The clothing and novelty store originated from two brothers, Bert and John Jacobs of Boston, who sold their tee shirts from a van and door to door in college dorms around Bean Town. Today, the clothing line has more than 100 Genuine Neighborhood Shoppes around the United States.

Shop owner John Nemjo of Troy is well versed in running the business, as he already owns a Life is good Genuine Neighborhood Shoppe in Old Forge, N.Y., along with Mountain Man Outdoor Supply Company and Adirondack Outdoor Center. Before opening Just Plain Good, the name of his Life is good branch, Nemjo sold the clothing line in his outdoor shop. It quickly became one of the top clothing lines sold in the store, and it seemed that opening a Genuine Neighborhood Shoppe was the next logical step, he said. 

“The shop in Old Forge took off right out of the gate. The good karma and good vibes of the store turned into great sales,” he said. “I could hardly keep up. There were times when 20 people were in line to check out.”

The immediate success of his Old Forge shop gave Nemjo the idea to open another shop in Saratoga Springs, which seemed to be a perfect fit with a year-round local customer base and extra tourism in the summer.

“With the floundering economy, people may be staying close to home and shopping in the area, and those who come to Saratoga for vacation will have something positive to take home.  It really is a feel-good product line,” he said. 

Not six weeks ago Nemjo had all but given up on his plan to open the store.

“Space on Broadway is hard enough to find and nothing was available,” he said.  Just when he was about to throw in the towel, spaced opened at 409 Broadway, the former location of CB Sports which recently closed its doors. 

“I just didn’t see it happening this year,” he said.  With a bit of good fortune, Nemjo was able to rent the space, and he plans to open the shop by Memorial Day.  Currently the store is being painted with bright colors and Jake’s smiling face to gear up for the opening. There will be a managerial team of four people, and he will hire seasonal help as he sees fit, he said.   

“It’s a phenomenal, high-quality clothing line with a great concept,” Nemjo said. “They are feel good products that spread good vibes. Saratoga should be the perfect fit. ”