Block by Block : Volume 2

I've come up with a plan, to visit every business in the shore and share my experiences. To put my plan in action I needed company and a writer, so I called my good friend Lisa Ramelow and said ... Let's Meet on 2nd Street!!
Join Lisa and I as we explore Belmont Shore Block by Block!
- Heather Kern, Executive Director BSBA

Block By Block; Volume 2 - Roycroft to Park - south

Written by Lisa Ramelow

We had a LOT to accomplish in exploring Block 2, southside of 2nd St., between Roycroft and Park Avenues.

This would be nostalgic for me, because this was “my” block, where my little Italian restaurant, “La Strada” had been located for 27 years.

Where to begin??

Well, we started with a late breakfast at “Let’s Yolk About It.”

This space had been occupied by many other restaurants, but most notably Shenendoah, which had been known for its southern cooking and was loved for its hot apple fritters.

We were joined by long-time Shore resident and entrepreneur, Loree Scarborough, and our ever-loving mascot, Joshua Michael Orr.

We gave the server our order: I got the Deep-Fried French Toast and Heather got Tater Tots for the table.

Oh yes, yes, they have eggs and healthy things too, but this was a special occasion, right??

Loree had brought photos of the building for us to see. She had owned the shop, “G.Nonni,” which had been in this block in the 1980’s.

I remembered this store well, as my mother, Rita, loved shopping there.

Loree described her clothes and inventory as more “upscale ‘80s,” in other words, she had probably carried more things with big shoulder pads, rather than a lot of neon leotards.

The tater tots soon arrived and they were absolutely delicious! I haven’t had them in years, and they came with a vegetarian-type gravy, plus the server brought out Ranch and Ketchup.

Loree continued sharing about her shop - she had named it after her Grandma Nonni, and eventually had moved it to a bigger space at Granada and 2nd St, where the Gap most recently resided.

Rebecca Hinderer, Owner of Let’s Yolk About It, Heather, Lisa, and Loree Scarbourough

My deep-fried French Toast arrived, and it was so delicious, that it deserves its own blog! Don’t even ask how much butter and syrup I had with it ….

We also discussed the other half of this block, which had been occupied, and very well known for, the infamous “Hamburger Henry’s.”

This had been a long-time staple in the ‘70s when I was teenager. Besides the basic burger, they had 30 other burgers, like one with ice cream and another with peanut butter – I think those were only ordered by teenagers wanting to show off to their friends that they could actually eat them. But it worked! That place was always busy!

Eventually, owner Henry Meyer, razed the business, and put in the sage-green building that is there today, and is the home of five thriving businesses.

After breakfast, we said goodbye to Loree, and the 3 of us headed into the store, Cityology.

This little shop is crammed to the max with not only souvenirs (which is what the name seems to imply), but oh, it has so much more: irreverent greeting cards, candles, baby clothes. One could easily stop in here and quickly purchase a last-minute gift for probably anyone.

We then stopped into UPS to say hello, and learned their franchise had been there for 14 years. I again thanked the owner for her kindness during the pandemic - they had let me set up a “La Strada table” in front of their business after hours – that had been so helpful to me.

The store also provides mailboxes for local residents, and they actually carry some adorable merchandise and cards themselves. I could not believe this card that had a “Joshua Michael Orr-baby” on it! (see photo)

Joshua Orr and “baby Josh” with Heather Kern

We then wandered over and peeked into H&R Block, which is now closed because it is not tax season. I told Heather how years ago, there was a kind, older lady who ate at lunch at my place every day, and she had helped so many of my young staff members in doing their taxes, and explaining the process to them.

The Shore is full of good people who help others.

We then walked to the corner to The NuDu Hair Salon, and I ran into fellow Rotarian, Tina Barry, who explained she had been going to see her hairdresser Meredith, the owner of the shop, for years and years – she had followed her to this new location – she was THAT good!

Meredith showed us around, and spoke of the soundproofing she eventually wanted to do – and all the other things she wanted to accomplish to make her salon the best it could be.

I was absolutely delighted to see that she had kept the white neon “Shear Pleasure” sign hung up on the back wall, as an homage to the shop owned by Renee, that had occupied this space for 36 years.

What kindness and reverence she showed to a previous owner, who had shown the same love for her business, the building, and the community.

