Metroland Online - Best of the Capital Region 2001

Note to readers: The Best Of selections were compiled by Metroland staff members; Readers’ Poll results can be found at the end of each section. In addition, the best answers to our free-form Readers’ Poll questions appear under the heading "You Said It."

Downtown Shopping
Saratoga Springs

While many other area downtowns continue to struggle or fade away, Saratoga continues to draw lively crowds to its human-scale downtown. From the grand historic buildings lining Broadway to the unique eateries, bars and specialty shops tucked into the side streets, Saratoga offers residents and visitors alike an eclectic urban experience in a walkable, small-city setting—and shows that downtowns are still viable if properly nurtured. Further proof of that viability can be found in the recent onslaught of chain retail—Borders, Eddie Bauer, Starbucks, etc.—but the city would do well to preserve its local character and keep Broadway from becoming a mall with sidewalks.

Best Shopping Center
Crossgates Mall
Guilderland

We tried to find a nice, comprehensive downtown center somewhere in the Capital Region that satisfied all of our shopping needs, but the mall has replaced them all. So, instead, we tried to find a non-megalithic shopping mall that doesn’t threaten to swallow up what’s left of Guilderland. We tried to find a mall that offered everything—from trendy teen fashion to chic career clothing to sporting goods to toys to appliances—that doesn’t build parking lots all over endangered Pine Bush ecosystems. But you know what? We had to give up. No place compares to Crossgates when it comes to variety and convenience. You’ve got your Macy’s and your Filene’s and your H&M and your Gap and your Williams-Sonoma and your T.J. Maxx, all under one roof. And once they get the J. Crew store and the Pottery Barn they’ve been promising to bring in, we will be forever compelled to indulge our ugliest consumer impulses at Crossgates.

Best One-Stop shopping
Target
Northway Mall, Colonie

One might wonder if the store could actually live up to the hype of its cool television-advertising campaign. Rest assured, it does. This store has everything from clothing to home and office furnishings to health and beauty products to some groceries to bed and bath products and the funkiest kitchen supplies. Throw in a pharmacy, toys, electronics, music, movies, books (for all ages), cards, wrapping paper, all the baby products you could need, and the kitschiest gifts; Target really does have everything under one roof.

Best Outlet Shopping
J. Crew Warehouse Sale in Albany
Location varies from year to year

OK, so technically maybe this isn’t outlet shopping, but it sure does feel the way we think outlet shopping should. It’s no-frills, it’s super-cheap, and only the strong survive. You want those $14.99 slate-gray chinos? You better prepare to pry them from that blonde chick’s white knuckles.

Best Women’s Clothing (Career)
Ann Taylor
Crossgates Mall

If your idea of looking put-together hearkens back to, say, the impeccable styles of Katharine Hepburn, Carole Lombard or Grace Kelly, then get thee to the newly expanded Ann Taylor store at Crossgates. Don’t get us wrong; this isn’t to say that AT is vintagey, or even matronly. God forbid. This is the only game in town for one-stop shopping for neatly tailored suits and separates, dresses that make the Furstenburg wrap look sloppy, and even weekend wear that spells c-l-a-s-s, whether you’re delivering a Power Point presentation in the office or taking off for a weekend in the country. It’s true what your mother told you: Half the battle of getting there is looking like you’ve already arrived. AT has what you need.

Best Women’s Clothing (Runway Chic)
Circles
Stuyvesant Plaza

The only place in Albany where you can pretend you’re an extra in a Vogue fashion spread. When Trina Turk was merely a name in the small print of some fashionista’s gossip pages, Circles was touting her stuff. That BCBG ensemble that Katie Couric wore on the Today Show? You can get it at Circles. Theory jeans—what size? Just as nice as the impeccable selection of today’s best labels are the nifty style tidbits you get from the friendly staff—not at all the snooty types you might expect. If only some of those glamour-don’ts who attend the Oscars could sidle up their limos to this Stuyvesant Plaza mainstay, they just might make everybody’s Top 10.

