About Shady Lane

Shady Lane Press Release

PALO ALTO, CA - 09/21/2019 (PRESS RELEASE) — For small business owners and founders, Alice and Rick Deutscher, success has come after some challenging circumstances. While other businesses went out of business, theirs survived thanks to beautiful and unique gift offerings, established ties with local artisans, an enthusiastic customer following, and a wonderful new door that has opened.

Their gift store, Shady Lane, was founded over 40 years ago in downtown Palo Alto on University Avenue – the birthplace of companies like Google, Pinterest, Facebook, and SurveyMonkey.

A multi-award-winning business, Shady Lane became a fixture of the community to the point where many people called the building location “The Shady Lane Building” because the store was a beloved mainstay of the Avenue.

But when developers began plans to build a massive four-story building on University Avenue where the one-story historic building, “The Shady Lane Building,” was located, Shady Lane’s future became severely challenged.

Yet, the four-story project was sent back to the drawing board on August 8, 2016 due to being architecturally incompatible with its surroundings but even though it was rejected by the Architectural Review Board again in 2017 it was finally approved by the Palo Alto City Council but never approved by Architectural Board to this day.

For Alice, the plans served as a challenge and opportunity for Shady Lane to find a new home. “It broke our hearts to leave our beloved Palo Alto downtown location, but the silver lining is we actually like our new location better. When one door closed, an amazing one opened for us and we are so grateful.”

Sitting just three miles away from the former location, Alice found a new location at the Sharon Heights Shopping Center off Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park where customers have enthusiastically followed. Now that the move has been completed, customers can find the same carefully selected artisan creations in a light-filled stand-alone octagonal building in a flower-filled courtyard.

At the store, customers can browse through locally-made jewelry, art glass, ceramics, fine woodworking, and textile art, and they can discuss these unique treasures with the artisans themselves, many of whom help in the store. Plus, Shady Lane offers a wealth of gift items mostly made in the USA, including an amazing selection of artisan jewelry specializing in sterling silver and natural gemstones, photography, Native American creations including Zuni carvings, bronze sculptures, and specimen-quality rocks, crystals, and fossils.

For Alice, the fact that the business has maintained its following, and has lasted over 40 years, is a huge accomplishment. “I never thought we could survive our rent doubling in 2008 when the new landlord took over our lease and we did. But when plans were submitted to build a new building on our site, we saw the writing on the wall.

“We are part of a story that is happening everywhere in the United States to small businesses,” said Alice. “Locally-owned businesses are being challenged by landlords doubling their rent and giving short-term leases because of their desire to develop the property. We are, however, happy with the terms in our current lease thank goodness.

“We were one of three of the longest-established retail businesses on the Avenue when we left, which says a lot about our wonderful store, our amazing artisans, and also most importantly about our wonderful customers’ loyalty.”

“We were on the Avenue before current chains and the startups moved in, and we are still in business today. It is quite an accomplishment. We think it is because we serve our customers well, offer exceptional and unusual artisan gifts, and love what we do. If you combine those attributes with a determination to succeed, you have some reasons why we have maintained our longevity.”

Many generations have shopped at Shady Lane because the store has a deep history in the communty. It has a gift for everyone at all prices. Plus, the store consistently offers creations from locally and internationally recognized artisans and adds new artisan-inspired creations every week.

"What I love most about Shady Lane is the sense of community I have with the local artisans,” said Alice. “I made a living for over 20 years selling my own creations at art fairs. I know the struggles and the joys of selling your own work especially trying to make a living that way. I love to mentor and encourage our artisans. I enjoy displaying and selecting our treasures with an artisan’s eye and I also adore my customers, many of whom I have known for well over 30 years.”

Shady Lane receives wonderful reviews on Yelp and Facebook. Longtime customer Karen Ewart says, “The only place in the valley where I will buy gifts. At Christmas, if at least one gift per person doesn't come from Shady Lane, there is disappointment. I've been shopping at this beautiful Boutique for over 35 years. The most gorgeous store in the area! Best jewelry and handcrafted items.”

Some of the internationally recognized designers at Shady Lane include Evelyn Knight, Mystical Madness, aCeloni, Holly Yashi, Firefly, Michael Dickinson, Waxing Poetic, Heartood Creations, Avolie Glass, Lundberg Studios, Glass Eye Studio, Oberon Designs, David Rosales, Janice Girardi, Trollbeads, Manjusha Jewels, Steven Battelle, and Zealandia.

Local artisans also include Lauren Tanimoto, Maria Torrey, Daniela Blanco, Richard Dweck, Judi Eichler, Rosalie Gerrans, Ken Brenner, Carol Kutsch, Sandi Morey, Ken Krebs, Diane Peterson, Diana Dutton, Faith Krinsky, Diana Gerrans, Kathy Bonte, Miranda Kim, and Donna Ewart. Some of these artisans are local and exclusive but not all.