Sublime: A Place for Smiles By Paige Spinelli
Inflatable T-Rexes guard the floor, eel spears adorn the wall, and Jack Kerouac’s pants drape from the ceiling; what kind of store would have such a random assortment of treasures? The answer: Sublime of course! Sublime’s motto: “we curate creativity”, shines through every new and vintage find. Unsurprisingly, Sublime’s logo is whimsical and wonderful; it features a lime underneath a submarine (Sub- lime, get it?). Renee Olson, the owner, wanted a name that was “unusual, and thoughtful”. In fact, she thought of the name many years ago, as it was originally intended to be a pun on a t-shirt. But, it was just too good to not be the store’s name. Before the July 2nd grand opening, Renee was a writer for TCNJ and Rutgers’ magazines. In her articles, she strove to create an atmosphere of positivity towards the college. Awesomely enough, this directly translates to Sublime’s aspiration. “This store is supposed to be a physical manifestation of what I did in print. People come in here and have this immersive, physical experience… hopefully their brain will be delighted.” My brain certainly was! How could it not be, with the snarky occasion cards, cocktail scented soaps, and Dr. Fauci paintings? After growing up in Chicago, moving to Brooklyn, and then New Jersey, what made Renee choose Frenchtown as the location of her store? It started with an exhibit at Art Yard, where she was captivated by a floor-to-ceiling picture of New York's Central Park, with live videos of civilians embedded into it. “I was taken away, this is really something special and unusual and exceptionally well done. Any town that supports something like ArtYard, is a town I want to be in.” So, make sure to stop by Sublime at 22 Bridge Street, or order online at sublimeandtonic.com. The store is open on Thursdays through Saturdays. I had a huge smile when I left, and I have a feeling you will too. return to Frenchtown Newsletter September 19, 2020 Paige Spinelli, high school student and contributing writer for Love Frenchtown's River Rat Megaphone Newsletter. |
