Alys Beach: The Center of it All
Words by Paige Townley
Everything in Alys Beach was designed with intention, from its beautiful abodes and natural spaces to its carefully-curated amenities. The coastal community is excited to onboard the latest additions to the Alys Beach Town Center, joining an already exceptional lineup with the Merchants of Alys Beach, just in time for all of those springtime beach getaways and summer family vacations.
Nestled in the heart of Alys Beach, Town Center was created to be the center of it all: the ultimate gathering spot for everyone in town to enjoy the shopping, dining, and idyllic public gathering spaces. A number of celebrated spaces within Town Center have already opened their doors, with many anxiously awaited to open later this year.
Already celebrating its first anniversary in its spot on the ground level of The May condominium is The Citizen, everyone’s favorite coastal tavern with an unparalleled dining and beverage experience. One of the latest openings in Town Center—on the ground level of The Camden—is Barefoot Princess, which celebrated its Grand Opening last month during the 30A Wine Festival. Featuring apparel and accessories for both women and girls, Barefoot Princess is a must-visit retail destination thanks to its specialty offerings, including Lilly Pulitzer, Peter Millar for women, Helen Kaminski hats and bags, and Julie Vos jewelry.
A variety of new faces and places are set to join these Town Center spaces quite soon. Four commercial spaces are currently in progress on the ground level of The Camden & Whitby mixed-use condominiums, including Charlie’s Donuts, a brick-and-mortar space allowing the sweet shop to expand its offerings to include ice cream, coffee, and more. The three spaces in the Whitby will be concepts by Mary Clark: as Alys Beach’s most tenured merchant, MAST will continue its established profile as a carefully-curated home furnishing and lifestyle boutique with custom design services. Holiday Café will be a beach-inspired coffee, tea, and wine bar, while Parasol will be a new, upscale women’s clothing and accessories boutique.
Around the corner, Mary Clark’s new children’s boutique will occupy the space that MAST will move from, adding a highly anticipated new dimension to Alys Beach retail with a fun space to shop for the younger guests and residents. Next door, a new concept from the proprietors behind Willow and Willow + Mercer, Merit, will feature jewelry, accessories, and apparel.
Another anxiously-awaited opening is to be a reimagined version of local favorite Fonville Press. Located on the ground level of The Lucian condominiums, Fonville Press Market + Café will feature breakfast and lunch menus, a full coffee bar, and a courtyard lounge area with full bar.
As these new merchants, and new locations for beloved merchants, join an already dynamic lineup, Alys Beach Town Center aims to cover all the bases for your 30A beach getaway. George’s is an Alys Beach mainstay, with its charming cottage setting and “Behave or Misbehave” menu. NEAT Bottle Shop & Tasting Room offers a thoughtful retail store and a gathering spot for small bites, impressive wine and beer selections, and seasonal craft cocktail creations, along with weekly Wine & Song events with live music. Raw & Juicy is a popular destination for those seeking healthier options along with specialty cocktails, live music, and a beautiful courtyard setting. And the Alys Shoppe, of course, is the best place to shop for Alys Beach logowear alongside designer apparel, accessories, and gift items.
Continuing to round out the Alys Beach Town Center offerings, more plans are underway with construction starting on the fifth and largest Town Center building, The Della. To be situated at the north end of the Amphitheatre, The Della will be a mixed-use space featuring a variety of condominium residences, as well as commercial space that is sure to bring more delectable dining, sought-after shopping, and overall enjoyable activities to Alys Beach.