Two shops open in Rohnert Park and Cotati

Two new shops have opened in the Rohnert Park/Cotati area, stocking women’s clothing and gifts for the body, mind and spirit.

Top to Bottom, 969 Golf Course Drive, Rohnert Park, 588-8036

Rohnert Park has developed a reputation as the home of big box stores, but don’t tell that to Cassie Vail, who opened Top to Bottom earlier this year, a trendy women’s clothing boutique in the Mountain Shadows Plaza.

Flying a little under the radar, the shop has garnered attention recently because Mountain Shadows finally has an anchor store, the new Walmart Grocery store that opened Oct. 1.

Vail promises to cover customers from top to bottom, thus the name, with clothes and accessories she describes as “sophisticated chic” for women 25-55. Rather than stocking large racks of merchandise, Vail opts for smaller purchases and a regularly changing inventory. “I might get six pieces of something, and when it’s gone, it’s gone,” she said.

While this is her first business in Rohnert Park, Vail ran successful retail ventures in Oregon before moving back to the area and said she never thought of opening a store anywhere else in Sonoma County.

“I have a big network here,” she said. “I grew up here, I went to Rancho, my son plays sports here.”

Vail said she has enjoyed steady business thanks to steady traffic because of the Starbucks next door, her network of contacts and connections from social media.

Top to Bottom is open from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays.

Stones Throw, 15 Charles St., Cotati, 242-6669

As part of the Songbird Community Healing Center, Stones Throw is a combination gift store and gallery, focusing on locally made items for the body, mind and spirit. It opened Oct. 1 and includes space for artists to demonstrate their skills.

It got its name because it is just a “stone’s throw” from Songbird, said artist Jo Adell.

She is one of more than 25 local artisans and vendors who are connected to the project, providing work that ranges from art and ceramics to jewelry, books and products that are recycled and reused. Artists also staff the store.

Adell’s specialty is bracelets, earrings and wind catchers made from guitar strings once strummed by musicians such as Graham Nash, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Bono and the Edge. She calls that product line Filaments.

“We opened the store in response to the need we perceived for a store of this nature,” said Jasmine Gold, Songbird director and owner of Stones Throw. It was made possible when the right space opened up and Gravenstone’s Smoke Shop closed around the corner, she said. Gold purchased some of Gravenstone’s display cases, shelves and card racks for her gift store and gallery.

Stones Throw is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 12:30-2:30 p.m. Sundays.

Contact Rohnert Park/Cotati correspondent Nick Walden at rparktowns@gmail.com.