Next time you're in downtown Lubbock, you've got to stop in and check out Colbert's General Store. It's located on the ground floor of The Metro Tower (arguably the coolest building in town) and certainly the tallest!

Colbert's General Store
Colbert's General Store
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If you're from the Hub City, you may know The Metro Tower as the "old NTS building", or the "building with a slight twist from the tornado that smacked us in 1970". I remember my dad taking me to see the twist when I was little and listening to him recount what it was like when the busiest part of Lubbock was torn to shreds.

Chrissy Covington
Chrissy Covington
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The Metro Tower survived the tornado and was recently remodeled, revamped, and turned into totally badass lofts and condos with an unbeatable view of the city.

Chrissy Covington
Chrissy Covington
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Charles "Chuck" Colbert opened Colbert's General Store last May. He had a vision to bring convenience and a sense of community to the residents of The Metro Tower and, he also wanted to give the people of Lubbock another great reason to visit downtown.

Colbert's General Store
Colbert's General Store
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He knew it wouldn't be easy. Downtown developed a terrible reputation during the decades following the tornado. It's almost like the entire city just walked away from the wreckage and never looked back. Dilapidated buildings eventually became hotspots for criminal activity. When I was a teenager, I was warned it was a dangerous area and not somewhere I should be after dark.

I fed into the idea it was a no-go zone until I took the plunge and moved downtown to check it out for myself.

I'm here to report that things have changed.

Trendy restaurants. Breweries. Coffee shops. Tattoo parlors. It feels like it's finally coming back to life, and businesses like Colbert's General Store are to thank.

Colbert's General Store
Colbert's General Store
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It's a swanky little store. It fits the cool vibes Broadway Street has taken on. It's not like any other convenience store in town. Sure, you'll find Hot Cheetohs and Redbull, but Colbert's also features work from local artists and products from small business owners. It's even got a quaint little "take a book, leave a book" shelf, and a big table and chairs for customers to have coffee together, watch a football game, do a puzzle, or just have a heart-to-heart.

Colbert's General Store
Colbert's General Store
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Oh! And, Colbert's also has a cool podcasting studio for public use. Spiffy.

Stop in. Check out the store. Chat with him over a cup of coffee. New local businesses cropping up downtown need your support more than ever to keep this ship sailing in the right direction! Let's continue to make that long-neglected area of town something we can all be proud of. Shop local!

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