Best Women’s Clothing (budget)
H&M
Crossgates Mall

Can you say Euro-fabulous? This new addition to Crossgates Mall offers
cutting-edge fashion at value prices for those of you who are on a tight budget. You can count on H&M for everything from the latest trends to modern classics. This Swedish-based department store is a dream come true for all of you clothes whores out there who can’t resist the temptation of the season’s latest and greatest styles.

Best Urban Chic
Web of Threads
247 Lark St., Albany

Where else can you find fabulous dresses for a night out on the town, Manic Panic makeup and hair dye, tiaras, men’s clothing, secondhand clothing, PVC and rubber products? Look no further. Lip Service, Betsy Johnson and Urban Outfitters are a few of the designers Web carries. And once you’ve put that awesome ensemble together, don’t forget to accessorize. This place has the hippest tights, pocketbooks, jewels and even feather boas. You will walk out looking trés chic indeed.

Best Men’s Clothing (Career)
Amore Clothing
123 State St., Albany

When we want our boys to dress like men, we send them to Amore. Custom-tailored suits and shirts (made on the premises, we are told), perfectly buffed shoes by Joseph Cheaney, and exclusive collections of ties and accessories, sold in a classy, downtown Albany location. No one does the power suit better.

Best Men’s Clothing (Casual)
Macy’s
Colonie Center

When other men’s clothing stores’ selections look like they were chosen either by teenage skate punks or by pensioners from Eastern Europe, Macy’s (the larger one in Colonie) is as dependable as the Christmastime crowds in Herald Square. If you can’t find the shirt you want here, it’s time you learned to make your own clothes.

Best Children’s Clothing
Old Navy
Crossgates Mall
Crossgates Commons
Wilton Mall

Kids are messy. Kids are rough and tough. And kids grow fast. You need a place to shop for them that carries affordable and long-lasting clothes. This is the place. The clothing here is reasonably priced, but also check out the “item of the week,” special deals and the superb sales rack. You’ll find the cutest designs here, and the clothes have such lasting quality that you can hand them down for years.

Best Women’s Shoes
Saratoga Shoe Depot
385 Broadway, Saratoga Springs
255 Delaware Ave., Delmar

A continual winner in the shoe-fetish category—ladies, you know what we’re talking about—Saratoga Shoe Depot offers just about everything for the discerning shopper. They have an extensive selection of Dr. Martens, athletic footwear, and night-on-the-town numbers. Basically, anything your heart desires. With two locations, chances are they can get Cinderella her slipper, in the right size, by midnight. And, for the accessory-fetish impaired: purses, bags, backpacks, jewelry, socks, stockings and belts are plentiful.

Best Women’s Shoes (Money No Object)
Saratoga Soles
486 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Who would have thought that shoes, those things you put on your dogs, can inspire orgasmic rapture. . . . Well, women, obviously know this. But in case there were any doubters, Saratoga Soles can put the matter to rest. Hype, Kenneth Cole, Priscilla Poland, Bisou Bisou, Franco Sarto—all the latest styles and the hottest names. Give it to us, baby, more, more, more!

Best Men’s Shoes
Saratoga Shoe Depot
385 Broadway, Saratoga Springs
255 Delaware Ave., Delmar

Trying to find a good selection of men’s shoes around here can be a nightmare; let’s just say that Saratoga Shoe Depot is the best reason not to make that shoe-shopping trip to New York or Montreal.

Best Shoes (Bargain)
DSW Shoe Warehouse
Crossgates Mall

OK, shoe freaks: Fix your foot fetish here. The selection is huge, but the prices are not. Since DSW came to town, we can’t even fathom what it must be like to pay full price for our Ann Taylors, Steve Maddens, Skechers and Nine Wests.

