A walk down Wells
published in Fort Wayne Magazine

Every cool city has one: a “district,” a hip stretch of shops and restaurants where the products and the people are a little different. It’s a haven for creative types, a breeding ground for expression and out-of-the-box thinking, an area where the unusual draws the disenfranchised, the arbiters of leading trends and tourists who want a sense of place.

Dallas has its Deep Ellum; Columbus, Ohio, its Short North. Not much can beat Boulder, Colorado’s Pearl Street. San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury is legendary; even Indianapolis can claim Broad Ripple.

But Fort Wayne is not to be left off the list. There is such a neighborhood – not the only one, but a perfect example – nestled within our reawakening downtown.

It is home to artists, thinkers, entrepreneurs and free spirits. It hosts one-of-a-kind restaurants and shops selling things you simply can’t find anywhere else. It’s got a bit of urban grit, a wealth of warm welcome and the juice of a fresh sprucing up.

Wander for a bit down Wells Street. You might just be surprised.

Perfect princess party suits parents to a “tea”
published by Fort Wayne Newspapers

In just two hours, Lisa Rumsey and Gina Wagner can fulfill every one of a little girl’s most extravagant birthday princess wishes. At the same time, they fulfill all of her parents’ wishes, too.

Franchise burns bright
published by Fort Wayne Newspapers

Soccer gets hotter every year, and Fort Wayne is feeling the Fever.

Lawns are lap of luxury at this yard sale
published by Fort Wayne Newspapers

I was mesmerized by the Ring of Fire. It sat under a gazebo, on a deck surrounded by warm wooden benches, its flickering flames, gurgling water and glittering glass pebbles encouraging me to put my feet up and perhaps mull for a while the meaning of the Johnny Cash song by the same name.