Eye of Horus is moving to a new expanded location this fall to better be able to serve you. We have been operating under a bit of a cloud for two years.  Our landlord has had our building and the surrounding properties up for sale. At first, we weren’t really concerned, given the downturn in the real-estate market, and the fact that he wasn’t willing to break up the string of properties. (We’d asked him about just selling us our lot, but he wouldn’t consider it, and we aren’t yet in a position to buy.)

2717 Lyndale is for sale

This spring, through an interesting series of coincidences, we were led to consider moving to a great new space which will allow us to expand.

The adventure began when Jane took a different route to the store, instead of going down Lake Street to get to Lyndale, she took 31st to avoid a backup in traffic and saw a “For Lease” sign on a building.  When Thraicie called the number, a familiar voice answered. It was the landlord of a property she had looked at when she was first looking to open a store.  The timing was also good, because our lease due to expire this fall.  It was time to re-negotiate or explore other options.  Jane stopped in at a store on the street and spoke with Clare Jacky at Smitten Kitten about the location, parking, etc., to get a feel for whether or not the Eye would be a good addition to the block. They love their current location, and have done incredibly well there, and coincidentally, they opened in 2003, just like we did. Like us, they serve a unique niche, though I admit, they’ve grown quite a bit faster than we have. In fact, they just opened a second store in Denver this year. Moving to the heart of Lyn-Lake felt a little intimidating, going from a house with a store-front tacked on the front.  But the folks at Smitten Kitten were able to recommend a lease negotiator they had used, so we had someone in our court who knew the area as well as all the ins-and-outs of what to expect.

The Dream Team

When we saw this exciting new possibility back in April, we put together a Vision Dream Team to meet and discuss what the Eye had to offer, and explore possibilities.  This team included members of our staff, plus Gaia Richards – producer of the Twin Cities Yoga Festival, Visionary Artist Paul Rucker, Reiki Artist & Intuitive Beth Hansen-Buth, as well as one of our valued vendor/partners.  We explored what makes the Eye unique both as a store and as a resource to individuals and the community.  We did not tell them that we had a possible new location, because we really wanted to be open to all possibilities, including staying in this little house with a storefront.

We discovered that our core vision, and the value we offer was not defined exclusively by place, though it was noted everyone loved the location.  It was our welcoming atmosphere, relationships with artists and vendors, helpful staff, classes, events and services which made us what we were. Then we asked you to share your story about what the Eye means to you.  With a clear vision, and inspiration from you to keep us on track, we proceeded to negotiate a lease.

Our Dream Store

Our New Storefront at 3012 Lyndale Ave S

On Friday, July 30th, we signed the lease on a beautiful new space at 3012 Lyndale Ave S, just three blocks south of our current location, and right next to Smitten Kitten, in the heart of the popular Lyn-Lake district. In a way, it is similar to our current location, because a store-front was added on to an existing building, so it goes back even farther than it seems at first.  But it was always a commercial space, rather than a home.  So it is much roomier inside.  In fact, it was one giant 5300 Sq Ft building, which the landlord is in the process of dividing up. We’re only taking half of it (2650 Square Feet) which is a big step up . . . nearly double the size of our current location.  But we needed a space which could not only house our store, but also have private reading and service rooms, backroom/office and even our labyrinth.  Yes, we will still have a labyrinth in the rear of the building.  It will be a little smaller footprint (15 feet in diameter), indoors, and painted on the floor. The room will double as a classroom, meeting and event space.

Shortly after we signed the lease, we learned that a grocery chain was making offers to buy a long string of properties on Lyndale between 27th and 28th Street, right at our current location, to open a big grocery store. If we had any doubts remaining regarding the wisdom or timing of our move, they were quickly erased by this news. Although the buyout of our part of the block is still only a rumor, and our current landlord won’t say anything about it, we think it was no mere coincidence that Jane happened to take a different route one day. We think the Universe arranged it so that the Eye could not only continue to be there for all of you, but grow to better serve your needs, providing the tools, knowledge and services for you to pursue your personal path and vision.

Now we just have to remodel the space to make it our dream store and move our business in the next two months . . . that’s all!

