As though mandated by some surgeon general recommendation for commercial development, the new neighbors in the Tlaquepaque Market at Telephone and Lockwood are an ice cream shop and a fitness studio. Scoops, the sign for which recently appeared above those window bars, is replacing a nail salon at 724 Telephone; it will share a wall with a Zumba studio, a former dollar store that doesn’t have a sign yet — but it does appear to have been renovated to provide rump-shakers inside the comfort and convenience of opaque window screens. These new interests are just a few blocks from the new Oak Leaf Smokehouse that opened for lunch in late February at 1000 Telephone Rd., and just a few suites from the new-ish Blue Line Bike Lab.
- Previously on Swamplot: Telephone Road Smokehouse Replaces Telephone Road Smokehouse, Heights Bike Lab Expands, Opens Shop Near UH in East End
Photos: Allyn West
For all of those waiting for a new supermarket on the East End, there must smaller neighborhood indicators of income and cultural changes like these first. The Broadmoor neighborhood nearby has been attracting “dog walkers” (Garnet Coleman’s term) for a few years and Eastwood has for many more. Zumba’s got cross-cultural appeal and the ice cream shop should have it too. The bike shop is a riskier bet. Interesting synergistic/recycling relationship between the Zumba and Scoops; work up a sweat, reward oneself with a double scoop, work them off in a few days at Zumba, repeat.
Wait, so there’s no nail salon now? Is that legal? I thought that municipal laws required all strip centers of a certain size to have tax prep, a dry cleaner, a nail salon, and a coffee shop/ice cream parlor/yogurt bar.
Hooray! I’m not a big ice cream eater, but it’ll be nice to have the option after dinner at oak leaf, kanomwan, or bohemeos.
It’s exciting to live in the east end and watch the transformations. A place to get some exercise and an ice cream shop are a sign that businesses are noticing that people with some extra money to spend are in the area.
Ride your bike to get a scoop or two. Ride your bike home-poof, no guilt! What a marvelous addition to the neighborhood!
From Sihaya:
Wait, so there’s no nail salon now? Is that legal? I thought that municipal laws required all strip centers of a certain size to have tax prep, a dry cleaner, a nail salon, and a coffee shop/ice cream parlor/yogurt bar.
To be truly legal, there must at the minimum be 1 nail salon and 1 massage parlour. Dry cleaners and a check cashing/payday loan establisment make them extra legal. Coffee shop/ ice cream shop optional.
YAY! So glad our neighborhood is improving. Let’s keep our hood on the up! Recycle, pick up litter, bike ride, walk dogs, be friendly, and support our local business store fronts! Cheers!
Scoops is really good. All these nice improvements are going to make the east end look nicer.