By Garrett Rudolph
VANCOUVER, Wash. — High End Market Place is a far cry different than most retail stores that are located in shopping districts. For one thing, it looks a lot more like your neighbor’s house than a place where you can legally buy marijuana.
Being in a commercially-zoned house gives the retail store warm, nostalgic feeling that should be perfect for hosting a series of art- and cannabis-related community events in the near future, co-owner Morgan Hutchinson said.
These upcoming Sunday Sessions will feature a variety demonstrations and performances by local musicians, painters, poets, glass blowers, chefs and more, providing both education and entertainment to the store’s patrons.
“We’re going to try to get as many people in from the community, because we really want to be a place here that people can go to showcase their work,” Hutchinson said. “And I think marijuana goes hand-in-hand with a lot of those things.”
Nearby Portland, Oregon — where High End Market Place draws about 30% of its business — has always been known for its vibrant culture, but just across the Columbia River, Vancouver is enjoying a revitalization of its art community.
Hutchinson and partner Gareth Kautz were having a hard time finding a space for their store, when they discovered the neighborhood on Broadway Street. They decided to go door to door down that street looking for people that were willing to sell, willing to lease out a section of a building, or getting close to retiring. They found the latter in the woman who owned An Shen Wellness Clinic.
However, despite its ambiance, High End Market Place does face a little bit of a different challenge compared to being located in a more traditional shopping district, which might see a great deal more cars pass by. But, there’s a surprising amount of foot traffic because it’s in the middle of a neighborhood, Hutchinson said.
“A lot of people coming in are in the neighborhood,” Hutchinson said. “So there are a lot of people telling their neighbors and friends.”