Next up, we walked to “Shore Nails” around the corner. Owner Tina was gracious and welcoming. She noted she had been there for 23 years, and remembered me well from my La Strada days. She said she missed the Bianca pizza, and that people still come in and ask about me. That was so sweet of her to share.

Heather and I both opted for the Chrome gel option once again – I think we are now both hooked!

Heather and Lisa with Tina at Shore Nails

Lastly, of course we went into “my old spot,” my old “stomping-grounds” hahaha (why is that a phrase? I don’t think I ever stomped there…. well, maybe I did!)

Of course, it is now Colossus, a fantastic bakery of the ages, meaning it has incredible coffee drinks, as well as their bakery options which are new and innovative, with fresh-sourced ingredients. Owner Kristin was there buzzing about as she always is, while Heather bought cookies to take home.

I stood quietly by the front door.

In spite of the busy-ness of the shop, I could still hear the undercurrent hum of the large refrigerator and freezer from the back.

Those hums had been my quiet peace and accompaniment for so many years, as I sat late into the night at my table named “4L,” writing stories about life in the restaurant business, and the community of Belmont Shore.

I opened the framed-glass front door, and could feel the familiar grain of the wood, and remembered how I had closed and locked this door, thousands of times, late every night.

These memories only bring me smiles, as I know of all the history that happened within this one little space, this one-tenth space of this entire 10-space block.

And now, not only does this history continue to be honored in these small spaces, but so much new and special history is now being created there.

I am honored that I was a part of it.

Dedication Plaques by the trees

This plaque is in front of Colossus. Lisa recalls a man who visited this plaque once or twice, on a memorable anniversary of the named person on the plaques death.
“He would put out a religious candle and some flowers, and stood by there for a couple hours, talking about her when anyone asked. People were kind and listened.”
Next time you are walking along 2nd Street take some time to look at the dedication plaques by the trees.

Post Script

Written by Heather Kern

With over 10 businesses on this block it was impossible to visit them all in one day. Fortunately I am an existing customer at several of these locations. One of the first new relationships I made when I began as the Director for the BSBA was with the owners and staff at Nu Du Salon. For years (since the 90s) I have gone into Shear Pleasure throughout my adult life. For me it was the perfect place to drop in, get hair care and be on my way. Sometimes you just need to get your hair done on a whim and are not able to schedule ahead. Since meeting the owners and staff at Nu Du I have become a regular with scheduled appointments. They are a relatively new business on 2nd street and have jumped right in. One of the owners, Shannon, joined the BSBA Board of Directors and their entire team set up out front of every Stroll & Savor this past season selling tickets and creating a lot of great energy at the event. They are dedicated members in our association.

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When things seem overwhelming, I like to chose the path of least resistance. So for my taxes … I go to H&R Block. It’s just so easy. Many will tell me it’s easier and less expensive to file online, but I prefer to have a paid tax person help me. I sleep better at night letting someone else do the work for me at a minimal cost. The staff at this H&R Block is super nice and were extremely helpful to me.

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Aroma Di Roma has been my go-to for a long time. It’s the perfect casual bistro, blending coffee drinks, beer & wine and light bites. For those of us in divided diet homes, this is one of our favorites. There is literally something for every diet and drink preference. PLUS they are open late!!! We LOVE a late night coffee house!

Since did not get to visit every business on this block, you can expect a Volume 2 / Part 2 in the future … facials, fish tacos and gelato!

Take the challenge and tag us @belmontshorelb in your stories.

Addresses and websites of locations we visited including a full directory of the businesses on this block:

4720 E. 2nd UPSTAIRS:
Suite #2 - True Beauty Wellness
Suite #3 - Infinite Wellness Acupuncture
Suite #4 - American Carpet Cleaning
Suite #6 - Mother Earth Ayurveda

ON PARK AVE:
189 Park Ave - Shore Nails

Directory of the 4700 Block - South
4702 E. 2nd Street - Rubio's Coastal Grill
4706 E. 2nd Street - H&R Block
4708 E. 2nd Street - Aroma Di Roma
4712 E. 2nd Street - UPS Store
4716 E. 2nd Street - Colossus
4718 E. 2nd Street - Cityology
4722 E. 2nd Street - Let’s Yolk About It
4726 E. 2nd Street - Nu Du Salon

Belmont ShoreAugust 29, 2023