South Division resurgence: Empty storefronts to vintage hub

Editor’s note: In this three-part series, News 8 is exploring the resurgence of South Division Avenue in downtown Grand Rapids. Come back Wednesday to read about how the area is dealing with this summer’s construction.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — South Division Avenue in downtown Grand Rapids has changed dramatically over the last few years, transforming into a growing vintage and art cultural hub.

When Otono , a second-hand vintage and home goods store, first opened along South Division almost three years ago, it was the sole vintage store in the stretch between Wealthy Street and Fulton.

“It’s crazy because it’s changed so much in the last two years, three years. It’s just grown so much,” Otono co-owner Alana Sawicki said. “There used to be no one walking around, really. Everyone would just drive to our store and park in front and then get out. … Then they would get back in their car and leave when they were done.”

There weren’t many businesses in the area outside businesses like next-door Second Dance, which recently rebranded to Khloe Mae Bridal, and Vertigo , the long-standing vinyl record store.

“Division was empty for a long time,” Sawicki said. “Not many businesses on it, and especially where we were.”

Otono got its start near the Wealthy Street intersection, though it moved down the street to 25 Division Ave. nearer to Fulton Street this summer. As the first vintage store in what’s now a vintage shopping hub, Sawicki said there was “definitely a learning curve.”

“It’s completely changed,” Sawicki said. “I love that it brings people of Grand Rapids to Division and to a different area downtown that isn’t just Monroe and the center of downtown or Wealthy Street. it’s like, OK, now we have our own thing. And it’s South Division.”

‘A DESTINATION SHOPPING NEIGHBORHOOD’

It’s an evolution Matthew Rothenberg, the president of Heartside Business Association and co-owner of ArtRat Gallery , watched with his wife after moving her art studio into 46 Division Avenue near Weston Street in 2018, later opening a storefront in the same space in 2021.

“We’ve just watched this neighborhood take off as a vintage destination, first with Otono and then it just quickly in short order, different really cool vintage fashion destinations popped up all along South Division,” Rothenberg said. “I think we’re up to seven now, so that’s a lot of fun. It’s really turned this into a destination shopping neighborhood.”

As people walk down Division starting at Fulton heading toward Wealthy, they’ll first find Second Vibess , which offers vintage and upcycle pieces, inspired by street style fashion.

Next door is Rewind , a vintage shop that bills itself on its website as a spot “for the people, by the people,” getting its start as a creative outlet to help people recycle and “look sick,” with offerings that include vintage band tees and sports T-shirts.

Otono, now next to Rewind and Second Vibess, has second hand clothes, home goods and pieces like handmade spoon rings.

By the intersection of Division and Oakes Street is vintage store Decaydence Vintage , while music-focused Grammotones , which also offers upcycled clothing, and vintage store Zabhaz both sit a block down near the intersection of Division and Cherry Street.

Near Goodrich Street is vintage clothing store The August Connection and Khloe Mae Bridal , which offers both new and secondhand gowns.

There’s also spots like GRNoir Wine & Jazz , which opened in 2021 , Cocoon Art Space , which opened in 2022, and other businesses up and down South Division Avenue.

Rothenberg with the Heartside Business Association said he often hears from locals who are surprised by the street’s resurgence.

“Historically, there has been a sort of bright line along Fulton between north part of downtown and the south part,” he said. “Folks are coming around, led by young people who are enjoying these particular stores.”

Richard App, the retail retention and attraction specialist for the city of Grand Rapids, a position that’s a partnership between the city, the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc., said it’s rare to see an area with such a high concentration of vintage stores.

“I would dare put us against anywhere else in the state as far as the amount of vintage stores in one spot,” he said.

He also said the Heartside neighborhood — which stretches from Fulton Street to the north, Wealthy Street to the south, Jefferson Avenue to the east and the Grand River to the west — as a whole is growing.

“We have seven vintage and/or upcycling stores just on Division. … We also have a couple of art galleries, we’ve got all the live music venues,” he said. “There’s a lot more going on there. It’s really the cultural center of our downtown.”

COLLABORATION OVER COMPETITION: A TIGHT-KNIT BUSINESS COMMUNITY

As more businesses have popped up along Division Avenue, it’s grown into a tight-knit business community.

“It’s what we want to see,” App said. “When you have good leadership, it really reflects on the entire neighborhood and we’re seeing that very much so on our side.”

The businesses often host events together. Monthly shop hops encourage customers to check out all the stores along Division Avenue, an effort led by Second Vibess owners Kaitlynn Fitzpatrick and Camille Steverson.

“We’ve really tried to use all the businesses that have popped up … to work with each other to create more traffic for all of us,” Fitzpatrick said. “Working together, we’re able to accomplish more and just bring more activation to South Division in general. … We’re all small businesses trying to make it work in downtown Grand Rapids, so I think it’s nothing but a benefit for us all to work with each other.”

Steverson added that instead of seeing the other vintage shops that have opened along Division Avenue as competition, they worked to brand the area as a vintage shopping hub.

“We have a bunch of art, vintage, fun things to do here,” she said.

Second Vibess said customers will often come in who are having a “vintage shopping day,” stopping at multiple spots along Division.

While Sawicki with Otono said she and her business partner did not expect to spur a vintage shopping hub when they first opened, she said it’s been cool to see.

“We are really good friends with all the other vintage store owners and throw events with them and it’s great to see that they all came to Division,” she said. “We really do just give each other business. … We’re all our own individual store and have different things obviously, like vintage, it’s like every piece is unique. So it’s really cool to come together and build the community together.”

The vintage store community has helped bring costumers for other Division Avenue businesses, too.

Stephanie Howard opened Second Dance, now Khloe Mae Bridal, about a decade ago, offering pre-owned bridal, prom and homecoming dresses, along with new bridal gowns.

She said she has seen the street change a lot over the years.

“It’s nice having neighbors and we can help each other to grow and have more customers in the area,” she said. “We have always been a destination spot, so people have traveled hours to come to us because we are a bridal shop and a prom store. … It’s nice that people have discovered us through (the neighboring shops) as well.”

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