TI:ME at Montecillo

Places like this gives me hopes for El Paso’s art and hipster scene. A retail complex built with recycled shipping containers give it an industrial yet artistic charm to this place. There is a Fresh Pressed Juice Bar, bars, a hair salon, boutiques, specialty stores, coffeeshop, a hookah lounge, and several restaurants. All this is probably enough to satisfy even the most demanding hipsters and tourists living/​visiting El Paso looking for something different from the Mexican overhaul that is this SUN CITY.
Will it turn into the next ‘hipster city’ anytime soon? Maybe, but it might take a while. Venture out and come to TI: ME for a change of scene!

Friends took me here and wanted to explore a bit of EP, and glad we did! It’s a small area located to the colorful apartment buildings, Montecillo apt. This little establishment is filled with 3 food areas and small shops. I’ve been to the coffee shop and Malaloma (I hope I spelled that right lol). The small shops consist more of clothing and some interesting, creative miscellaneous things (such as home décor, mugs, and jewerly).
Parking was all right. When we entered the place, I felt like I was in a maze lol. But a very fun, creative one! Colorful and rustic. Whoever designed this place has great ideas. They utilized cargo containers and built a sort of waterfall and there’s painted art all around. They have benches on all side and some tables and chairs. I wouldn’t mind coming here again, wished I didn’t live so far though. All in all, great place!

A favorite place to work outside the office or grab a coffee or smooth on the weekend. Friendly service always!

TI: ME gives me so much hope for El Paso’s future and I hope that in fifty years Montecillo is still the thriving neighborhood it is today (or is becoming depending on how you look at it). With so many new things coming to EP and visions finally happening (trolley system coming soon!), I’m so happy to see a completely locally owned shopping center open up. No out of state franchises, no nationwide corporation, it’s all just homegrown goodness. And not just that, I do believe TI: ME can become a staple of EP, easy.
The Venue at Montecillo was the first glimpse EP got at what Montecillo would be like and although there is a flow to the design, these are two completely different areas and I love it.
The first thing I noticed when TI: ME was finally ready for the public was the word «Time» written in Old English Font. At first I didn’t know how to feel about that… did they just take the easy way out and copy the most recognized logo for almost, I don’t know, the last two hundred years, give or take? Or is it merely a coincidence, an oversight? I’m willing to bet on the former, but it grew on me and I kind of can see why going with something so easily recognizable would be eye-​catching (especially for out-​of-​towners). I just wish they wrote «TI:ME» instead of «Time» because the colon is definitely part of the name and all caps is their actual logo (in a different font by the way… Arial Narrow maybe). I went back and forth because it does seem like a blatant ripoff of The New York Times logo… as simple as it may be. Mind you, this inner turmoil with the name took place in the matter of seconds so before I even made it up the steps I had decided I was okay with it (not that me being okay or not being okay with it really matters).
TI:ME is anchored by three eateries, Catina Malolam, Stonewood, and Hillside Coffee & Donut Co. All equally impressive in design and menu. Each is completely different and has a unique style. What is the rest of TI: ME? Mostly re-​purposed shipping containers. It’s cost effective to work with and is just gorgeous to look at (when done right… and it’s done right here). TI: ME only utilizes the first floor of the shipping containers used and although I would’ve loved to see the second and third floor of these containers used, I’m still a zealous fan of this, in it’s very European meets San Francisco way. The shipping containers are divided up so there’s anywhere from two to three boutiques in each.
TI:ME was smartly designed and provides a pleasant amount of shade if you decide to stroll from shop to shop and shelters you from the noise that is Mesa St. And the collab of EXIST (check out @exist1981 on Instagram if you don’t know what I’m talking about or better yet just Google it) pieces throughout the center is possibly my favorite thing about it.
Also vying for my love and attention is the mixed materials used to design this place. I seriously love any place that can take old and put it with new and make it beautiful. Wood is used in many different ways here which is utterly refreshing to see in a city that usually sticks to bricks or stucco. The many woods used are mixed in with metals and cements and the occasional bricks.
The only material I’m not particularly fond of is the cinder-​block. It feels like an afterthought and it makes me think that wasn’t originally intended to be part of the design, but was done to meet a deadline and cut costs. Not just that, the craftsmanship is shoddy at best. It appears rushed and looking at it, I don’t doubt that it will need to be mended sooner rather than later. My craftsmanship remarks also apply to the brick fountain in the center of TI: ME which already has loose bricks. In TI: ME the cinder-​blocks and bricks will actually look beautiful because of the natural wear and tear from the wind and rain, but to have to look at it now when it could have been built a little better is just a tad disappointing (see what I did there at the beginning of the sentence, eh, eh?).
Regardless of the far and few kinks of TI: ME, I absolutely am obsessed with it and the surrounding Monticello area (and what it will be very soon)! I think they did a great job executing a brilliant idea.