Back on the Block: Happy Tuesday Returns

With any downtown, businesses come and go. But it is remarkable when something returns.

After a two-month absence, East Ridgewood Avenue's Happy Tuesday has reopened its doors for business.

"People are confused. Sometimes customers not from here will come in and say, 'Wait, didn't you guys leave? Are you going away?'" shop co-owner Lisa Williamson said. "I just say 'It's a long story, and we're back now.'"

The shop, specializing in unique gifts and home decor, closed at the beginning of 2010. 

Back in January, Happy Tuesday shut down following a "Sorry to Say Goodbye Sale." With her co-owner sister, Katie Taylor, Williamson decided to close up shop. The pair attempted to get out of their lease, but was unable to. After they liquidated their merchandise, they chose to reopen.

"It was weird, but it's sort of fun to start from scratch again," Williamson said.

Since their return in late March, Williamson said customers have shared positive comments. One shopper said she didn't know where else to go for gifts, "Ridgewood needed you." 

Shoppers may notice some changes, but the basic feel and mission of the shop remains the same. Williamson says hours were cut back—open four days now—and there is new merchandise. Furniture, formerly used more for display, is positioned for purchase.

Although absent from downtown for a few months, Williamson remained active in Ridgewood by helping with the formation of the Ridgewood Guild.

"As a resident, I wanted to be involved in helping the town get back to where it needs to be," she said.

Williamson's lived in Ridgewood since 1998, and said the downtown was why she arrived. "I wasn't a mom when I came here, so I moved here for the downtown more than the schools."

Like other shops that have recently vacated East Ridgewood Avenue, Happy Tuesday was a victim of the national economic downtown. Sometimes the big picture can get overwhelming, but she said the Ridgewood Guild helps focus on what people can affect.

"There are certainly negatives that are out of our control, but it's about doing what we can to make it better," she said.

As it was before, Happy Tuesday is located at 210 East Ridgewood Ave.