Crowds flock to New Kensington for Shop Small Crawl

Jayde Ferney and Scott McCann strolled along Fifth Avenue in New Kensington on Saturday with their 6-month-old dog, Floki.

Before 1:30 p.m., they had already hit at least 18 of the 48 businesses participating in the second annual Shop Small Crawl.

They bought desserts at Lynette’s Mad Custom Cakes and a sofa at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore.

They also checked out Fat Cats and Las Hachas ax throwing.

“I remember when this whole area was boarded up and I wasn’t even allowed to walk around here,” said Ferney, who grew up in the area.

“It’s nice to see New Kensington starting to open up again,” McCann said.

They were just two of about 250 people who participated in Saturday’s event, timed to coincide with Small Business Saturday.

“People from New Ken love New Ken,” said Michelle Thom, who is the operations manager for Olde Towne Overhaul and part of New Ken Downtown Partnership, which sponsored the event. “They want to see New Kensington be a success.”

Thom spent Saturday passing out event maps to potential shoppers so they could register for the annual raffle. To enter, shoppers had to visit at least 18 businesses — three in each of six zones — and get their maps stamped at those locations.

After reviewing the four prize packages — with values of $1,000 — Ferney and McCann entered the drawing to win package No. 4. Ferney was hoping for the tickets for the Penguins/Flyers game March 11.

McCann was excited to potentially win car cleaning products. They both wanted to win the Voodoo Brewing candlelight dinner package.

The raffle winners were to be drawn at noon Sunday on Facebook, Thom said.

The Shop Small Crawl is a way to introduce people to the new businesses popping up in New Kensington’s downtown, she said, and in turn, give those businesses a boost as they continue to struggle with effects from the pandemic, increasing costs and a recession.

“We’re highly invested in this community,” Thom said. “We knew it had to be more than just being a landlord.”

Olde Towne Overhaul, an organization that has bought more than a dozen buildings in downtown to restore and rent out, is one of the reasons Jamie Parker decided to open her bake shop, Sweet Alchemy, in New Kensington in April 2021.

Before selecting a location, Parker said Saturday, she looked for locations in Pittsburgh, but “rent was absolutely ridiculous, and the landlords were difficult to work with.”

She talked to Olde Towne Overhaul’s Mike Malcanas the first time for 45 minutes.

“He was interested in more that just my business,” she said. “He was interested in what we wanted to accomplish.”

Parker is moving to a new bigger location on Fifth Avenue in February.

“We’re expanding because we need to,” she said, taking a break from icing homemade pop tarts and pulling chocolate chip cookies from the oven to make them into vanilla buttercream icing-filled sandwiches.

“There’s a lot of people out there,” Parker said. “We’re getting double support today — people out for Shop Small Crawl and Small Business Saturday.

“We have the same goal — bring people here, show people what’s happening in New Kensington.”

Jasz Joseph, of Millvale, said Saturday was the perfect day to check out the community. She enjoyed pizza and baked goods as well as browsing the businesses for more than two hours.

“I’ve been hearing nothing but good things about New Kensington for the last year and a half,” she said. “New Kensington is cool now.”

Christan Miller used to drive through New Kensington on the way to the tattoo shop she owned in Springdale. During 2020, Miller would see work happening — buildings being torn down, new storefronts going up, murals taking over sides of buildings.

Miller reached out to the local business community and came across Olde Towne Overhaul.

She opened Eclipse Tattoo — which also includes retail space where Miller sells crystals, herbs and other items of the metaphysical — in August 2021.

“I think they put in a lot of effort to bring people here,” Miller said. “I have high hopes it’s going to be popping down here. I’m excited to see the changes come through.”

Miller wasn’t the only one Saturday to say that she thinks New Ken could someday be comparable to Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood.

Sarah Marshalek, a bartender at Strange Roots Experimental Ales, said she also sees similarities to that now-trendy Pittsburgh neighborhood.

She has lived in New Ken for six years.

“It’s really great to see what’s happening,” Marshalek said. “I hope that eventually translates to new growth — people moving here and buying houses. As more and more people are investing in this area, and we continue to expand up and out, we’re going to have a great, magical place.”

Amy Lynch of Murrysville brought her daughter, Annie, 9, to Saturday’s event.

“We came out and like spending time together exploring the boutiques,” Lynch said.

She was familiar with Strange Roots and Voodoo Brewing, but she didn’t know about Steel Cup Coffee Roasters or Preserving Record Shop.

“I’m definitely coming back when I have more time,” she said about the record store. “There’s a $1 room!”

Brian Heidenreich is a co-owner of Las Hachas, an ax-throwing, BYOB business on Fifth Avenue that celebrated its one-year anniversary Nov. 6.

On Saturday, Heidenreich said he saw a steady flow of people.

“It’s been a terrific day,” he said. “It creates a good sense of community.”

New Kensington, Heidenreich said, had never had an entertainment venue before. Now, Las Hachas hosts ax-throwing leagues several nights a week.

“I’m really encouraged by what we’ve seen,” Heidenreich said. “We thought we could make a difference.”