Coincidentally, Mermaid Alley -- a new boutique and gift shop owned by four schoolteachers -- is an apple's toss from MPS' central service offices.

"Art and teaching are important to us, and we wanted to share that with other people," says Andrea Loss, Mermaid's managing partner who shares the business with three other women, sister-in-law Catherine Loss, Danah Opland-Dobs and Jane Konkel.

Inspired by a Billy Bragg and Wilco CD called "Mermaid Avenue" (itself named for the Brooklyn street where Woody Guthrie lived), Mermaid Alley (5706 W. Vliet St.) sells the creations of local artists, including the work of the owners. Andrea Loss designs clothing, Catherine Loss hand dyes fabrics, Konkel paints furniture and all three make beaded jewelry.

"We're all very creative people who thought it would be interesting, challenging and fun to run a store with an emphasis on art, creativity and design," says Loss.

The shop, which has been open since November 1, also features clothing by designers Ellen Gvora and Ann Noonan, the painted scarves and framed handmade fibers of Dagmar Plenk, Mary Ellen Lalko's Celtic quilt wall hangings, stuffed toys and, according to Loss, "lots of other gifty items ranging from $5 to $500."

The owners also teach classes for adults, teens and children. Class prices range from $10 to $75 and topics include sewing, quilting, crocheting, knitting, precious metals, cigar purse making, aromatherapy and garment revitalizing.

"Basically you take a loved garment and spice it up," says Loss, who took time off from teaching to open the shop and pursue her Master's in Education with an emphasis in Fashion from Mount Mary College.

Loss, Opland-Dobs and Konkel met in the late '80s while teaching at Custer High School. Today, Opland-Dobs teaches at Washington High School, Konkel at the Milwaukee Academy of Science and Catherine Loss is an art teacher who is currently an artist-in-residence at UWM.

Aside from their vocation, the four women have something else in common: They each have one son and one daughter. Because they are mothers, offering classes and merchandise for children is important, and they also host birthday parties.

For $12 to $20 per child, the "mermaids" will throw a birthday party complete with an organized craft and a cake from their neighbor, Eat Cake. (Parents may also opt to bring their own food.) Recently, they hosted a party for 12 8-year-old boys who made space rockets out of recycled materials, and another for a group of 13-year-old girls who concocted lip-gloss and learned the basics of fashion drawing.

Mermaid Alley is one of numerous new businesses to refresh the neighborhood, along with Art & Soul Gallery, Earth, Wind and Flower, The Rainbow Bookseller and Susie's Cheesecakes' updated café.

"There's a really nice sense of community here," says Loss. "It's a really great pace to have a business."

Although the four women are busy with family, careers, art and business owning, they hope to launch a Web site and sell merchandise on-line, possibly through eBay, in the near future.

Maybe during summer vacation.

Mermaid Alley is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (414) 771-9222 for more information.