Chelsea's: A Wonderland of Color on Warburton Avenue

Secret of Chelsea's success:

"The bottom line is that people buy from people. If someone ignores me when I walk into their store, I'm unlikely to buy from them. That's why I'm always friendly and inviting to customers." —Lisa Globenfeld, owner of Chelsea's

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A Hastings mom and her daughter rushed into on Warburton Avenue one recent afternoon. The daughter—about 7—was all ready for a party: hair styled, new dress, hopping with pre-birthday cake anticipation.

The mom turned to Chelsea's owner Lisa Globenfeld and said, "Quick, I'm late for a seventh birthday party and still need a gift."

Globenfeld smiled, walked over to a rack of uniquely real-looking puppets and began selecting the ones most attractive to a 7-year-old girl.

"I get this all the time," Globenfeld said, lemur puppet in hand.

Globenfeld has been in business in Hastings for 22 years, though her store used to be on the other side of Warburton.

"Chelsea" is Globenfeld's now 22-year-old daughter. How, one might ask, are both the store and Globenfeld's oldest daughter the same age?

"I was in the planning process for the shop when I was pregnant, and I knew I was having a girl," Globenfeld explained. "You might say I'm insane, but that's what hormones do to you."

When Chelsea's opened more than two decades ago, Globenfeld sold mainly children's clothing. Now, she's expanded to offer: novelty items, greeting cards, toys, women's clothing and of course her signature hats.

"I do all the buying myself," Globenfeld said. "I'm also the saleswoman, part-time window-washer, book-keeper and gift-wrapper."

Globenfeld describes attending trade shows as "like a drug."

"I have a keen sense for identifying what will work in this store," she said. "It just has to be special. Buying is an art, not a science."

Though Globenfeld—like a gourmet chef—is reluctant to give away too many secrets, she did divulge that "Laughing Elephant" company cards are among her favorite items in the shop.

She's also proud of offering jewelry that's fair trade, wallets constructed from recycled materials and many items that were made domestically.

"The Hastings community has been extremely supportive from the beginning," Globenfeld said. "It's a very artful and supportive community. Of course it would be foolish to say the economy hasn't affected me, but my customers have tried their best to continue shopping here."

Globenfeld said two things have kept her in business for so long:

"I offer interesting, different and wonderful items," she said. "And I'm friendly and personable to my clientele. Personality has a lot to do with a business' success."

Chelsea's is located at 541 Warburton Avenue in Hastings-on-Hudson.