Roots Antiques in Maplewood is RFT's Best in St. Louis

It's the third Maplewood business to be named the best in St. Louis this year.

Three sisters run Roots, a Maplewood antique store the Riverfront Times recenting recognized as Best Antique Store–2012. The RFT states the sisters' "careful eye for the good stuff has been noted by many others in town. In fact, they've just been asked to join the Collective, a boutique shopping bazaar set to open this fall in downtown's Mercantile Exchange." Read the complete article in the Riverfront Times. The shop is the third Maplewood business recognized as the best in St. Louis this year. The RFT also named Airedale Antics the Best Pet Store, and Home Wine Kitchen is St. Louis Magazine's Restaurant of the Year. More business news in Patch:

•  1 Comment
• Photos (2)

Eye on Business

Local Stores Offer Unique Shopping Ideas

Local store owners in Maplewood share some of their thoughts on the holiday shopping season.

As Bilal Ali and his family strolled through Maplewood Tuesday afternoon, there was one thing on their mind: shopping. Venturing beyond their usual forays into malls and shopping centers, the Ali family wanted to get a taste of local St. Louis.  "We're here visiting my wife's family, and we wanted to go shopping where we didn't have to put up with parking lots and huge malls," Ali said.  Downtown Maplewood provided a welcome change of scenery for the family. Ali's wife particularly enjoyed Maven, a store specializing in handmade soaps and bath products. The store has attracted an increasingly larger client base according to Kate Bethel, owner of the specialty soap shop. "Lots of people have come in and specifically said they're looking …

• Photos (3)

Fiddlers Fill Downtown During Maplewood ArtsWalk

Friday night in Maplewood was for fiddlers—with an occasional guitarist and banjo player thrown in for good measure—as the city celebrated autumn with ArtsWalk.

Residents who strolled through downtown Maplewood during the city's annual ArtsWalk were treated to a new twist on the event. Fiddlers, guitarists and banjoists serenaded visitors on street corners, in front of shops and in restaurants. The city partnered with the Folk School of St. Louis to present Maplewood Fiddle Fest, which featured the school's own students. The Folk School offers educational programs and classes that teach traditional music and folk arts. On Manchester Road, Steve Manion of Villa Ridge, a former student of the school, was fiddling up a storm with banjo players Eric Pitts and Mick McCutheon of Manchester. McCutheon played down his and Pitts' roles in the trio. "We're just backing up the fiddler," he laughed. John …

• Photos (7)