Best Hair Salon
Sanctuary B
116 Wolf Road, Albany

We know that this is a highly subjective category—even more so than most, because every single person who reads this will say their salon or barber is the best in the Capital Region. But we’ve chosen to give a nod to Sanctuary B this year for those of you who might be in between hair stylists or estheticians and seeking a new place to call hair-cutting heaven. The staff here is friendly and down to earth, the service is impeccable, the ambience earthy but chic. And the stylists know their business—not only will they tell you how they’re cutting your hair, but also why they’re cutting it that way (which means, of course, that you stand a better chance of figuring out how to style your new coif at home). And Sanctuary B does more than just hair; don a robe and let them do your manicures, pedicures, waxing and makeup. And don’t forget to pet the friendly Weimaraner when you’re all through.

Best Jewelry (Traditional)
Hummingbird Designs
21 Third St., Troy

If we ever get hitched (um, you know . . . m-m-m-married?), we know where we want our wedding bands to come from. We will go to Hummingbird Designs, where the jewelry is mature, but not boring; traditional, but not tired. They custom design their own high-quality rings, necklaces, pendants and wedding bands, and they carry selections from artisan jewelers of the Capital Region and beyond. When we need to shop for gifts, for ourselves—or if we ever decide to go through with the big M—we go to Hummingbird.

Best Jewelry (Funky)
Elissa Halloran Designs
225 Lark St., Albany

Czech glass. Freshwater pearls. Labradorite. Crystals. Jewel-toned beads. Tourmaline. Tanzanite. No, these aren’t names listed in the Times Union birth announcements—they’re examples of the exquisite materials used by Elissa Halloran in crafting her unique, and yes, funky, jewelry. We’ve watched with pride (we did, after all, award this Best Of to her last year) as Halloran’s work has improved immeasurably in the past year, what with the artist’s maturity and experience. But that isn’t to say that her stuff has gotten stuffy. Indeed, each piece found within her Lark Street boutique is worthy of causing people in Manhattan and Chicago—and this has happened—to ask, “Where did you get that awesome piece?’

Best Gift Store
Pearl Grant Richman’s
Stuyvesant Plaza

For the last-minute gift shopper—a category into which most of us fall—Pearl Grant Richman’s can’t be beat. You know you’ll walk out of there with a great gift, even if you can’t find exactly what you walked in for. China, crystal, pottery, kitchenware, sushi sets, chocolates, what have you—you’re sure to be dazzled. You can even get the card too.

Best Book Store (Chain)
Borders Books and Music
59 Wolf Road, Colonie
395 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

We’re taken with the relatively new Saratoga location, which has a roomy atrium that makes the store feel more like a public library than a retail establishment, but we still dig the Colonie location, which is designed so efficiently that it doesn’t feel like a big-box store. Both shops boast massive inventories that include everything from current best-sellers to oddball titles, and the clearance racks occasionally feature terrific finds at terrific costs. Sure, the prices generally aren’t low, but Borders offers a cozy, casual atmosphere in exchange for charging all the market will bear.

Best Book Store (Independent)
The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza
Stuyvesant Plaza

For those of us who aren’t convinced that bigger means better, the Book House is here to remind us of what we always loved about bookstore browsing. Cozy and intimate, with a well-chosen selection that makes all that extra floor space at the local big box seem wasted, the Book House practically insists you settle in for a long visit. And if you need help, you’ll get it: The staffers here actually read books themselves, as evidenced both by the level of service and by the thoughtfully written recommendation cards.

Best Used Books
Dove and Hudson Old Books
296 Hudson Ave., Albany

Photo by Joe Putrock

We love to browse for hours on end at Dove and Hudson Old Books. Tucked away on a side street, just far enough from the noise and traffic of Center Square, the place feels like a peaceful, sensible oasis in our (sometimes) chaotic city. It’s neat and clean and orderly (not that these are qualities that make for the quintessential bookstore experience, but they sure are a plus), and the shelves are always well-stocked with the perfect balance of our favorite classics and modern novelties. If we don’t see something we’re looking for, we have but to ask, and the proprietor will search to see if he’s got a copy of it in the basement or hidden away somewhere out of sight. And from our experiences there, he usually does. Every book is in impeccable shape and handled with care. We love Dove and Hudson because there, bookselling is more than just a trade—clearly, it is a labor of love.

