The Substation

This is for the El Paso mural only. My husband and I were visiting family and had a little time to kill before flying back home. I looked up what to do in the area and this place popped up. I wanted a quick photo! We drove over early in the morning, before most of the shops even opened. This meant less people walking around and less cars coming in and out of the parking lot. To get a good photo of the entire wall, you have to step back and into the car path of travel. It's a mural, it was a nice photo op. Nothing really bad to say.

Cute little shopping area on the far east side which holds some of my fave spots including Ardovino's Pizza and 2Ten Coffee. Sometimes they have local farmer market pop-ups but they change often. All stores have different areas but it's a neat area to explore for a few hours.Obviously the biggest selling point is the El Paso mural that floats around social media.

Are you a lover of all things local? Do you like to find hidden gems? Do you like taking Instagram-worthy pictures? Do you like delectable food and drinks? Do you like shopping at boutiques? If you answered "yes" to any of these, you need to head over to The Substation stat!Sunset Drive is becoming a real hub for celebrating amazing locally owned businesses and The Substation does just that. It's been in the works for around a year (at least that's how long I've known about it) and it's a local paradise. So it's a shopping plaza, but it's super pedestrian friendly since the parking is all surrounding the businesses and they put a lot of attention into the details with their use of recycled materials.From what I remember reading, The Substation purchased a lot of the materials used for decoration purposes (like the poles used for the lift fixtures and much of the artwork instillations you'll find) from one of the buildings that was in the process of being demolished by UTEP. Historical and nice to look at. Beyond that, they also made sure to include a lot of shrubbery, small trees, and flowers to give the area a nice green feel in an area where you don't typically see a lot of greenery (you'll also have a similar feel across the street at 150 Sunset so it's nice to see the neighborhood going this route).Most businesses over here are still in their soft openings because shops are still being constructed and filled, but even so I enjoyed walking around and checking out the businesses that are already opened. Right now there's a children's boutique, a women's clothing boutique, 2Ten (you NEED to try their 2Ten Cookie Butter Waffles!), Ardovino's Pizza, and The Blend. There's space for at least 15 more shops so it will be interesting to see what opens next.

When in El Paso you have to go to this area and check it out. They have a few shops and restaurants for you to enjoy, but you really need to go to get a picture of you with the infamous "Greetings from El Paso" sign. This is a must do to commemorate your El Paso Trip.For more on what to do in El Paso, check out our blog.https://kasventures.org/2019/08/13/gems-of-el-paso/

I wish we had a place like this in the northeast! They have so many shops and restaurants offering an array of products and food types. The El Paso mural smack dab in the middle is just one of many artistic spots here. Yoga is offered every Tuesday at 7pm and the instructor is amazing with the class being very beginner but still fun. 10/10 recommend if you're in the area or not!

El Paso do you want to feel like you are in a wondrous new place. A place that does not look like your plan brick and mortar strip mall. Then go here! It has outdoor seating. It also uses a lot of recycled material which gives the place an old time feel. It takes up a theme of an long forgotten train stop down the Santa Fe Line.And you might say to yourself. Hmm, I didn't know this was here in El Paso. Then the substation is for you. They are so many new restaurants opening up within just a few months. Many are like some we don't have in any other parts of the city. Go early on Sunday mornings, they have a local farmer's market until 2:00pm. There were food trucks and lots of vendors. It was such a great find. Then there are so many cute boutiques:. children's clothing, pets, ladies clothes are just a few of the fun stuff you won't find at our common stores that carry these items. So if you are looking for new trends or something different or unusual then go here. There is also a lot of really cool photo ops. Great place to take out of town guest or anyone who loves to take pictures like my teens. They can all pose next to the giant postcard pic that says El Paso. It is bright and sunny and colorful. Sure to brighten any newsfeed.Frequent often you never know what new favorite restaurant you will find or boutique. Such a great concept

Most shops were closed on Friday July 5th when we visited. Most restaurants were open. Got our classic picture with the El Paso sign for the win.

Beautiful shopping center, mostly for grown ups. But the greeting sign is a must see. Loved the coffee shop and pizzeria