Main Street Hyannis, Part 1

Before the Cape Cod Mall was built in about 1970, Main Street was the only place to go shopping in Hyannis for clothes, furniture, office supplies, gifts, etc.  It's undergone a lot of changes over the past 40+ years and so many of the original stores have closed and been replaced by funky gift and tshirt shops.  When I was growing up, the eastern part was known as 'the winter end' because only those stores stayed open year round, while the western part was called 'the summer end', because most were only open in the summer (except for Dragonlite restaurant which was open year round and which is one of the only original businesses left).

I decided to spend a couple of hours one day playing tourist on Main, starting on the winter end and walking down one side of Main to Dragonlite, and back up the other side.  

This is where I started my walk, in what used to be known as Anarchy Alley, because it was covered in punk rock graffiti - band names and Anarchy symbols.  When I was a senior in high school, we used to park in this lot, cut thru the alley and go to Wave Records which was in a second floor space above one of the Army Navy Stores.  Wave is long gone, and the alley has been cleaned up.

Coming out of Anarchy Alley and turning right, this is one of the new stores.  I intended to get Bean and Boo treats in here but their prices are outrageous.  I wasn't going to spend $5.00 for one fancy cookie that would be inhaled in less than one minute.

Nautical & souvenir shop

Bakery.  Yum.

This clock is one of the few original things that remain on the winter end of Main Street.

Bear outside Kandy Korner.

Kandy and souvenirs.

In one of the many tshirt shops.

My real reason for going to Main Street this day was because I needed some bead spacers, and The Bead Emporium is the only bead shop outside of Boston.  Unfortunately I find their prices extremely high so I left empty handed.

Now we're getting more into the summer end of town and this alley leads to Main Street from another parking lot.

OK this might possibly be one of the most amazing stores I've ever been in and I could easily drop a bundle of money on everything in here.  But I was good, despite the vast selection of live Dead CDs that I've never seen before!

This is in one of my fave stores.

I've always loved Seventh Heaven; another store that's stood the test of time.

I had to sneak this shot inside of a store.  Look at all the pretties!