Spend a morning in the revived Highland Park neighborhood

There has been a lot of buzz around Highland Park, and for good reason.

Once known as a bustling streetcar suburb for its access from downtown Des Moines on inlaid tracks, local business owners and community groups are working to revive the historic business district that sits at the intersection of Sixth and Euclid avenues.

I've spent a lot of time writing about new businesses and building remodels in Highland Park, and decided to spend a morning getting to know the area better.

The day started with a cherry-filled bear claw from Hiland Bakery, a longtime neighborhood institution that closed for less than a year before Tracy Adamson purchased it and the famed donut recipe from the original owners. She opened a previously used storage space into a nice seating area where I was able to overlook Sixth Avenue while I ate and relaxed. Hiland Bakery also offers specialty coffee drinks, pastries and has a small gift shop with items by local makers.

More: Developer restoring home of French Way Cleaners in Highland Park finds, returns unexpected heirlooms

Belly full, I set out to look at (and shop in) the updated storefronts. I spent a long time browsing the thrift store Jenny's Attic, which is stuffed full of second-hand items from dishware to furniture to tchotchkes of all kinds. I purchased a few pots for my garden.

Next, I stopped at Celebrity International Clothing & Food Store, which offers African textiles, bags, shoes and food. They join in the neighborhood A&J African Food Store and Quick Stop African Food Market, which sell international foods like plantain chips, produce, spices and canned goods.

My last shopping stop was Des Moines Mercantile, a curated store of artisan goods by Iowa makers. They offer anything from candles and pottery to books and cookware. It's a lovely shop for buying local. I picked up an incense holder made by Concrete Days and a scrunchie by StitchCraft by Sophia, both Des Moines artists.

Also in the neighborhood but not open while I was there is furniture store Tesoro Casegoods and Oddities, clothing stores K Fashion and Symone's Boutique, and record store Red Rooster Records. There's also a barbershop, bicycle repair shop, pet store and a nail salon.

I needed to take a work call, so I headed to The Slow Down Coffee Co. for a lavender honey lemonade and a green goddess pasta salad made by New World Kitchen, a Des Moines-based vegan pop-up and take-out business. The place was packed on a Thursday morning, but I was able to find a seat to admire the art by East High School students (it changes on a monthly basis) and read a copy of the new Little Village magazine. Meant to be a community gathering space, the coffee shop also offers houseplants from local shops Art Terrarium and Renovation Jungle, and sells other locally made goods like Red Dragon Herbs & Teas.

After my call I walked down to Riverview Park, just about 15 minutes away, to enjoy my pasta salad at the newly renovated amphitheater and playground. I passed El Salvador Del Mundo, which has some of the most delicious pupusas in town.

Of course, if I would have been in Highland Park over dinner, the newly remodeled Chuck's restaurant would be an obvious choice.

You can feel the energy in the neighborhood, especially as you see other storefronts under construction in the once-neglected area. It's been an exciting transformation that will likely continue over the next several years, bringing even more new businesses and the chance for Des Moines residents to support local entrepreneurs and artists.

If you need an excuse to visit Highland Park in the coming weeks, Art Week events will be held June 18. And the neighborhood now has a street piano from City Sounds DSM.

Kim Norvell covers growth and development for the Register. She's always looking for great places to support and shop goods by local artists and makers. Reach her at [email protected] or 515-284-8259. Follow her on Twitter @KimNorvellDMR.

Our Des Moines

Our Des Moines is a weekly feature on an interesting person, place or happening in the Des Moines metro, the kind of gems that make central Iowa a special place. Have an idea for this series? Contact [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Things to do on a morning in Des Moines' Highland Park neighborhood