Sioux Falls has some new retail corners that are giving neighborhoods in the southern area of the city shopping appeal.

These new plazas are a far cry from the plain one-story, sheet metal or cinder block strip malls of days gone by.

Developments have romantic names, like Waterfall Plaza, Heather Ridge and several with “village” in their titles, especially in the south and southwestern parts of town.

New restaurants, bars and coffee shops are just waiting to become favorite hangouts. There’s also a broad variety of other retailers hoping new visitors will come to experience the atmosphere developers have created.

Heather Ridge, at Western Avenue and 69th Street, has that European village feel, with rough-cut brick storefronts, circular drives and a main building featuring a clock at its peak.

“It’s got such a warm, inviting feeling,” says Jan Jacobson of Sioux Falls while shopping at Larsen Designs, a kitchen, bath and gift shop at Heather Ridge. “I think it feels like we’re in a big city, but we’re not a huge city, so it makes it even better.”

At 57th Street and Louise Avenue, Village on Louise features a different style roofline for every storefront. Each one is finished in the pastel art deco colors you might find in Miami.

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