At the designer-toy hut, Plastic Chapel, the always-enthusiastic Dea Webb is gaga over such new arrivals as Dr. Ledoux's Critter Splitters, blind-box toys by former Sub Pop records art director Jesse Ledoux with interchangeable parts and tiny accessories (such as a tiny pillow with the itty-bitty "don't remove" tag still sewn on).
Across the street and down the way at 55 South Broadway, everybody's favorite street boutique, Decade, is beautifully decked out for the holidays, with armies of wind-up Santas, festive holiday notecards, and glittery wreaths and table trees made from giant silver sequins. Proper gifts for your honey include handknit mittens and scarves, cozy wool tunic-style Fair Isle sweaters from Free People and sexy, rhumba-ready boy shorts from Honeydew (black mesh with a flounce of tiered, leopard-print ruffles), while the little bitty ones in your life will surely love hugging a stuffed alien creature from Rock �N Raddle.
A few doors down at 65 South Broadway, Plume has plush, faux-fur newsboy caps and reasonably priced recycled necklaces.
As you continue walking south, stop into the strange, nameless candy store for a stocking-full of retro candies. For those with long memories and penny-candy nostalgia, they've got Fizzies, Pop Rocks, stick candy in different flavors, Smarties, root-beer barrels, giant Lemon Heads and goofy Taffy Tongues. They should keep you occupied until you reach CaShi, where, back behind the gallery's Chinese and Philippine antiques, you'll find a fragrant selection of rare and exotic teas, as well as elegant accoutrements for brewing and serving it.
And at Cargo, the import shop yet a few more doors down the street, there's an incense-tinged treasury of body-hugging Asian-print tees, brocade messenger bags, glitter-shot scarves and 1930s Shanghai lady posters. CaShi and Cargo are at 200 and 210 South Broadway, and more Asian wares can be found across the street at T Trove Asian Decor.
Believe me, these only a few highlights on the street. Boho SoBo is hoppin' with more shops than I had time to peruse, including She She, Denver Book Mall, All American Vogue, the Crypt and Apocalypse Boutique. There's something for everyone, and all of their peeps, too.
So go on, but remember: Wear good shoes, and have fun. -- Susan Froyd