will be interesting to see what opens next. read more