A reason to shop downtown

Stepping into the new J.B. Hudson store on opening day Tuesday, I felt like I'd been transported to Chicago's Michigan Avenue - and that's saying a lot for Nicollet Mall, which recently weathered the closing of Crate & Barrel and just can't seem to find the shopping groove you'd expect in a respectable downtown. The jewelry store has a big city, luxurious feel that is desperately lacking in downtown Minneapolis shopping. Let's hope this is the beginning of more good shopping to come. While I like convenient suburban parking as much as the next shopper, there's just no substitute for a stately downtown presence. Read more about J.B. Hudson on AliShops.com.