‘Tis the season for holiday greeting cards and fancy wrappings. If you’re like me, newspaper and brown bags will suffice as wrapping paper. And as more of a “send when I receive” holiday card giver, I usually don’t mail out a ton of greeting cards – simply because I move too much for friends to keep tabs on me. But for those few who manage to track me down, I like to send a little more than your average greeting card. With this in mind, I headed to Broadway Paper, located on the corner of Broadway and Chicago in Milwaukee’s Third Ward.
It all began in 1988, when Cream City Ribbon owner, Lorette Russenberger, decided she needed a retail outlet to sell her ribbons. Her initial intent was to open Broadway Paper as a seasonal store, but interest in the store kept it open year-round. Since then, it’s gone through four owners, including Russenberger, and many changes, but when you walk into the store you know you’re going to get unique, quality items.
The store is larger than expected and, for me, felt like walking into a toy shop. For someone whose favorite color is shiny (read: easily distracted), there were enough trinkets, ribbons, cards, stationery and more to keep me browsing for hours in the 3,200-square-foot store, but I was on a mission! With the help of a friendly staff member, I was pointed to the holiday cards. After much thought, I finally settled on a winking owl card (because who doesn’t want to be winked at by an owl) by Madison Park Greetings (at left). At $12.50 for a pack of eight, it was a little pricier than I expected, but, hey, my friends are worth it! And with individual cards running anywhere from $3.50 – $5.50, the pack of eight was definitely the way to go. Thing is, you’re likely to spend $3.50 on a greeting card at Target, so at least you know you’re getting something special at Broadway Paper.
With my holiday cards chosen, I meandered through the store a bit more, checking out the books, listening in on a woman ordering wedding invites and really just liking the sound of my heels clicking on the wood floor. It was about this time I remembered I was in need of a new yearly planner. Like the holiday cards, my options were plentiful, but my needs were small. I really liked the feel of the moleskin planners, and so I ended up choosing one of the day-by-day pocket planners (at left). At $6.95 it was definitely in my budget. Some of the larger and hardcover versions will run you anywhere from $14.95 – $21.95.
With prices on the mid- to high-end, Broadway Paper felt more like a “special occasion” boutique than an “all-the-time” store, but there are deals to be had if you look long and hard (and I recommend that you do). Broadway Paper is worth a stop – especially if you’re sick of wrapping presents in grocery bags.
