After my still-recent relocation from Wash Park to the 'burbs, I've been on the lookout for my new neighborhood haunts. I miss the little neighborhood restaurants and shops I used to frequent along South Pearl, Old South Gaylord, and South Broadway, and I'm not a huge fan of the many strings of cookie-cutter chain restaurants found all around the south suburbs. However, I am a fan of the Historic Main Street district in Littleton, a now-thriving historic district in the heart of old Littleton (the area is still on the upswing; here's an interesting article on the revitalization efforts.)Not only are there fun restaurants such as Opus, Cafe Terracotta, Toast, and Sushi Basho, there are several restaurant/bars that will likely become regular haunts for me. McKenner's Pizza Bar serves up thin crust pizza and plenty of affordable wines by the glass, and they have live bands every Friday and Saturday night. Across the street, the Fat Frog Cafe was recently remodeled, and is now a cozy neighborhood bar with low-key live bands (swing, bluegrass, acoustic rock) on Fridays and karaoke every Saturday, Sunday, and Monday night. There's a great little wine shop, Lido Wine Merchants, that offers tastings every weekend, and I just heard about a brand-new French cafe just off Main Street which serves a tapas-only menu from 5 - 10 p.m. nightly. I popped into Tres Jolie, a tea shop with gorgeous pastries and a massive list of imported teas, and I love the Details Boutique, piled high with all things girlie, from lotions and perfumes to handbags and jewelry.All this, and I've only scratched the surface. I have yet to hit the local theater, the spice shop, the chocolate store, and several other shops, restaurants, and bars along this little stretch of historic buildings. It's not yet as hip as Highlands Square, or as popular as South Pearl. But with all the new businesses, I think my new neighborhood hangout is going to get better and better.