With a burgeoning young, hip crowd continuing to pour into the area, Smyrna’s shopping scene has kept up pace to provide an array of boutiques and stores to cater to the masses. The past decade has seen the emergence of Smyrna Market Village, Ivy Walk, West Village Shoppes and the multi-million dollar transformation of Cumberland Mall. While the downturn in the economy has closed the doors on several boutiques in the past couple of years, the area is far from decline. Here’s a look at what’s hot around town.

Smyrna Market Village
2840 Atlanta Road SE

     Since its opening in 2002 in the heart of the city, the Market Village has been a popular destination for shopping, dining and entertainment. The pedestrian friendly community is home to Pie in the Sky, a boutique with an array of gift baskets, gourmet items and spa products.
     For more info: www.pieintheskygifts.com, 770.863.0180

Vinings Jubilee
2950 Paces Ferry Road

     Since its opening in 1986, Vinings Jubilee has been home to a variety of shopping needs. From retailers such as Banana Republic and Ann Taylor to niche boutiques like Emily Benham and Sandpiper, the center offers an array of clothing options. At Vinings Jubilee you’ll also find home décor and gift stores, such as Limetree and Li’l Squeeze.

Ivy Walk
1675 Cumberland Parkway

     In the Smyrna/Vinings vicinity, Ivy Walk is a larger-scale version of the live/work/play Market Village community. Shopping includes flower shop Affluence Floral, children’s boutique Precious Cargo Kids and the trendy Hand in Pocket.

Eye On Hand in Pocket: Owner Mona Ariza opened Hand in Pocket in 2006 and was attracted to the area because the demographics were a fit for the type of women the business caters to. “At the time it was a hugely underserved area — you would have to go to Perimeter or Buckhead for shopping,” she said.
     The boutique features a wall of denim, and supplies everything you need to complete a casual, yet stylish out-on-the-town look. Ariza recently added work wear into the mix as well, clothes that are “more trendy and fashionable but not so J. Crew cookie-cutter.
     “A boutique shopper appreciates individuality and uniqueness,” Ariza said.
     Though her background is in occupational therapy and she has an MBA, the put-together Ariza is someone you’d gladly take fashion advice from.
     “This is what I’m supposed to be doing. It’s a reflection of my personality ultimately,” she said of the boutique.
     What you’ll find: A huge wall of denim. Cute dresses. Feminine tops. Accessories. Jewelry from local designers.
For more info:?678.309.9550, www.handinpocketonline.com

West Village
Atlanta Road
     Just down the street from Ivy Walk is Smyrna’s newest live/work/play development, the West Village, which opened in 2007. Similar to Market Village with fountains, green spaces, outdoor seating and a quaint, pedestrian-friendly atmosphere, the West Village is home to Palo’s Shoe Gallery, Shiami Doors, Pashmere and the recently opened TAGS, one of the few boutiques in the area to carry men’s casual/trendy clothing.

Eye On Pashmere: After years of working for large retailers, Stephanie Todd wanted to open a boutique of her own because she thought it “would be much more fun to sell things I picked out myself,” she said. “I’m more passionate about it.”
     Pashmere is fun and affordable. Flirty and feminine, the clothes at Pashmere are for women who “have a fun personality and are more open-minded,” said Todd. “[The store has items] that you’re not going to find in the mall—not 100 people have on outfits just like you.”
     In addition to keeping prices affordable, Todd strives to maintain impeccable customer service as well as offer something for everyone.
     “We cater to everybody, whether you’re 16 or 85-years-old, and all sizes,” said Todd. “I hope to help the customer feel good about the entire experience.”
     What you’ll find: A not-to-be missed sale rack in the back with awesome deals. Lots of feminine tops and dresses. A few accessories.
     For more info:?www.pashmereboutique.com, 770.319.1900

Love Street Shops
1125 and 1295 Concord Road

     A longtime staple of the Smyrna shopping scene, Love Street boutiques are more or less one-stop —well, make that a 3-stop — shopping for all your needs.
Love Street Interiors, Gifts and Garden is stocked full of a variety of items — everything from magnets to mugs to soap — while the Heart & Sole store offers clothing and shoes for men, women and children.
     Just down the street is Love Street Home, which offers affordable, quality home décor and furniture, mostly from local and regional designers.
     “Everything usually has some type of story,” said Chris Hutcheson, manager/buyer/interior designer. “I travel quite a bit to find unique pieces; we don’t do mass purchasing. Some of the items are one-of-a-kind.”
    What you’ll find: Among all three stores, what won’t you find?
    For more info: www.lovestreetonline.com, 770.434.8578

The Honeybee
2968 Atlanta Road

     New on the scene in Smyrna is The Honeybee, an adorable boutique with two adorable owners, Lisa Rieves and Betsy Digiorgio, both Smyrna residents. The exuberant duo opened the store in Oct. 2009, and set out to create a “fun, happy place to be.”
     While fashion and fun are important, front and center is The Honeybee’s goodwill manifesto and community focus. All of the store’s T-shirts and a majority of the store’s accessories are made by local designers. In addition, lines like 147 million orphans, whose proceeds go to helping orphans and of which The Honeybee earns no profit, and The Honeybee shirts, from which a portion of profits go to www.helpthehoneybees.com, are featured prominently in the store. Rieves and DiGiorgio also established the Honeycomb Credit Program, which gives customers $10 store credit when they donate a bag of gently used clothing, which is in turn donated to local charities.
     “We try to stay focused on something other than making money,” said DiGiorgio. “We wanted to separate ourselves and be different.”
     The boutique has a “fun, funky side” as well as a “comfortable” side, with items for 12- to 65-year-olds of all sizes, said Rieves, though the core client is women in their 30s and 40s who “want to look cute, be comfortable and not spend a lot of money or look like they got it at Old Navy.”
     What you’ll find: The store is packed with local treasures from jewelry to belt buckles to T-shirts. The Honeybee has a little bit of everything, from casual to work wear, though more on the casual side. Accessories include handbags, bath products and shoes.
     For more info:?770.432.5120 or find The Honeybee on www.facebook.com