In early November, 216 Read Street was abuzz on the western edge of Mount Vernon. People from across the city were browsing through color-coded shelves of clothing at the new Tall Grass boutique. They hugged friends, sipped wine, danced to DJ Pangelica, and admired the beautifully decorated cake at the center of the opening-night celebrations.

Saba McCoy wasn’t quite sure how the night would go, but the packed room was confirmation of her decision to open her first store, which had been a dream of hers for years.

Inspired by the self-help book The Artist’s Way, she finally said those words out loud during a dinner party last February with friends. Serendipitously, Mo Rothman, who was thinking about closing the brick-and-mortar for her beloved Bottle of Bread vintage shop, was there. It suddenly became clear that this was where McCoy’s new business should be. After Rothman made her last sale that summer, McCoy moved in.

“I felt like I would always regret it if I didn’t just take that opportunity,” says McCoy, who also works as a full-time brand strategist.

Part of the allure was that she’d been working from home and wanted to better connect with her community, having returned to her childhood home of Baltimore from New York a few years earlier. She felt eager to contribute something meaningful to her hometown. “I wanted to do a thing where I felt really out in the world.”

That spark, combined with her careful eye and intentional curation, is now a reality in a bright, airy shop with white walls, eclectic accent furniture, and a sophisticated mix of vintage finds and contemporary designer pieces. Everything she sells is stuff she loves or wears herself. And her eye for detail is everywhere.

The opening party also hinted at McCoy’s deeper vision. More than just clothes, the space feels part gallery, part showroom, part creative incubator.

Contemporary artworks, many sourced by her mother—an Eritrean native and lifelong appreciator and collector of the arts—line the interior, celebrating both her individual style and her East African heritage. She plans to activate the outdoor area with intimate performances and collaborate with Therefore, a nearby creative space, for pop-ups.

Located halfway between Park Avenue and Chase Street, Tall Grass sits on a block experiencing a quiet renaissance. Nearby, Black-owned independent businesses such as Mt. Vernon Records, Bluestone Goldsmithing, and a Cakes In The City have also opened, creating a corridor of creativity and design-forward retail.

For McCoy, the goal of Tall Grass is simple: create a space where people feel welcome, connect with objects and each other, and leave inspired. The shop is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“Come in and say hello,” she says.