When Anaheim comes to mind you think Disneyland, Angels baseball, No Doubt…and hipster and artists venue? Yep, The Lab and the Camp owners bought Center Street Promenade and The Packing House in Downtown Anaheim and are dropping anchor. Umami Burger, Anaheim Brewery, The Gypsy Den, and Home Eco:nomics are a few of the trendy shops either opened or confirmed for business by the end of 2012.

April Paul, manager of Home Eco:nomics, and I chatted up on the new shop and the future of Downtown Anaheim. I loved the way the store was set up- it has a boutique flair without being intimidating, it still has a handmade presence with uniquely chosen items from local artists and shops. It reminded me of Anthropologie without the corporate suits behind it.

April warmly welcomes you into the store and right away, it’s a place you visit and want to leave buying one of each item. From BAGGU to Pocketo, there are local artists to more popular brands we all love and are familiar with. She has an eye for the shop design since her last job was at Seed Market, another store driven by handmade artists.

The shop carries everything from kitchen goods, jewelry, and baby items, to Earth-friendly gadgets. I’m really happy to see the changes in historic Downtown Anaheim. I’ll admit it still had its charm even when it was a ghost town but with the new shops and Packing House, it’s going to save me a drive to South County, and support Anaheim.

If you’re not in the area, April will gladly ship out an item to you, check out the blog and Facebook page for more info.

Mention “ourcitylights” and receive 10% on your entire purchase, and trust me it will come in handy when you visit, you will not walk out empty handed. Be sure to bring your reusable totes!

The soft opening was March 28 but their grand opening will be May 12 with Anaheim’s Art Crawl. More info on this in the later weeks! To support more of Anaheim, check out Community as well.