Pictured left to right are The Frederick’s Jessica McPhaul, founder of Naked Rebellion; Lisa Lowrie, manager at MetalMark Fine Jewelry; Samantha Lester, manager at Vida Moulin; Holly Martinez, salesperson at Cricket + Ruby; and Tammy Tisdale, manager at Form Floral (photo by Trudy Thompson Shumaker).
Who is Fred and why is there a collection of shops named after him in North Central Phoenix? Wait. Make that Frederick. But most of his friends call him Fred. Regardless, Fred is competing handily with Amazon for the shopper’s dollar and attention.
Architect Frederick Weaver of the firm Weaver and Drover designed the white brick complex in 1963, during what is now known as the “mid-century boom” of North Central Phoenix. Over its 60 years at 1215 E. Missouri Ave., it has housed offices and small businesses. Today it is a lively community center bringing young families, local residents and tourists from Scottsdale and beyond.
Need to tame your unruly eyebrows as well as that cranky co-worker? Stop by and get the brows waxed and a peacemaker desk bouquet with an artisanal chocolate bar for the coworker. That will turn her around.
While you’re at The Fred, get a welcome new baby gift that is unlike every other cutsie onesie that will arrive at the neighbor’s baby shower. A bathing suit that your teenager will secretly admire and may even Bogart? Earrings or a necklace that will bail you out of the proverbial doghouse? Shades that say, “Yeah, I may have three kids in my mini-van but I’m still a player?” And the coffee — it’s not your standard stuff. Fred is your new best friend.
Still not convinced of the cool factor at The Fred? OK, there’s a shop called Naked Rebellion. Really.
The neighborhood hang-out on East Missouri has made in-store local shopping a reality again. COVID-19 drove shoppers online, but The Fred is pulling people out of their hidey holes and into stores again. Some of the shops had dipped their toes into the post-COVID market with pop-up locations, then, when The Frederick was being developed, they took the plunge by putting down roots into an actual brick and mortar location. Chantall Moulin, who owns and runs Vida Moulin, is the owner-operator of The Fred, and she has brought together the local shop owners into a community effort.
The shop owners are all committed to building community in North Central Phoenix, as well as selling goods and services that share a unique focus. Many of the shop owners have known one another for several years, and The Frederick brought them together at one location in the heart of North Central Phoenix.
Jessica Wenger McPhaul, owner of Naked Rebellion, said, “I signed my lease before the project was fully developed. I had met Chantall and when I heard what her vision was — a neighborhood gathering place with local shops in a beautiful, historic place — I wanted to be a part of it.”
The common area at The Fred is green and friendly and may feature a bounce-house for kids, along with a local musician or two or three on weekends. Shops feature event-based specials and stay open into the evenings on special-event days.
Most of the shops are owned and operated by women, many of them moms to kids of all ages. But make no mistake: events are family-friendly but they are also swank enough to attract young professionals without families, and it’s a date-night destination (think cozy nooks for conversations) as well as a walking around destress after work for local workers waiting for the traffic to thin out before hitting the freeway.
A North Central resident browsing sassy greeting cards at Form Floral laughs out loud at some of the cards, then he buys a watering can for his mom.
“She needs this and it will make her smile,” said the 30-something accountant. “I disappear during tax season and always feel guilty about it, so mom gets this cool watering can. Should I get the pink or the white one? I’ll get both and see which one she likes. My girlfriend will get the other one. Oh, and look — some really good masa. I’m going to make tortillas with this.”
While it may not appear to feature easy parking because it fronts busy East Missouri Ave., drive around back. There is plenty of parking, whether you’re driving a bicycle or a snazzy convertible or a generic white minivan.
Current shops include Berdena’s coffee shop, Cricket & Ruby, Form Floral, Melt by Melissa, Metalmark Fine Jewelry, Naked Rebellion, Vida Moulin and Wicker Goddess. To learn more, go to www.thefredphx.com.
