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“Every day is a walk through history.”Not only was that Aaron Bachstein’s senior yearbook quote, it’ll be the spirit of his new new family-owned antique store when it opens later this spring in the Lehigh Valley.The store, Blackbird Antiques, will open May 3 at 19 Belvidere St.
in Nazareth under the ownership of Aaron, his wife Heather, and his children Abby and Ethan.It’ll offer all kinds of antiques, Abby said, that primarily date back to before the 1970s and include artwork, furniture and kitchenware.“Anything that you could possibly think of is in our store, truly,” she said.
The Bachsteins haven’t determined the store’s exact hours yet but will operate Friday through Sunday, Abby said. The store also will accept consignments in the future.As Aaron put it, antiquing runs in the family’s blood, with his father taking him to auctions and antique stores before Aaron did the same for his children.
“The biggest thing that drives my family in antiques is the story behind it, and I think that everybody can appreciate a story,” Abby said. “Every antique item that you buy has a story, whether that’s the story of the piece itself, whether that’s whoever owned it before. And I think that’s something that, when you go to an antique store, you look for pieces that have character, that have a story behind them, that you will be able to then take and continue its story.
”Aaron, who teaches history and literature at Notre Dame of Bethlehem School, will step away from teaching to focus on the store. While his platform will change, the opportunity to teach and connect to the past will not, he said, even if it means connecting to our own personal pasts.“If you see something in a store, it may bring back and spark a memory of somebody that you knew — could be your grandmother or whatever — and I think that has a lot to do with antiques and why people collect antiques,” he said.
Various antiques are for sale Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at family-owned antique store Blackbird Antiques in Nazareth. The store is scheduled to open May 3. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)Various antiques are for sale Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at family-owned antique store Blackbird Antiques in Nazareth.
The store is scheduled to open May 3. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)Various antiques are for sale Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at family-owned antique store Blackbird Antiques in Nazareth. The store is scheduled to open May 3.
(April Gamiz/The Morning Call)Various antiques are for sale Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at family-owned antique store Blackbird Antiques in Nazareth. The store is scheduled to open May 3. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)Various antiques are for sale Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at family-owned antique store Blackbird Antiques in Nazareth.
The store is scheduled to open May 3. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)Various antiques are for sale Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at family-owned antique store Blackbird Antiques in Nazareth. The store is scheduled to open May 3.
(April Gamiz/The Morning Call)Various antiques are for sale Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at family-owned antique store Blackbird Antiques in Nazareth. The store is scheduled to open May 3. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)Various antiques are for sale Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at family-owned antique store Blackbird Antiques in Nazareth.
The store is scheduled to open May 3. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)Various antiques are for sale Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at family-owned antique store Blackbird Antiques in Nazareth. The store is scheduled to open May 3.
(April Gamiz/The Morning Call)Various antiques are for sale Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at family-owned antique store Blackbird Antiques in Nazareth. The store is scheduled to open May 3. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)Various antiques are for sale Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at family-owned antique store Blackbird Antiques in Nazareth.
The store is scheduled to open May 3. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)Aaron and Heather Bachstein and their children, Ethan and Abby, stand Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in their family store, Blackbird Antiques, in Nazareth. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)Show Caption1 of 12Various antiques are for sale Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at family-owned antique store Blackbird Antiques in Nazareth.
The store is scheduled to open May 3. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)ExpandLehigh Valley retail and restaurant news in briefTonya Johnson, the mother of Philadelphia Eagles running back and Whitehall High School alumnus Saquon Barkley, opened the resale store Mama B Resale Boutique last weekend at 416 E. Fourth St.
in Bethlehem. It resells new and gently used items such as shirts, pants, footwear and children’s clothing.The Italian Simpatico is planned to open May at Allentown’s ArtsWalk at 27 N.
Seventh St. It’ll replace Blended and will offer pasta, pizza, porchetta sandwiches, fish, pasta and pizza classes, live music, a bar and outdoor seating.At the same property, the Downtown Allentown Market will close April 17 after roughly six years of operation.
The Hitter’s Edge batting facility will hold its grand opening at noon on April 12 for its new permanent tenant, the 7 Deadly Spins Fastpitch softball training company.Mom & Pop’s General Store will close at the end of the month at the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township, but it may reopen at the Quakertown Farmers Market in Richland Township.The restaurant chain Dave’s Hot Chicken will open April 18 at 218 N.
West End Blvd. in Richland Township.Good Shepherd Rehabilitation will open this fall at Promenade Saucon Valley in Upper Saucon Township shopping center.
It will provide outpatient care for patients recovering from conditions and injuries such as strokes, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, orthopedic injuries and chronic pain.The Hawaii Fluid Art studio held a grand opening Thursday at 3325 Hamilton Blvd. in South Whitehall Township following its soft opening in November.
Virginia Ellen, who is the location’s franchisee alongside her mother Mary, said they offer fluid art classes and a gift shop for purchasing artwork, pottery jewelry and woodwork. It operates 9-11 a.m.
Monday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.
m. Tuesday, 2-6 p.m.
, noon to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.
m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
A new Manhattan Bagel will come to the Schoenersville Centre at 3221 Schoenersville Road in Bethlehem, The James Balliet Property Group announced.Horizon Sports Pickleball will open noon next Thursday at 61 W. Second St.
, Wind Gap, co-owner Dominic Sumpolec said.It’ll operate all week and will host 13 courts and a 2,000-square-foot area for parties and corporate events. Customers can book courts and pay fees by downloading the facility’s app from the online Apple store, the facility announced.
The Wicked Botanist plant shop intends to move early May from 707 N. New St. in Bethlehem to the former Verde property at 267 E.
Broad St., the store announced. It’ll be across from the Bethlehem Co-op Market that is scheduled to open this summer.
In other newsThe Nazareth Diner at 581 S. Broad St. in Nazareth switched on Friday to operating all day and all week, according to its website.
Retail Watch is a weekly column covering retail and restaurant news in the Lehigh Valley. Have a question, tip, or want to see something in the area? Contact retail reporter Graysen Golter at [email protected].
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