Rant & Rave: Fancy Tiger and Trader Joe’s

Rave: Fancy Tiger’s new store (pictured).

Come January, my creative side needs a little boost. So, I start crafting. Yup, I sew, knit, and quilt until my fingers are sore and my mind is untangled. By the time I’ve completed two projects, I can think about writing again. By February, I’m ready to start reporting. (Plus, I get nifty new scarves, hats, and quilts to prove my productivity.)

This crafting streak means that I would spend much of January trolling the shelves at Fancy Tiger, a craft emporium on South Broadway. The tiny, dark store was the closest place to buy supplies for this urbanite, but every time I’d pull a bolt of fabric off the shelves, I’d reenact a Three Stooges routine. (I’d turn one way and knock something over in the crowded space; I’d turn the other way to pick up my mess and knock something else over.)

Which is why I’m tickled that Fancy Tiger has moved into new, bigger digs just up the street. I was there on opening day, and I’m pleased to report that I didn’t knock down any displays. In fact, the new digs have ample space to lay out a couple of fabrics and dream about what you’re going to make next. While I liked the too-cool-for-school vibe of the old store, I dig the more laid-back atmosphere of the new—and I’ll be back in a few days. I need some thread. Follow my crafty projects on Pinterest.

Rant: Trader Joe’s is finally coming to Colorado, but its first store will be in…Boulder?

It is no secret that several 5280 editors have craved a Colorado-based Trader Joe’s store, so there were a few shouts of “hooray” heard in the office when it was announced this week that the specialty food store is coming to Colorado. That was quickly followed by: “Boulder?”

We do think that the food behemoth will be a boon for the Twenty-Ninth Street shopping area, but we can’t help but think that Trader Joe’s should have started a little closer to the 80202 ZIP code. After all, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that the Republic only boasts 97,385 residents. Compare that to Denver’s 600,158 mouths (or pocketbooks).

Worse, we’re not fans of spreading out shopping destinations to the far corners of the metro area (see: Houston). We understand why IKEA moved to Centennial (the store is big enough to be an incorporated town), but we would have liked to see that in Denver, as well. The only way that Trader Joe’s can make this up to us is by ensuring that Two Buck Chuck is soon available in the Mile High. Then all will be forgiven.