The music has stopped at 316 E. College Ave., the former home of City Lights Records, and more recently, the Music Underground. ' Music Underground owners Jesse Ruegg and Jeff Van Fossan were hoping to make their store work at that location by adding music equipment rental and repair services, but ended up moving their operations into Chronic Town, a hookah lounge at 224 W. College Ave., in January.

In the place of Music Underground, State College business owners Art and Nancy Fine will open Metro Underground, a discount clothing shop in the basement spot beneath Metro, the store they run at 320 E. College Ave.

“It’s going to offer State College something it doesn’t have: discount clothing, shoes and accessories at half their original prices,” Art Fine said. “It’s going to be an outlet of sorts for Metro merchandise, selling stuff where we only have one or two pieces left.”

The store is expected to open by the end of July, Fine said.

The Fines, who run Barefoot and People’s Nation in addition to Metro, also recently opened Cheap Thrills at 325 E. Calder Way — the same space where, in 1975, they started their first downtown business.

“It’s a small store, so our selections are more limited but much more focused,” Art Fine said. “It’s really geared toward the college coed, for her going-out clothing. ... It’s fashion at real reasonable prices.”

The store’s name is the same as a downtown staple in the 1970s that sold Levi’s jeans, which Fine believes may have been based off the Janis Joplin album of the same name.

“Being in business, you gotta have fun,” Fine said. “This is part of my fun, is resurrecting old names of stores from when I was a student.”

New event planner

Former hotel manager Mimi Driscoll and hotel sales associate Ashley Bowersox have joined forces to create Events2Remember, an event planning group based in State College.

Driscoll, who managed the Best Western University Park Inn & Suites until November, is working full time at getting the business off the ground. The business successfully oversaw its first wedding in June.

“It’s a great opportunity for us,” Driscoll said. “On top of our experience in event planning, Ashley and I are both born and raised here (in Centre County), so we have real familiarity with venues and local contacts.”

Driscoll and Bowersox met when both worked for the Shaner Group, which owns and operates a number of hotels in State College. Driscoll said their background in the hotel industry has trained them to be highly attuned to meeting the wishes of their clients.

“In the hotel business, a lot of guests would ask us about (planning) services, so it’s been a natural progression for us,” Driscoll said.

Events2Remember will provide planning “for just about any occasion,” Driscoll said, such as anniversaries, birthdays, alumni gatherings or corporate events.

One of their specialties, Driscoll said is securing hotel rooms for Penn State football games — which may qualify them to add “magic acts” to their list of services.

To learn more about Events2Remember, call 441-5801 or visit www.paevents2remember.com.

Kids clothing store opens

Kids grow out of clothes fast.

That’s the basis for the business model Kelli Cepish is following as she opens her new store, ABC Me Grow, at 107 S. Spring St. in Bellefonte.

“Unfortunately, kids go through a lot of clothing they wear one time or outgrow before it’s been really used,” Cepish said.

Cepish buys gently used clothing for cash or store credit. So far, she’s collected about 2,000 items, sized from newborn through elementary school-aged children. She’s said her first priority is getting kids dressed well at an affordable price.

“There’s too many people out there who would like to dress their kids in nice things and unfortunately can’t afford to,” Cepish said. “This store is a perfect opportunity for me to give back and have kids look and feel a little better.”

The store is open weekends or by appointment. For more information, call Cepish at 592-4235 or visit www.abcmegrow.com.

A bit of bits

P2P Computer Solutions, formerly of 311 S. Allen St., has moved to 214 E. College Ave.

“We outgrew our former space,” said Livnat Maldonado, who owns the store along with her husband, Juan Maldonado.

The store provides computer service, repair and sales.

Rumors quashed

The whispers have been getting louder as readers have wondered what’s going in near the Cracker Barrel in the Colonnade development in Patton Township. So far, I’ve heard rumors naming Red Robin, Sonic and International House of Pancakes, but all three chains have said they have no plans to enter the State College market.

I got similar news from Ikea, which was rumored to be the new tenant Tony Vita has reportedly landed in Hills Plaza on South Atherton Street.

“It’s a rumor only,” confirmed Ikea spokesman Doug Greenholz.

“We don’t have any plans or designs to do that, and the reason being there is just not the population necessary to support a store in the area.”

Greenholz said Ikea’s “general rule of thumb” is to open stores in areas where there are about two million people within a 60-minute drive.

That’s Ikea’s way of telling State College to “do it yourself.”

Cliff White can be reached at 235-3928.