Ripple City sets sail for Raleigh

Ripple City Artworks on Evans Street will hold its final business day Friday in preparation for the store's relocation to Raleigh.

Owner Christy Koren has happily run Ripple City for the past nine years, but due to personal reasons, she feels that the move to Raleigh is necessary.

"Basically it's closer to home, Roanoke, VA. It's a much easier drive back and forth and I want to spend as much time with my family as I can. I love Greenville and it was a very heartbreaking decision to make, but I felt I had to choose," said Koren.

Along with its new location, Koren has decided to shorten her store's name to Ripple.

Koren explained that when naming her business she was inspired by the neighborhood Ripple City, an old neighborhood in the late '60s and early '70s near Holly Street and First Street where all the college students would go to party.

"It's a Greenville name and it should stay here," said Koren.

Ripple City has provided its shoppers with artworks from local artists, various pieces of glasswork, bohemian clothing and accessories, novelties as well as other memorabilia inspired by the '60s and '70s.

Mary Dixon, an ECU student, has been a loyal customer of Ripple City for four years.

"Ripple City is a definitive part of downtown. It gave downtown personality and I'm really going to miss it."

The store will relocate to downtown Raleigh at 603 Glenwood Ave., approximately 10 minutes from Crabtree Mall.

Due to its unique appeal, Ripple City can count on its Greenville customer base to continue to show patronage.

"I would definitely go to Raleigh to shop at the new store. I always enjoyed going in there and marveling at all they had to offer. You can always count on being able to find something that you can't at any other shop," said Dixon.

Cory Cumberland, a longtime customer of Ripple City, says that if he was in Raleigh he would continue to shop at Ripple.

"I'm very sad that they are leaving and I want to continue to go there, but I would have to already be in Raleigh. There are other stores in town, just not as cool," said Cumberland.

Koren plans to keep her building and will be leasing the space to Expressions, a novelty store that is located on E. Fifth Street.

Expressions, now under new ownership and new management, has big plans for their new store.

Customers will see changes in the store's decorum as well as the products they carry.

The fear of the store losing its current boho ambiance has customers and employees less than thrilled about the changes that are to come once Ripple City leaves.

"I don't foresee much tie dye," said assistant manager Drew DePorter.

However, Koren assures customers that she has been working very closely with the store's new owner to ensure that her customer base does not become displeased by the change.

Before Ripple City officially closes its doors in Greenville, Koren is holding a storewide sale. All items in the store are 20 to 75 percent off.

Ripple will open at its new location on August 14, the same day Koren opened in Greenville.

"I felt it would be good karma to open on the same day," said Koren.

G-Vegas on E. Fifth Street will continue to carry Ripple City's clothing and memorabilia.

This writer can be contacted at features@theeastcarolinian.com.