By Tavon N. Thomasson
AFRO Intern
What was once a struggling shopping center with boarded-up storefronts and few visitors has now become a lively commercial hub, home to a growing mix of restaurants, retailers and salons situated beside Morgan State University.
The transformation of the former Northwood Plaza began in 2018. Nearly seven years later, the now-thriving Northwood Commons has welcomed a wave of new tenants. Among them is Estie Lash, a modern beauty studio founded by 27-year-old esthetician Lashae Wesley, who’s been operating in the plaza for just over eight months.
With seven years of experience in the beauty industry, including five as a licensed esthetician, Wesley began by working on her own before managing a small store for four years. Even then, she says opening a storefront at Northwood felt out of reach.
“I was just riding through Northwood one day and I was like, ‘Wow, it would be amazing if I could have my shop here,’” said Wesley. “I mentioned it to a friend, and my friend was like, ‘Why not?’ And I’m like, ‘What do you mean, why not?’ I was 25 years old and I was just like, that’s so farfetched.”
To her surprise, the dream became a reality. After sharing her business plan to Northwood Commons’ property managers, Wesley was met with enthusiasm and approval. But while the green light came quickly, getting the shop off the ground proved to be a much bigger challenge.
“When I asked for the space at Northwood, they tore it all down and kind of built it back up,” said Wesley. “The buildings were shell buildings—I mean, not even outlets in the walls, no lights. I had to do everything. And I knew absolutely nothing about that. I didn’t know about needing building permits, plumbing permits, all types of things… . That was all new to me, so I had to kind of just wing it.”
Despite the steep learning curve, Wesley remained committed to her vision, and that persistence has paid off. Estie Lash now enjoys steady foot traffic, particularly from Morgan State students and nearby shoppers. Wesley says the atmosphere at Northwood Commons feels completely different from what she remembered just a few years ago.
“It wasn’t a place that I would just want to go to unless I had to, for whatever reason,” said Wesley. “I would say now it gives you a better feel. I go up there and walk around and I feel safe, I feel welcomed… . It feels like a community and that’s one of the things I like about it.”
Estie Lash isn’t the only new business to take root at Northwood Commons this year. Just across the lot, Jawad Labwam, a Morgan State student and manager of Local Fry, is also helping shape Northwood’s next chapter. Specializing in loaded fries, fried chicken and rice bowls, the eatery opened two months ago and is one of the newest locations in a franchise that’s been around for nearly a decade.
“We’re trying to become part of the community, not just another store in that shopping center,” said Labwam. “For example, I have another store in Northwood Commons, the Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s. I feel like that’s already become a little part of the community because I always see the same faces there. Some people don’t even order, some just come in to chill, to talk to the workers. They just enjoy going into that store.”
That sense of connection, Labwam says, inspired him and his father to expand their presence within Northwood Commons.
“We decided to open up a Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s because we already had experience in that area we could shape it how we wanted,” said Labwam. “We gave it about six or seven months and found that people really liked it. They didn’t just accept the restaurant, they accepted us.”
What stands out to both owners is the growing sense of community, not just among the regular patrons who return week after week, but among the small businesses that are reshaping the shopping center together. It’s a refreshing shift from what Northwood once was and a sign of what’s still to come.