Downtown New London recently regained a jewelry store presence after a few years without one when Northern Light Gems moved from Mystic to State Street. Its new location puts it just a few doors down from a former jewelry store that made New London its home for decades.
The storefront at 74 State Street has a painting of the Mallove's facade as it once appeared, and a plaque in the entryway harkens back to the decades it spent here. The entrance into the store passes long, narrow display windows ideal for displaying goods. But the facade is now empty and the store is looking for new life.
Mallove's began in New London in 1919 and moved into the State Street location in 1942. As the name suggests, it's a family business that has passed down from generation to generation. In 2005, the store opted to move to a shopping plaza on Boston Post Road in Waterford, where it continues today. It also recently started up a second location in the Mystic store vacated by Northern Light Gems.
Expressiones Cultural Center, an art gallery promoting Latin American culture, moved into the store for awhile. It has since moved to its current location on Bank Street.
What do you think would be a good addition to downtown New London to bring new life to the old Mallove's? Let us know in the comments.
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