Oh, The Places You Could Go!

I'm one of those people who used to believe that there was nothing to do in Springfield and no cool places to spend a day off wandering around that were indoors. Then I took a look around. Downtown is a particularly amazing place these days, has anyone else noticed? Here are a few places I've been to recently and particularly enjoyed.

• Indie Boutique is located at 210 E. Walnut Street and features a nicely organized mix of vintage, locally made and independently designed items. They offer a fairly wide collection of clothing as well as vintage decor items, records, and more. A great place to check out if you're looking to buy clothes or accessories and would like to buy vintage or local items. Not only do they carry women's, but one half of the store is devoted to men's clothing. They don't have a website (that I could find, anyhow) but you can check out some photos of their inventory on their Facebook. 
• Tea Bar & Bites Bakery and Cafe is a quaint little restaurant at 621 S. Pickwick right by Homegrown Foods. The food is great and the atmosphere is cozy and unpretentious. They serve great sandwiches and interesting sides that are a departure from the average tea room menu. They also offer a huge selection of desserts, and you can check up on their daily specials on their Facebook page!
• Funtiques Market is a fun (or perhaps funny, to some) place to go, offering wacky, interesting items from many eras... walking into the store you see an explosion of color, and there is a lot to see, from a wall covered in vintage clothing to an entire room full of vintage furniture. Everything at this store is in great condition if you're looking to buy and is very entertaining if you're not! Check out their website or Facebook for more info. 
• Last but absolutely not least is Askinosie Chocolate! It's hard to believe that one of the best chocolate makers in the country is located just downtown on Commercial Street. I got to take a long-awaited tour yesterday, complete with samples and tons of info about their unique chocolate making methods. Not only is their chocolate amazing (if I remember correctly, their White Chocolate Bar was named one of the ten best chocolate bars by the London Times!) but they operate with a mentality to serve the global community and do good by direct trade with farmers and more. You can read up on the good they do and the great chocolate they make on their website - or better yet, take a tour! They're offered every Tuesday at 3 pm -the same day each week that they bake and sell 2 types of cupcakes: coincidence? I think not.