Hidden Gems Of Connecticut

EAST WINDSOR, CT — Heading to Bradley International Airport and have a little extra time? Just cruising along the Connecticut River in the north central part of the state? A stop at a circa 1850 columned building close to the banks of the river offers items from several eras and genres.

Welcome to The Vintage Shops in the historic Warehouse Point district of East Windsor. It's tucked into a nook at 42 Bridge St. near, well, a bridge than spans the river.

"I hear all the time that people didn’t know we were 'there' when they passed by," said Becky Bossy of Treasures of the Heart. "We have been 'there' for about 15 years and would like more people discovering us."

The Vintage Shops is a business space with a collection of eight varied vendors (located next door to the Maine Fish Market restaurant near the Route 140 bridge) that are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Monday and major holidays.

The shops include:

• Treasures of the Heart
• Reflections of the Past Antiques
• Matt's Military
• The Clock Man
• Chipping with Charm
• CBug's Records
• Bellamy Design Botique
• As Time Rolls On

Inside the Vintage Shops, visitors will find collectible and antique items including clocks, coins, furniture, holiday items, shabby decor, vintage vinyl music, militaria and repurposed items, among others. The atmosphere of the shops lends itself to leisurely looking and shopping over two floors of items.

It's a Hidden Gem with hidden gems.

The building was used for many things throughout the years, including a boarding house and a bar.Now it's the Vintage Shops.

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The Hidden Gems series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path, all located within Connecticut.

Columns in this series in 2022 include:

• The Schofield Spring Water Dispenser
• State Veterans Cemetery
• Alfred E Pope Horse Trough and Fountain
• CT Heavy Artillery Regiment Mortar
• The Ancient Burying Ground
• The Wolf Pack Bobblehead
• New Haven Museum
• The Gathering Ground Restaurant
• Poke Don Hawaiian Restaurant
• The Husky Olympic Monument
• The Mazz Pizza Company Truck
• The "Keyhole" Tunnel
• ANTIQ'S
• Broad Brook Opera House
• Bart's Luncheonette
• Frankies Catering Truck
• Great Captain Island
• The Willington Common Bell
• Chez Ben Canadian Diner
• Farmington Canal Aquaduct
• Grave of Civil War Casualty William Goodell
• Riverfront Park Boathouse
• The Connecticut Freedom Trail
• The David Smith Bridge
• Wadsworth Atheneum
• Southwest Cemetery
• The Polish Plate
• Ferry Grill & Chill

• Osborne Homestead Museum
• Lacrosse Unlimited
• The Holy Land Cross
• Jefferson Fry Co.
• Hartford History Center Suffragist Sculpture
• Windsor Locks Canal Irish Workers Monument
• Utsav Indian Cuisine
• The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route
• The Rein's Reuben
• Frontier Airlines at Bradley
• Munson's Chocolates
• Connecticut River Valley Wildlife Museum
• LobsterCraft
• Center Springs Park
• MLK Monuments
• The Connecticut Historical Society

Columns in this series from 2021 include:

• The First Decorated Christmas Tree
• Bolton Notch Trail Bridge
• Civil War Drum
• Civil War Powder Keg
• Mile 4, Manchester Road Race
• The West Hartford Armory
• The Capitol's Nooks and Crannies
• Wickham Park Aviary
• 55 West Main, New Britain
• Fox Hopyard Golf Course
• The Dodd Center For Human Rights at UConn
• Manchester Ropes Challenge Course
• 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm
• Fuego Picante Food Truck
• The Amistad
• 9/11 memorials
• Club Champion Golf Fitters
• New England Civil War Museum and Research Center
• Avery's Soda
• Salt 2.0 Restaurant
• The Grave of Jonathan, The Original Husky
• Golden Gavel Auction House
• Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut
• The Cogswell Temperance Fountain
• The Old State House
• BouNom Bakery
• Union Pond Park/Jay Howroyd Fitness Trail
• The Submarine Force Museum/USS Nautilus
• The UConn Dairy Bar
• Grove Hill Cemetery, Vernon
• Backwoods Smokin' BBQ
• The Ranch House
• Connecticut State Police Museum
• Berlin Historic District
• Connecticut Parachutists Skydiving Club
• Tail Winds Ice Cream Shop
• The MLK Mural
• The Hilltop Restaurant and Bar
• Fork & Fire
• Lena's Italian Kitchen
• The Benedict Arnold Trail
• Swank Pearce
• Vernon Depot Historic Park
• Farr's Sporting Goods
• Robs Drivin Diner