Fire engine reds. Forest greens. Sunshine yellows. Stepping into the new location of Arcade Nashville, now on 21st Avenue in Hillsboro Village, is like leaping into a technicolor rainbow.
Emilee Drost
The kid-centric lifestyle store is brimming with toys, clothes, and home and paper goods, most made by small businesses and artisans—and throughout the space, the colors pop.
“Our rule of thumb is color,” owner Genie Lockwood says. “It’s really important to us because kids love color.”
Lockwood originally opened Arcade in 2015 a few a block away on Acklen Avenue. But when she learned that the Hillsboro Village institution Pangaea would be closing its doors this past spring, she wrote a note to the building’s landlord Scott Davis.
Emilee Drost
Genie Lockwood
“I’m from Nashville and had shopped at Pangaea for years. When the space became available, I knew I wanted to keep the spirit alive; a place where there really is something for everyone,” she says.
Lockwood adds that Davis, who could have easily filled the space with a bigger box retailer, chose her as a local retailer instead.
“He believed in me and the concept. And that was a really big deal,” she says.
After a quick transition, she opened the doors of Arcade’s rainbow-filled world in June.
The move tripled the size of Arcade’s space, giving Lockwood more room to play. While she mostly carried kid-focused toys and clothing in the previous space, the new location has more for parents to explore.
“I’ve always wanted to expand on the concept of Arcade to make it more of a family lifestyle store where the parents of the kids can find something while their kids are playing,” Lockwood says.
Alongside felt dolls, building blocks, and hand-designed onesies, Arcade now carries items like beauty products from Clary Collection; adult tie-dyed socks by local maker Queen of Cups; cards and paper goods by the artists behind New Hat Projects; and record players by Third Man Records.
Emilee Drost
She puts an emphasis on selling well-made, quality items from local and international makers.
“A big part of it for us is being able to keep artisans and designers working,” she adds.
She’ll be expanding with more home goods items throughout the fall.
With the extra space comes a more complete shopping experience. There’s a photo booth in the back and large, almost life-sized stuffed animals that beg to be played with. And, to support children’s education, Lockwood stocks a wide selection of books—from classics to multi-cultural stories.
Arcade does a solid amount of online business, too, and just like in the shop, Lockwood emphasizes strong customer service.
“Grandparents and parents will call or direct message us on Instagram and ask us to help choose gifts for their kids. We’ll take the order and even have it delivered,” she says. “We try to find this happy medium of meeting them halfway between being in the store and doing it online.”
Nothing can replace an in-person visit, though. (You can’t miss the bright, building-length mural Lockwood had designed to match the brand on one side.) Just be sure to bring a few little ones in tow.
Arcade Nashville, 1721 21stAve., 615-953-7073; arcadenashville.com