Zora of St. Thomas makes way for parking garage?
Cruise ship passengers arriving in Charlotte Amalie, USVI sometimes miss Zora Galvin's little shop on Norre Gade, because they have just enough time to prowl the beautifully restored Royal Dane, Palm Passage and Riise Alley shops, and be seated for lunch at Gladys's Cafe. (The line for Gladys's Caribbean homestyle plates runs out the door of # 28A Dronningens Gade and far down the alley.) Zora's is located a little off the beaten path west of the mall, and her most famous wares -- custom-fitted, handmade leather sandals and limin' shoes -- take two days to complete. After over 50 years and thousands of customers, the historic storefront shared by two other businesses was to be torn down for a new parking garage, according to a Virgin Islands Daily News report.
"They can't tear down the building. It is historical," Galvin responded in an e-mail.
If the new structure goes forward, will Zora's relocate within it, or elsewhere? If you're headed to St. Thomas, it's worth the time and a few extra blocks for sandals that fit and last a lifetime. Now more than ever.
Patricia Borns photo. All rights reserved.
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