Frequently Asked Questions

When are you moving? We don’t have a definite date yet, since the landlord is still dividing up the building, but we officially get the keys on October 1st, or sooner if the build-out is done.  Then we need to put in flooring, lighting, paint the walls, etc.  We are planning to make our dream store a reality before our 7th anniversary on October 31st, 2010.

Are you going to close during the remodel? No.  We will still be open at our current location at 2717 Lyndale Avenue South until the new store is ready. We hope to be able to move in just a couple of days, and so expect to only be closed for a couple of days during the week.

Will there be a Labyrinth? Yes!  It will be indoors, and painted on the floor.  The room will also serve as a classroom and event space, so it won’t always be available for walking on evenings or weekends.  But it will be available year-round!

What about the Art Gallery? We are also excited to be merging the gallery with the store, so more people can view the art.  There are some who have never made it upstairs to our current art gallery. In fact, the space we are renting was previously Flanders Contemporary Art Gallery, so the space is designed to display art. We will have one wall dedicated to art, and art featured elsewhere, as well. It will be fabulous!

Is there parking? There is metered parking in front of the store.  It’s currently 75¢ per hour, with a two hour limit until 6:00pm, then it’s free.  There is free street parking on Lyndale, just south of 31st Street, and free street parking on the neighboring side streets (Garfield & Aldrich). There are also municipal parking lots on Garfield and Aldrich on the North side of Lake Street

The most visible is the Garfield LynLake lot ($1 an hour), just across Lake Street, behind Fuji Ya. This City-owned public parking lot is located just north of Lake Street adjacent Fuji-Ya and behind the Jungle Theater from Lyndale Avenue. Enter off of Lake Street just west of Garfield Avenue, from Lyndale Avenue just north of the Jungle Theater, or from 28th Street by going south on Garfield (which is a one-way street here. Do NOT turn onto Garfield from Lake).

There is also an underground municipal lot on Aldrich, located under the Uptown City Apartments on Aldrich Avenue and Lake Street, public parking is available for a fee. The garage can be accessed off of Aldrich Avenue just north of Lake Street. The garage door opens as you approach it.

What about public transportation? It’s even better than before!  Now, in addition to the #4, you can take #21. Just get off on Lake and Lyndale.

What about accessibility? It will be more accessible, there will be an incline up into the store from the sidewalk, rather than a step, and then it’s all on one level.  No more steps anywhere. The sidewalks have curb-cuts very close for wheelchairs, and with two municipal lots within one block, it is much better.

What else is nearby? Well, if you walk south from Lake Street, on the west side of the street, here’s what you will find:

• Falafel King Middle-Eastern Restaurant
• Supreme Inks Tattoo (just opened!)
• Country Bar & Grill
• Caffrey’s Deli
• Smitten Kitten
• The New Eye of Horus Metaphysical Store!
• TBA (2nd half of the building not yet leased)
• Szechuan Spice Restaurant (just opened where Zen used to be!)
• ZRS Fossils & Gifts
• H Design Salon
• Top Shelf

Isn’t ZRS a competitor? We don’t think of them that way.  They are a complementary business, specializing in fossils, minerals and crystals, with amazing sculptures and carved pieces. As their website says, they are “the experts in paleontology and aesthetics.”  We are a Metaphysical Store, with stones selected more for their energetic and healing properties than just their beauty.  We also offer services, books, decks, incense, oils, candles, art, statues, classes, ritual tools, etc.  Admittedly, back in 2008, when they moved their store onto Lyndale, so close to Eye of Horus, we wondered what would happen.  Still, if someone was looking for a particular stone we didn’t carry, we’d send them on down to ZRS or way down to the Enchanted Rock Garden.  In fact, at the Eye, we’ve always had a list of complementary businesses that we hand out to folks in from out of town, and we added ZRS Fossils to it.  We think our move is a big win for our customers, making it even more convenient to shop at Eye of Horus for all of their metaphysical needs, and to be able to shop both stores if they need to find just the right piece for their altar or home.

Do you need help moving? We have already had several people volunteer, but we welcome more. In addition to moving, we need people to help paint the interior, and if you have any experience installing laminate or vinyl flooring, let us know.  You can sign up to help by going to our Volunteer Page and filling out the form.