Best Book Store (Children’s)
The Little Book House
Stuyvesant Plaza

No gimmicks here; just a great selection and a comfy environment for the little bibliophiles to settle into with a new favorite book. Again, the staff- recommendation cards are a real plus.

Best Magazine Selection
Borders Books and Music
59 Wolf Road, Albany
395 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Even if you head to a Borders magazine rack to find something specific, chances are you’ll get sucked in by the massive selection, which is coherently organized into shoppable mini- sections. And if traffic around the men’s magazines is a little congested because a gaggle of guys are groping for copies of Jennifer Love Hewitt’s latest Maxim layout, there’s still plenty of browsing room over by the esoteric literary magazines, the Euro-style fashion periodicals, the geek-friendly computer ’zines, the . . . well, you get the idea.

Best Comic Store
Earthworld Comics
537 Central Ave., Albany

Photo by Teri Currie

Just over a year ago, owner J.C. Glindmyer and his cronies moved their operation to more spacious digs, and they’ve settled in nicely—the current space has gobs of room for a big-ass display of action figures, a massive bookcase filled with trade paperbacks, and a lengthy row of longboxes filled with clearance comics. It’s a pleasure to have room to browse through all the goodies, and the shop’s more colorful staffers and customers make each visit a gas.

Honorable Mention: Excellent Adventures (110 Milton Ave., Ballston Spa), a family-run shop loaded with groovy superhero memorabilia, is a great recent addition to the local comic-store scene.

Best Record Store (Chain)
Borders Books & Music
59 Wolf Road, Albany
395 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Yeah, we know, singing the praises of a chain store isn’t all that hip. But it’s hard to argue with the breadth of
Borders’ selection: Whaddya want? From Massive Attack to Minor Threat, Carmen to Cabaret, Birth of the Cool to Death of the Dream. You want it, they’ve got it—or can get it. And if you’re not sure that you want it, they’ll open it up and let you check it out. All this plus an impressively varied selection of music mags—so you can bone up on what to want when the next paycheck arrives.

Best Record Store (Indie)
Music Shack
65 Central Ave., Albany
295 River St., Troy

Shopping for records is as much about the experience as it is about the music (well, almost). You want to go to a place where you know the staff cares about music as much as you do. You want the environment to just exude music—be it hiphop or metal or jazz or indie rock—from every record bin, listening booth and band sticker plastered on the wall. You want to feel like you’ve left the real world and entered one where nothing matters more than that rare Sleater-Kinney import disc you found misfiled under “T” (probably hidden there by some kid who didn’t have enough money and hoped to come back with some extra cash to buy it later). You want to feel like we feel when we walk into Music Shack, where the staff, store and record-shopping experience rocks as hard as the music does.

Best Record Store (used)
Last Vestige Music Shop
173 Quail St., Albany
437 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Still the powerhouse of record stores, Last Vestige packs its two locations to the brim with music—sweet music. They still trade in vinyl, and lots of it, with plenty of unopened gems to be found within the treasure trove of records. And if you don’t see what you want, just ask. We hear there are secret rooms full of more goodies stockpiled away. The used-CD selection is a good one—we dare you to walk out without something—and there are always new local CDs to choose from. Cassettes, box sets, posters, videos and paraphernalia round out the experience.

Best Video Store
Super Video
1839 Central Ave., Albany

Once again, our vote goes to Super Video, an independent with a voluminous collection that’s on par with some chain stores. Owner Terry Field, himself an indie filmmaker, keeps his shop stocked with arthouse titles that complement the plentiful new releases, and so far, no one has matched the depth of his rental-DVD collection. Some may find the store’s location, at the corner of Central Avenue and Route 155, a bit of a hike, but long rental periods make it convenient to stock up for a week before heading back.

Best Freebie Videos
Albany Public Library System

We still feel the loss of all those tapes that the main branch, on Washington Avenue, dumped via the clearance store located in its basement, but the APL system as a whole still boasts a fab collection of mainstream movies, foreign flicks, documentaries and instructional tapes. (Hell, donors have even started stocking the system with DVDs.) And you still can’t beat the price.

