A look inside Serendipity. (Photo by Kevin Dicciani)

by Kevin Dicciani

If variety is your bag, Nicole Beltz, owner of Serendipity, at 8506 Germantown Ave., thinks her boutique will have everything you need to fill it to the brim.

The shop, which opened its doors on March 27, is not your ordinary run-of-the-mill boutique. It is a boutique within a boutique – actually, 33 boutiques within a boutique.

Thirty-three vendors do business within Serendipity, each specializing in a variety of vintage and homemade items. This type of diversity is part of the reason why Chestnut Hill is Serendipity's third store location. People want options, and they are overflowing with them.

“People are drawn to us for our unique, eclectic items,” Beltz said. “We have a variety of everything – from jewelry, to clothing, to vintage items.”

Beltz opened the first Serendipity over three years ago in Avalon, N.J. A year later she added another location in Doylestown, where she currently lives. It wasn't until this past November that she learned of the business opportunity in Chestnut Hill, when Kathie Meadows, the retail recruiter for the Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District, visited her Doylestown location.

Meadows, Beltz said, thought Serendipity would fit in well along the Avenue. Although she was hesitant at first to expand to another location, Meadows' enthusiasm eventually convinced Beltz that Chestnut Hill was an advantageous place to do business.

“She really pointed out what a great area this is and why it would be great for us to join the community,” Beltz said. “She showed us the space for the store, showed us around town, and really made us feel comfortable. She got us to come here, really.”

Beltz hopes the store will attract both buyers and sellers. The sellers, she said, have the chance to bring in quality handmade items and sell them without the overhead costs of owning their own storefront. And with new vendors added to the store's rotation each year, this is a just another plus for customers.

Having already been open for a month, Beltz said her experience so far in Chestnut Hill has been nothing but positive – so much so that she would like Serendipity to remain in town long into the future.

“Everyone's been very welcoming and very receptive to us being here,” she said. “It's a great, great community. We love it.”