Carytown: Part 1 Pet friendly!

     Carytown is a small part of Richmond, VA that's pretty cool for dog walking.  Generally speaking, it's Cary Street from the intersection with Thompson to the Boulevard.  I took Annie and Paul there this morning for our morning walk and took lots of pictures.  I'm going to break this one down into a few parts because there's so much neat stuff there including pup friendly stores, food, and vet care.  Yesterday was the Watermelon Festival, so today Carytown's moving a bit slower than normal.

World of Mirth.  If only I could remove the tree just for
the picture.

     Fist up on today's tour is World of Mirth.  It's a toy store that reminds me a bit of KB toys.  They've got all sorts of stuff from legos, to unique board games, buttons, fun dress up clothes, and soo much more.  Some stuff reminds of toys from when I was little like Silly Putty.  But if you're looking for computer games or the latest video game, this isn't the store to try.  If you're looking for real games to play with, this is a great place!  They are very dog friendly.  I've walked in several times and Paul has done his typical stretch out onto the floor.  Most of the people who work there have walked over and started petting Paul as he slobbers on the floor.


     There are a few different places in Carytown that are dog friendly, but I haven't been inside of for one reason or another.  One of them is Heidi Story.  (View their Facebook page here.)  It seems to be a clothing boutique for women.  Walking past on our way from Jean and Jacques Bakery, I noticed their little sign in the window that reads, "We are very dog friendly!  Please feel free to bring your furry friend in!"  How can you resist an invitation like that?  They're in the corner between Smoothie King and Subway.

Chop Suey Books

     OK, while Chop Suey Books doesn't quite fit the bill as far as a normal dog friendly place.  Their resident cat, Wonton, is featured most Saturday's on their Caturday post on their Facebook page.  And last summer, they did a 24 hour cook out to raise funds for several different non profit organizations.  They included, Helping Hands (I'll write about them in a later post under vet care)  They set up a grill in front of the store and cooked for 24 hours straight.  (Paul and I went up at midnight for burgers just for something fun to do.  He chilled out on the sidewalk and got petted by lots of different drunk people.)  A good time was had by all!

     Because Annie and Paul are short haired they  get bathed in the bathtub at home.  It's a bit of craziness on our part.  As a result, we've never been inside of Dogma for any services.  I know they provide dog grooming and lots of different dog supplies.  And I've always heard good things about them and the way they treat both the people and the pups.  On Saturday mornings, they have a rescue group that uses the small fenced in patio for meat and great with their pups.  They were closed this morning when we walked past.

     Carytown Bistro & Coffee House is another place that I've never been inside of.  However, they are one of the few places that has a patio that I usually see dogs just hanging out on.  They also have a bowl of fresh water by the entrance to the patio so that any thirsty pooch on their way past can grab a drink.  They're open 7 days a week, but I think this morning they were recovering from the Watermelon festival craziness of yesterday.  

Anyone else out there from Richmond and have another pet friendly place in Carytown that I didn't mention?  What neat places do other people in other towns take their pets to?