Our Story in the News about our move in 2015

on Jan. 16, 2015. (Photo by Michelle Le/The Almanac.)

After 40 years on University Avenue in Palo Alto, the eclectic Shady Lane gift shop/ boutique is moving to a new home in Menlo Park.

"It was a door that opened in an octagonal building," said artisan owner and founder Alice Deutscher about her shop's upcoming transfer to the Sharon Heights shopping center. "Going from a known to an unknown is always challenging for a business owner. But it seems right in my heart."

The move comes in the wake of a changing economy and a changing downtown Palo Alto. The landlord wants to tear down the building that currently houses Shady Lane (at 441 University Ave. near Waverley Street) to make room for a new four-story structure with underground parking. And keeping up with rent increases is always a challenge for a small business owner.

"It's not easy. Our kind of store -- speciality gift shops in general -- have a tough go of it. People will mention some of their favorite shops that have closed and I know how hard it is to keep aflout. I'm in the store six days a week to make sure things are running smoothly, to greet customers, to remember what they bought before, to make special orders but most of all listen to their stories about their lives as I love to get to know them," Ms. Deutscher said.

An artist who made a living at craft fairs for over 20 years by creating batik and hand-painted silk clothing and accessories, Ms. Deutscher and her husband a fine woodworker showcasing his creations at fairs also forged deep connections with the local artisan community, links that extended into Shady Lane when the couple opened the shop with a plant business. Developer Roxy Rapp helped it get off the ground in 1975, giving the store a prime location on University Avenue where Chicos is now, she said.

"My husband tore down a house that was going to be destroyed to use the wood to build the interior of our first store using the recycled wood before it was trendy. We had a winding brick pathway and pond -- that was our 'lane.' And we had hanging plants, that was our 'shade," Ms. Deutscher said, explaining how Shady Lane got its name. We moved to 441 University between Kippling and Waverly after 3 years on the corner of Waverly and University. Our landlords Leonard and Rose Craig who owned Craig's Paint on the corner of Kippling and University were kind and fair,  being store owners themselves they understood the challenges of owning a small business but the building was sold and we were faced with our rent being doubled in 2008.

In looking for a new location recently, she initially explored options in the same neighborhood, we had a lease in hand on two occasions but my heart said "no, not right".  "I have customers now in their 30s, 40s, 50s who have always known Shady Lane on University Avenue and have a history of going there with their moms, and now come in with their own children," she said. "That's what having a heritage business is like. I'm happy that we're able to continue our business, but a little bit sad that we won't be on University Avenue."

Still, Menlo Park beckons. The new store will be slightly smaller than the current location's 1,000 square feet, with easy parking and great access to the highways for out-of-town customers. Their new landlords seem kind and fair so far. The courtyard in front of the new stand-alone octagonal shop is framed by trees, and has enough space for Shady Lane to host 10 artisan events a year, which is pretty darn wonderful," Ms. Deutscher said.

Shady Lane is expected to open in the Sharon Heights center in early March 2015.