INDEPENDENT GUIDE
GLASGOW
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Retro undies at Betsy LaBelle
eafy. artistically inclined. fashionable.
but not in a corporate way. dear me no.
the West lind is one of the most beautiful — and thoroughly self—contained — areas of Glasgow. It is fed into by the students of the nearby uniyersity — who come for the area’s indie credibility and stay put — by lefty. arty young professionals. local musicians and people who want you to think they‘re local musicians. and by rich middle- class families who can actually afford to buy
16 ‘I'HE LIST 16—30 Apr 3009
the lofty tenement flats eyery'one else just rents. The West lind can be something of a
rarefied bubble and is often accused of
sealing itself off from the ‘real Glasgow". but the benefits are a strong sense of community. For example. independent bookstore Lost in Fiction set up shop in September last year. and has already established itself as a hub for local readers. supported by many of the well- known authors who liye in the area.
liyerything piy'uls off By‘res Road. of
llluf [ml
Heart Buch Byres Road
course. liclccllc indies will] al‘lisllc wintlow displays thriye in an area that. despite the presence of at Marks and Spencer liood Hall. is y'ocally' resistant to col'pot‘alc buy otll. 'l‘ltc shops at the top of the road target themsclyes squarely at budding Nigellas classy crafting and homeware at Boxwood. and the foodie paradise strip of Demijohn‘s (llasgow branch. top deli Heart Buchnanan and the Papyrus Cookshop.
llow'eycr. further down. the shops are a gleeful smorgasbord of inexpensiye specialisms: retro sweets at I Love Candy. ethical skincare in Charlotte Naturals. Sandalwood‘s jewel—bright display of handcrafted and utterly unusual shoes. the rhinestone froth of girly boutique Pink Poodle. men‘s or women‘s knicker stores Mr Smith Underpants and Betsy LaBelle (we'll let you guess which is which). and ('hunk l—shirts for hipster geeks at strcctwear gaff Zipcode. The window displays at tiny indie florist Grace Flowers are legendary. and do pop into Roots and Fruits for a pound of organic plums and a gentle natter with the scarf-wearing y'egan kids at the tills.
()ff Byres Road. though. West lind shops set up like-minded communities. (‘resswell and Ruthyen Lane are hidden away: the tlc('ourc_\"s Arcade in ('resswell is full of paint-fresh. sweetly twee gift shops and stylish interiors (Elements, Honey Bea’s House and The StudiO). while the Ruthyen Mews (see panel. opposite) is a ramshackle yintage goldmine. genuine treasures to be found in the junkpiles.
Down at the bottom. Dumbarton Road is a fierce. exciting hotchpotch of general amenities. punning shop titles (Qualit-tea —