In the Loop

If you want to shop just one neighborhood this holiday season, it’s the super-hot North Loop

Time is precious—and so are the gifts we give each year. Giving the perfect gift takes planning, time, and sometimes a power-through shop-’til-you-drop mentality. Not this year. Park your car in one spot and walk to some of the finest shops Minneapolis has to offer for a shop-independent, luxe experience that will just happen to fulfill Santa’s “nice” list. Who knows—you might leave with a few gifts for yourself, too!
 

 

 

MartinPatrick3

There’s no stopping Greg Walsh’s juggernaut, now on its third expansion. The product selection ranges from clothing to apothecary to entertaining to home décor and travel pieces for every man (and a lot of women) on your list. It’s the Esquire lifestyle, come to real life.

212 Third Ave. N., Ste. 106, Mpls., 612-746-5329, martinpatrick3.com
 

Statement

Stacey Johnson’s shotgun-style outpost showcases her handmade jewelry—and it does a great job of that—but she also stocks other artists’ and jewelers’ goods, plus trendy fashion, handbags, and a smattering of whatever catches her eye. I always find goodies here that I want to wrap in brown-paper packages and tie up with string.

212 Third Ave. N., Ste. 105, Mpls., 651-808-7663, thestatementstore.com
 

Askov Finlayson

The Dayton brothers have done it again: They’ve launched a collection of goods made exclusively for their store and brand, starting with the can’t-keep-’em-in-stock “North” stocking caps, duffle bags, and the American-made Carhartt-meets- J.Crew Explorer pant, all of which make fine gifts.

200 N. First St., Mpls., 612-206-3925, askovfinlayson.com
 

Arrow

Arrow has gained a rep for carrying “casual modern luxury” fashion at a spoil-them price point and elevating the Twin Cities’ fashion scene one Rachel Comey and Steven Alan piece at a time. Don’t worry if they aren’t household names to you yet—they will be. Arrow has a knack for that.

121 N. First St., Mpls., 612-339-1663, arrow-minneapolis.com
 

Roe Wolfe

Find clothing from brands such as Henry & Belle and Free People, bags from Pendleton, and perfume alongside local artisan products from skincare by Worker B, jewelry by Carrier Pigeon, and Sigma cosmetics brushes. There’s also locally made art in the back!

113 Washington Ave. N., Mpls., 612-294-6583, roewolfe.com
 

The Foundry Home Goods

If only owner Anna Hillegass could come and design our homes to look exactly like her shop—a big, perfectly styled breath of fresh air. Well, she’s doing her best with her tabletop and home-décor picks, which now include local pottery from Ginny Sims, cutting boards made in Northeast, and candles made in south Minneapolis.

125 N. First St., Mpls., 612-333-8484, thefoundryhomegoods.com
 

D.NOLO

One of North Loop’s latest additions is Veronica Clark’s D.NOLO, which stands for Destination North Loop and is poised to knock your designer socks off. Inside the Julie Snow–designed space, you’ll find designer-luxe basics and glam statement pieces from her shop-within-a-shop, Kindred. Expect other local boutiques to join her in the space in 2014 with their own shop-within-a-shop concepts…and prepare to covet everything inside. This place is for gifts for the “very, very nice” list.

219 N. Second St., Mpls., 612-916-7895, dnolo.com
 


 
D.NOLO

1. D.NOLO: The closest you might get to shopping in a museum in Minneapolis. Impeccable and definitely on the rise—watch it evolve as the year turns over.

 

Askov Finlayson

2. It’s where the sturdy meets the stylish: Askov Finlayson is chock full of outdoorsy brands that aren’t so outdoorsy that you’ll feel out of place if you don’t ice climb in the winter.

 

Roe Wolfe

3. Roe Wolfe is one of the latest additions to the North Loop—but it’s not new. Owner Ashley Kilcher cut her retail teeth in Mendota Heights with the same boutique. The reboot feels fresh.

 

Foundry Home Goods

4. The Foundry Home Goods: the perfect place to stop when you a) need magazine-worthy tabletop items for entertaining or b) need a great gift for your favorite home entertainers.

 

Arrow

5. Arrow is the kind of place where you’ll never have to ask “Is this in style?” The answer is always definitively yes.

 

Statement

6. There are tons of fun items at Statement, but what I really love are Stacey Johnson’s jewelry pieces. On this visit, I spied some ruby-and-druzy-quartz earrings that might have to come home with me.

 

MartinPatrick3

7. MartinPatrick3 is so good, it almost feels sinful to shop there. And don’t miss I.D. Inside Design, the attached home-goods store with the same Greg Walsh pedigree.