The District Market & Patio
Walking into The District Artisan Market & Patio, you’ll feel welcome and relaxed as you peruse a variety of different shops featuring vintage books, furniture, coffee, sourdough and more. There’s not another place like it in New Albany.
Creator Dan Hardesty wanted to give New Albany a space for community to be built. After the property owner reached out and asked Hardesty about ideas for the space, they both came to the same conclusion — convert the warehouse into something like a mall.
They opened in October of this past year.
“We wanted to also give small businesses or those who are trying to start a small business an incubator spot to sort of collectively share on customers and experiences and marketing”
– Dan Hardesty
“We wanted to also give small businesses or those who are trying to start a small business an incubator spot to sort of collectively share on customers and experiences and marketing,” Hardesty said.
While he has never converted a building like this before, Hardesty has a retail space — Eureka! Menswear. He drew from his retail experience, networking and community touches to help build at The District.
“One of the things that we wanted to do to separate it from some other places was all of the store owners are there,” he said. A variety of businesses are represented — crafts, vintage merchandise, kombucha, sourdough, coffee, tattoos, eyelash/eyebrow services and more.
“We always talked about how there’s not really a place around here that you can go as a family, that there’s going to be places that appeal to Dad, that appeal to Mom, that the kids won’t be bored, that they can just kind of spend some time as a family.” – Dan Hardesty
“We always talked about how there’s not really a place around here that you can go as a family, that there’s going to be places that appeal to Dad, that appeal to Mom, that the kids won’t be bored, that they can just kind of spend some time as a family,” Hardesty said.
On top of the indoor space, they have a beautiful patio space perfect for family hangouts or anyone wanting to spend some time relaxing in New Albany or meeting up with other people.
“I always tell people you’ve really got to go take a look and see,” he said. “One person would say, ‘Oh, I go there for this,’ or someone else would say, ‘I go for the coffee shop.’”
Hardesty said they currently have four spots available that they are looking for the right fit with which to fill the space. They want to make sure there is a good mix of businesses inside rather than just seeking to fill it up.
While currently only open on weekends, his goal is to be a six- or seven-day-a-week market.
“Right now, we’re growing and getting our tenants adjusted. They have to have proof of concept to know this is something they can invest in and grow with,” he said.
His biggest goal is giving the neighboring community a gathering space — to make it a destination for folks who are wanting to build community, relax and walk back home.
“A lot of folks who have come in and seen it are just really kind of blown away, like, ‘Wow, I’d never thought there would be a place like this in New Albany. I remember a place like this in Seattle, or this reminds me of when I went to New York.’ … It’s just got a really interesting look and feel.” – Dan Hardesty
“A lot of folks who have come in and seen it are just really kind of blown away, like, ‘Wow, I’d never thought there would be a place like this in New Albany. I remember a place like this in Seattle, or this reminds me of when I went to New York.’ … It’s just got a really interesting look and feel,” Hardesty said.
He also said a bonus of having this kind of setup is that the businesses have truly become a family. They’re there every weekend together and have developed relationships and trust.
“The one piece that I always try to stress to folks is when we’re dealing with small businesses, have patience and understanding because a lot of us don’t have a lot of opportunity to do wholesale changes immediately, but also be vocal about what it is you want to see there,” Hardesty said.
When leaving, he wants community members to feel like their time was worth it. “I want someone leaving thinking, ‘Man, I’ve got to get back there.’”
Follow The District on Instagram (@thedistrictartisanmarket) and Facebook to keep up with the latest updates. “Come out, bring some friends, have some food and some drinks, and relax in New Albany’s newest place to shop and hang out,” Hardesty said.
And here’s a quick tip from a fellow community member: Try the cereal milk latte from Bloom Coffee while you shop. •
Story by Darian Decker
Photos by Michelle Hockman
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