Lansdale, the town in which North Penn High School resides, is home to many places of interest to its residents. Places more known to its people could be spots like Lansdale Tavern for a good dinner or lunch, the Ritas for ice cream in those summer months, and even grocery stores and big franchise stores that give us the supplies we need. But underneath all of the chains and well-known businesses, you can find a stash of hidden gems, great mom-and-pop stores that don’t get enough attention for what they offer to the town.
WEST MAIN CONSIGNMENT
Starting off with a quaint little shop on West Main Street, there is a store called West Main Consignment. This store is Lansdale’s crown jewel for thrifting. Inside, you will find an array of high-quality men’s and women’s clothes, anything ranging from casual dresses to work clothes for an upcoming project. Scattered around the hangers and small interior of the store there can also be found many small nick nacks and jewelry and almost all of it is for sale. While the store may be small in its size it’s in no way hard to miss, always decorated in its windows with mannequins dressed in cool outfits and other little trinkets, sometimes even furniture, to make the outside eye-catching and recognizable. The draw to this store is unmatched when it comes to thrifting and it’s well worth going even just to look around, come back when they have different items, and experience the vibe of its employees and scenery.
15W Main St. Lansdale, PA 19446
GAME JUNKIE
A little up the road from West Main you can find an arcade. Game Junkie, as it is titled. The store is an old-school game store/arcade, the kind of store may be old-fashioned but that in no way means its contents are also old. The arcade section, called Retrowave, has a good mix of nostalgic retro arcade games you would find back in the 80s and a good selection of newer games that keep up with the time. for only $15 you can get a full-day pass to play any of the arcade games, no tickets or coins are needed just a wristband from the cashier. On the other side of the store, there is a ton of merch, collectibles, old video games, systems to play them, and many more game-related items all at the prices they should be rather than the ultra-expensive alternative from corporate game stores. Along with everything this store already offers they are open to taking games and consoles off of your hands for negotiable prices. So even if video games aren’t your thing, maybe there’s an old console lying around the house that could be some extra cash for you and a collector’s dream come true. 311 W. Main St., Lansdale, PA 19446
THE MOON GAZING RABBIT
Even further down the road, you will run into another small shop that would catch the eye of any geo enthusiast. The Moon Gazing Rabbit is a small crystal store with more to offer than you would ever imagine, full of trinkets, high-end jewelry and gems, incense, and cool figures to put on your desk. This store is a nice place to stop by and visit when you need some color in your life or a good conversation, the owner and everyone who works there are informed and knowledgeable about the material they work with and are glad and welcome to talk about anything you might want to discuss. Taking a step away from main street, and going more toward the middle school you can find an amazing store for any and all musicians. To the left of Redner’s Warehouse Market, George’s Music can be found. While it may not be the most secret of places it’s definitely still a gem of the town. If you’re a keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, drummer, singer, or even wanting to learn it’s the place to go. Any and all equipment you might want for your instrument, or an instrument itself, is there to be found. Alongside that, they offer lessons that you can purchase and go to with a plethora of skilled and trained mentors just waiting to teach their craft to someone else.
831 W. Main St., Lansdale, PA
THE ARCHIVE
The final place on this list takes us back to the main street, a street down and behind the 7-Eleven, where you will find the archive. The truest hidden gem of Lansdale tucked out of the way and easily mistaken for just a warehouse. The archive is just that, an archive, full of used books and obscure titles you may have never heard of before. Along with its wide selection of books in any genre, there is also a huge record collection all for sale, a movie cabinet full of Blue Rays and DVDs, a magazine room with boxes and boxes of history, movie posters, and old photos each with a story to tell, and a corner with antique coins and little keepsakes on the pricey side but interesting to see. The store has a ton to offer with its great material and low prices. Its seclusion and being known only by those in the area make it a staple for one-of-a-kind places to go to in the humble town of Lansdale.
725 W. 2nd St., Lansdale PA 19446
These are just a few of the many interesting and unique stores in this town that cement the fact that the center of the North Penn School district is a rich environment and should not be overlooked. the town is full of gems just waiting for people to come by and see what they have to offer.