The rows of shops along the short stretch of Hennepin between 28th and the Greenway has churned once again.  This time, the fresh new additions to the Uptown shopscape may be more permanent.

Booming Streetwear

Phenom at 2829 Hennepin takes over the spot occupied by Salon E!.  The burgeoning salon had to depart the skinny long space for a chic one next to Utretcht Art by MCTC.  This was good fortune for the Phenom clothing entrepreneurs who makes their debut in Uptown from their home store at Snelling-Selby.  The space has been designed into a cool laundr-o-mat theme in the front.  Upon entering through the washer doors, you’re invited to loft-style displays of glass and steel.  When you select the clothes you like, you just step back to the front and staff will send you the completed order via an elaborate dry cleaning track which zips the items overhead and back to the cashier.  One of the Phenom-enal owners quipped, it’s all about the theme.  Streetwear with some ingenious theatrical flair.

While the interior might intimidate the wallet, fear not, Phenom has kept its prices at reasonable levels where you can get away with some fashionable threads or sneakers without paying on a Timberwolves salary.  The store draws from popular streetwear industry brands such as Akomplice and Triumvir as well as sk8te brands like The Hundreds.  In the back room of Phenom is a secret screen printing shop where they build their own Airtime brand.  If you’re wondering how can Uptown absorb so many street shops given VS Social Standard, V-State, Heartbreaker, Familia, and Cal Surf, fear not, they are actually hoping more shops will invade and booster the image that Uptown really is a shopping destination again.  In fact Vincent Shim himself showed up at Phenom’s May debut.

Tea Craze

It seemed for a time there was a Bubble Tea craze and Vietnamese locals were pioneering the drink on every corner.  When fresh fruit purveyor Bubble Me closed at Lyn-Lake, nearby Tea Garden became the king of bubbles. At the new Infinitea store just a few shops down you will find freshly prepared tea from 200 selections.

The former beloved Global Village has been given a new feng shui and the aromas of tea leaves replace incense. Before you second guess what kind of business model involves selling tea, realize that Infinitea’s home store in Eau Claire has been wildly successful with the small towners and college students. If it can happen in Wisconsin, it can happen anywhere. The typical white, black and green teas are bolstered by excellent blends of yerba maté, rooibos, and tisane.

Take home tea is priced per ounce or you can order tea to go hot or iced. For those who prefer it sweet, there are honey and agava nectar alternatives which are superior to basic sugar. For around $3.00, an iced West Cape Chai was deep and flavorful from the rooibos with spicy overtones of cardamom and anise.