Cedar Mill

The place to be in Cedar Mill -- when the Farmer's Market isn't running -- is the library block, on Saltzman just off Cornell. For starters, the Cedar Mill Library is a great community hub. In addition to books, they have tons of CDs and DVDs. And meeting rooms. My favorite area is the entrance, where they sell surplus books, and there are lots and lots of free flyers and magazines so you can see what's up.

Next door is the Village Gallery, which I understand is actually a community of artists. Even if you're a bit of an art snob like me (enough with the pastels and landscapes!) you can find something to like here. It's a nice place for gift shopping.

Next door to that is the Second Edition Resale Shop. This is one of those great little thrift stores where excellent ladies (mostly) volunteer to raise funds -- in this case for the library. They have lots of clothes, and a few shoes, housewares and knick-knacks. Always worth checking out.

Being able to walk or bike to this spot is a saving grace of living in Cedar Mill!