For the past one hundred and twenty-one years, Cashmere has been a beloved small town with a vintage, cozy community. However, over the decades, one common complaint remains. It was a well-known fact that our town was lacking in fun activities for kids, teens, and even adults! Although, that problem is in the past now that Sidestreet brought in a variety of new businesses such as Gaucho, Yonder, Small Change, Brassbound Collective, Cashmere Records, and The Understory. For our avid readers, and even those who enjoy the overall whimsical vibe, The Understory has been the bookstore we’ve needed — and now an essential afterschool hangout spot we couldn’t do without.
The owner of The Understory, Mary Maimord, moved to Cashmere from Texas in February. She says that the experience of moving was both exciting and stressful, but it was ultimately a lot of fun, just like the experience of opening the Understory.
“The ups [of opening the Understory] are definitely getting to stretch that creative muscle and really lean onto the design and the fun decorative part in deciding where things are going and all that good stuff,” Maimord says. “The downs are being here until three or four in the morning every night for four or five weeks, and really, really long days, but it all worked out.”
Maimord says that she’s always been a heavy reader, saying, “it’s just always been a dream of mine to have a bookstore, and then the opportunity kind of came up, and I just dove in and took the risk.”
Many students at CHS have always loved reading or gotten into reading within the last few years. Having a bookstore with a variety of books and genres close by has benefited our community greatly in many ways. Having more access to books for kids, teens, and adults can only benefit Cashmere.
“The most rewarding part, I would say, is that it’s clear that the community wanted this and really enjoys it. [The Understory is] creating a space for people to come in and just bond over a mutual love for physical media.”
Kaili Landes, a Sophomore at Cashmere High School, says that her experience in the Understory was enjoyable, mentioning that the variety of different books was nice. She particularly loved the “blind books”, which are mystery books wrapped with a brief list of traits the book has, so buyers are surprised when they open it.
Having a space downtown for people to gather also creates a space for community events. The Understory and Small Change, a secondhand craft store, are collaborating to bring Cashmere a craft night on October 1st at Yonder, where participants will make book page pumpkins.
Events like this are what bring our community together, giving opportunities for fun and creativity to all ages. These new businesses not only give us products, but also life-long memories, inspiring our town to get together and grow together.
