Shopping in West Linn

21st Avenue Bicycles' knowledgeable staff oversees an inventory of handsome, speedy bikes hand-built with parts from manufacturers such as Raleigh, Dolce, and Vittoria Randonneur. The charming, simple brick-walled shop bustles with activity as mechanics build new wheels with a Phil Wood spoke cutter, show customers through the wooden racks of brand-new rides, and carry out full-service repair overhauls. As they true wheels, fix flats, adjust brakes, and remove hibernating snakes from handlebars, the friendly technicians exude an infectious joy as they work, promoting a workplace atmosphere in which high-fives are liberally doled out and popping wheelies is actively encouraged.

Thatcher Loen, president of the eponymous plant nursery, stocks an inventory of more than 50,000 flowers, shrubs, trees, and other vibrant, botanical life. Lush foliage explodes from every corner of the 3.5-acre nursery, home to more than 1,000 plant varieties in need of horticultural adoption. Row after row of plants ranges from rare and unusual to contemporary and traditional, a selection that includes annuals, perennials, vines, and organisms resembling flytraps fond of crooning Motown tunes. In addition to helping patrons navigate the nursery, helpful staff members can answer any lingering questions.

[[m:####Baby to Baby

Baby to Baby's selective buyers examine the offerings of many consigners, filling the shop with useful equipment and toys for kids as well as with garments for infants, teens, and women in the midst of maternity. Strollers, car seats, and high chairs by brands such as Bugaboo and Graco keep children or prized teddy bears safe and comfortable. Maternity blouses clothe swelling bellies, and apparel by companies such as Abercrombie and Nike make shopping trips desirable for all ages. Patrons can bring in outgrown baby equipment or apparel to receive monetary compensation, store credit, or a vest woven out of gold stars.:m]]

Inspired by the glamorous pinups of the 1940s and '50s, such as Bettie Page, The Foundation stocks alluring underthings in vintage styles. Lime-green walls highlight enticing displays of colorful panties, lacy bras, and corsets and bustiers from brands such as Empire Intimates. Sleek mannequin legs, bent in the seductive style favored by models and drum majors, show off sheer stockings, fishnet tights, and other hosiery. The Foundation also helps outfit burlesque performers with ensembles such as pettipants and ruffled panties and adorns ladies with outerwear such as voluminous sun hats and dainty necklaces.

Thea Jirak's quaint quilting shop stocks everything needed to create functional and artistic pieces of traditional bedding. Newbie crafters learn the basic skills from the shop's needlework veterans with beginner-friendly craft classes, and advanced quilters can work toward their long-arm-machine certification or join one of the stitching clubs. The shop stocks most of the necessary supplies, including fabric, yarn, and needles.

A family-run nursery, Blooms-N-More cultivates a photosynthetic menagerie of water and bog plants, fruits and veggies, and more than 40 varieties of ornamental grasses. As guests arrive to leafy fields of potted plants and perennials, the nursery's friendly canine greeters Boogie and Calamity Jane bark out the scientific nomenclature of 30 varieties of tomato, multiple cultivars of peppers, and more than eight types of basil. In addition to loading up dinner plates with edible plants, the nursery also accents landscapes with trees, prairie grasses, shrubs, and vines.