Hidden Gems: Meet Tennille Neilsen of Hive on 16th

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tennille Neilsen.

Hi Tennille, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I discovered “The Hive” while dealing with a life-changing trauma. I rarely left my house in the Coronado Historic District at this time in my life, until one day I decided to go for a walk through my neighborhood. That’s when I stumbled upon what looked like an abandoned building with an attached rust museum. The smell of coffee as I approached led me to believe that perhaps it was occupied. The aroma and my love of coffee enticed me to enter.

I walked through an oversized black iron gate that opened directly on 16th Street, a busy urban thoroughfare. When I walked in, I immediately fell in love with the place. The coffee shop, the aromatic catalyst to the whole discovery, was directly on your right when you first entered. On the left was a cool shop called “The Bee’s Knees”. The Proprietor, a lady called Julia, sold vintage clothing and home goods with a great curated collection of items.

Upon deeper exploration of the property, I discovered it opened into an open-sky courtyard. There I found a space where I could do therapy journaling. I felt as though I had discovered a secret place where I felt safe. Here I could inoculate myself with small doses of people.

Easing the anxiety and vulnerability I felt at the time while out in public. Through the process of my therapeutic journals, I discovered and developed an art form I call “Collaged Escape”. I find a type of sketchbook, journal, or anything with blank pages that someone could just simply be creative with. The books I then cover with intricate collaged images. I began to get requests to make personalized books, and this inspired me to turn what was a needed therapy into a business.

After spending some time here, keeping to myself and my journals, I finally took the opportunity to chat with a couple of the business owners. That’s when I learned about the people and businesses located in this enchanting place. We developed a bit of rapport and a bond. Eventually, what started as me selling my “Collaged Escape” journals at art gallery events, acquiring “Composite Boutique” , a small little boutique in this building, to purchasing the whole building itself!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As you can imagine, starting a process like this was difficult by itself, plus it was the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. First, we dealt with an unscrupulous and devious contractor that absconded with our money and left shoddy work which required additional investment to repair. In addition to this financial investment, hours of our time and sweat equity were expended working to recreate and keep what made this place special, nonetheless a labor of love.

The original coffee shop was quite small and had been occupied by at least 5 different owners for 13 years, and was not conducive to the new Covid protocols. My vision was to create a walk-up window off the back of The Hive. I cleaned out the 2,000-square-foot backyard to create a pandemic-friendly environment with patches of turf 6 feet apart, to hang out safely with friends and family.

One of the challenges that was most exciting to me was to focus on revitalizing and reviving the existing structure while using materials left on the property to maintain the authenticity of the space. I feel passionate about keeping the original vibe that drew me to The Hive to begin with.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Hive on 16th?
Hive on 16th is a place where artists can rent a space to create and sell their work. Currently, all 9 studios are filled with amazing artists, we also have two unique retail shops and a coffee window facing our vast Hive Backyard which has tons of seating, a ping pong table, badminton, and a variety of board games to enjoy.

I love that Hive on 16th is a place where people can come and grab a coffee, walk around the shops and studios and maybe discover a new artist, have a necklace made while you wait, watch a backdrop being painted, a candle being poured, a leather jacket being studded….. you never know what might be happening. That’s the beauty of being surrounded by artists! We also have an event every First Friday from 6 to 9 pm, where we have a food truck, music and invite local artists to vend their goods at no cost to them. I am also excited to announce the return of our Honeycomb Market every First Saturday, 10am to 4 pm.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Currently, the thing that is bringing me the most joy is seeing the artists within the Hive on 16th thriving and I look forward to the upcoming projects that involve more reviving of the property. I love to be able to do my art amongst other creative people in this magical space.

Contact Info:

• Website: hiveon16th.com
• Instagram: @hiveon16th
• Facebook: @hiveon16th

Image Credits
Olivia Phare, Keri Mosier, Kevin Ochoa, and Julia Fournier