My love for a well-appointed stoop started in New York City. As a wide-eyed 22-year-old, I walked everywhere, taking in the charm of the West Village and dreaming of one day living in one of those iconic brownstones with a beautifully styled entryway. Without outdoor space of my own, I admired the homes that made their stoops sing with seasonal flair.

Fast forward to 2022: my husband and I moved to Roscoe Village and, for the first time, had outdoor space of our own. I surprised myself by falling in love with gardening and landscape design. Maybe it’s in my blood — my brother has run a landscaping company in our hometown in downstate Illinois for nearly two decades. Or maybe my green thumb was just lying dormant all those years, because the moment I started getting my hands dirty (both literally and figuratively), it all clicked.

That first fall in our new home, I became obsessed with styling our front steps. Not just with grocery store Jack-O-Lanterns, but with unique heirloom varieties—ghostly whites, knobby gourds, warty wonders. I drove all over the city (and suburbs!) hunting down the most interesting shapes and colors I could find. Eventually, I realized I wanted to do more than decorate—I wanted to support the local farmers growing these beautiful, bumpy gems and make them easier for others to enjoy, too.

Gold Coast Stoops was born from that dream.

This little business is rooted in joy, beauty, and the belief that your front steps deserve a little magic. Whether it’s fall pumpkins or garden blooms, there’s something powerful about taking pride in your stoop—it tells the world who you are before they even walk through the door.

From my mom’s pristine potted plants to my mother-in-law’s garden beds to my own mental sanity walks during the darkest days of COVID — stoops have always meant something more to me.

Thanks for being here!

— Jessica