Whispering Wildflower joined Hanover Square in mid-September, adding a cozy new boutique to a downtown Syracuse corner that’s steadily rebuilding.

For owner Nicole Beach, the shop is the realization of a dream she’s carried for years, one shaped by her love of small boutiques and the way they make customers feel seen.

“It’s something that I wanted to do for probably the last 20 years,” Beach said.

When she was younger, she’d browse shops in malls, but as life got busier and she juggled motherhood, a full-time job and kids’ sports, Beach found herself gravitating toward smaller, personal boutiques.

“You walk in and you feel like you matter,” said Beach. That feeling stuck with her. Opening her family’s second restaurant, Crooked Cattle , eventually gave her the push “to just jump in a

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