Village Gate

Smokestack with neon, looks great at night, 8-2008 Courtyard gates, 8-2008 Sculpture in the courtyard, 8-2008

General

The Village Gate is an old factory owned by Stern Properties which has been converted into a pseudo-urban-mall like area. It is home to several interesting shops. Located only about three blocks from the Public Market, you'll find it at 274 North Goodman Street just north of University Ave, across the street from the Memorial Art Gallery. Not far behind the Village Gate is the Legal Wall, a popular graffiti spot named for the fact that the landlord has granted permission for it to be tagged.

The shops and restaurants are unique, an eclectic collection unlike anything else you'll find gathered together in the area. It is a great space to explore on a rainy day. There are art studios and chic modern offices on the upper floors, rent reportedly being very reasonable.

Despite any recent changes, it remains a unique asset to the city.

The Stern Properties website has an interactive map of Village Gate and links to websites for all the stores and restaurants.

Controversy

The Village Gate used to be bustling with several mom-and-pop stores of different varieties (including book stores, vintage clothing stores, coffee shops, etc.) and artist/musician studios on the upper levels. It was also home to the Gay Pride Mural on the western interior side of the building on the third floor. However, in the late 1990s the landlord began evicting tenants on the upper levels and ripping out walls and structures to renovate the space. The Gay Pride Mural was also painted over.

Currently residing in The Village Gate:

• Bodhi's Cafe & Lounge
  

• California Rollin', a great Sushi shop
  

• Comics Etc., a comic shop with a great collection of comics
  

• Gate House Cafe, restaurant featuring gourmet burgers and wood fired pizzas
  

• Lento, an upscale restaurant that replaced Feta-Chinni
  

• Mood Makers Books
  

• The Houghton Book Shop specializing in quality used books
  

• Onondaga School of Therapeutic Massage
  

• Outlandish Videos & Gifts, GLBT related stuff, rainbow-covered products galore
  

• Primitive Impressions, a wonderful and comfortable piercing shop
  

• Salena's, Mexican Restaurant
  

• The Bop Shop, a record shop that still sells real records
  

• Yankee Peddler Bookshop a great place for a variety of used books, photos, postcards and maps
  

• OS-Cubed a software development, hosting, entrepreneurial software development, and web engineering firm

Currently residing outside The Village Gate:

• Donna Daddy's, the lady with the grill cart usually found weekdays across the street from the front entrance.