Downtown is a term commonly associated with San Jose, Palo Alto, San Mateo and Willow Glen. However, there’s one downtown area that seems to be overlooked and
forgotten: Campbell.
The idea of downtown is typically shrouded with images of club after club and bars at every street corner.
That’s what makes downtown Campbell unique – it’s small, yet has a cute, rustic feel to it with a variety of restaurants and mom-and-pop shops. It’s a perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of a
busy city.
Rather than a must-see location, Snake and Butterfly at 191 East Campbell Ave. is a definite
must-try. It is a simple café that sells gelato and homemade, hand-designed and fair-trade chocolate truffles.
Not only are their gelatos delicious, their marble-designed chocolate truffles, which come in an array of flavors and colors, are to die for.
The atmosphere is welcoming and it’s a great place to study and hang out with friends, providing some board games for an even better experience.
Local artists will love this place too, because they sell their artwork and support many other local similar fair-trade shops by selling their products.
Just a couple of stores down is a tiny shop filled with vibrant colors hanging from the ceiling.
Kaleido Lamps at 197 East Campbell Ave. is yes, a lamp store. The lamps are made of polymer plastic that gives off a paper mache-meets-origami kind of feel.
They’re decked out in bright colors and come in various shapes and sizes from giant circles to fish and even
dragon shapes.
Since the lamps are made out of polymer plastic, they’re heat resistant, and guaranteed not to melt. For those environmentalists out there, an energy-saving light bulb is included with
any purchase.
You can even customize and create your own lamp into fun shapes and characters and colors for a reasonable price.
For those who have a sweet tooth, Rocket Fizz, just down the street at 220 East Campbell Ave., is the perfect place to venture into when you want to release your inner
5-year-old self.
A huge assortment of candies, chocolates, taffies and sodas are waiting at this
candyland heaven.
The staff is friendly and open to helping you find sweets that will cater to your taste buds.
Don’t ignore downtown Campbell. Give it a chance; check it out and maybe you’ll fall for the cuteness of this area like I did.