Best Antiques Shopping
Downtown Hudson

If you’re a serious antiques shopper, or plan to be one, downtown Hudson should be the first on your short list of places to hunt for all things musty and dusty, old and rusty. Used to be that most of Hudson’s more than 60 antiques dealers congregated on Warren Street, the city’s main drag. But as this former whaling town has become more gentrified (meaning, as rents have gone up), even the side streets have begun to burst at the seams with antiquities, artifacts, ephemera and curios (and lots of weekenders from New York City who can’t get enough of them).

Best Antique Store
Trink
233 Remsen St., Cohoes

Interestingly enough, our favorite antique store is not located in our favorite antiques-shopping district. Trink is a funky little store situated in the unlikeliest of places—humble, unassuming downtown Cohoes. Trink carries all the neat retro and deco furniture we love, the unusual trinkets we buy as gifts for our way-too-cool friends, and a sweet selection of vintage shoes, jeans, skirts and shirts.

Best Thrift Store
The Treasure Chest Thrift Store
295-297 Hamilton Street (on Robinson Square), Albany

Two floors of resale heaven are what’s in store for the discerning bargain shopper at this establishment, which is operated by the Albany Damien Center. No mere repository of other people’s discarded stuff, the Treasure Chest features cast-off wares that are a cut above. Sure, there are the requisite used clothes, linens, pots, pans and the like on the sales floor, but we’ve also spotted vintage furniture, china, crystal and so much more among the offerings. In addition to other finds, the second floor features used books, records and CDs for sale to benefit the AIDS Council.

Best Vintage Clothes
Steve’s Used Clothing
Route 9w, West Coxsackie

Why travel all the way to West Coxsackie for vintage clothing, you ask? We’ll tell you why: boatloads of vintage Levi’s in next-to-new condition, a veritable sea of ’60s and ’70s era polyester, and more faux-fur, denim and leather jackets than you can shake a stick at. Don’t waste your time diddling around at the second-rate thrift shop on the corner. Save your pennies for gas money, hop in the car and lose yourself in the racks-upon-racks of vintage clothing at Steve’s.

Best Grocery Store
Hannaford
900 Central Ave., Albany
Price Chopper
1355 New Scotland Road, Slingerlands

We love the diversity of our favorite Hannaford store, with excellent selections in several ethnic food categories as well as a rockin’ natural-foods section. We also love the high-class supermarket shopping in a decidedly prole neighborhood. On the other hand, if you want to rub shopping carts with doctors and lawyers—and suck down some fresh sushi while you peruse the mesclun, arugula and artisan cheeses—the Slingerlands Price Chopper is the place for you. The café area is a nice touch, and, we admit, we love the designer angles on the otherwise ordinary experience of grocery shopping.

Best Neighborhood Grocery Store
Price Chopper
40 Delaware Ave., Albany

For starters, Price Chopper is the only grocery store that will come anywhere near an inner-city community. As a matter of fact, there was one in Arbor Hill years ago that retreated, but the Price Chopper on Delaware Avenue stands tough—serving a community of people underserved in the grocery-store department. And while more grocery stores could be used in inner-city neighborhoods, we applaud the efforts of this one. The selection of produce, specialty items, ethnic foods, beverages and all the rest is pretty damn good—all while being a true neighborhood hub.

Best Convenience Store
Stewart’s Shops
All Over The Place

Stewart’s Shops hearken back to a time when convenience stores were exactly that—convenient, rather than ubiquitous (It always seems like 1979 in there, doesn’t it?). It’s like the Cliff’s Notes version of your standard—and sometimes too-distant—grocery goliath. Man does not exist on bread alone, but you can easily get through a long weekend on the bread, milk, eggs, aspirin, smokes, sixers and snacks available on Stewart’s shelves. As an added bonus for the amateur sociologist, the Stewart’s shops all reflect the individual personality of the neighborhoods in which they’re located—so get out there and collect ’em all.

Best Co-op
Honest Weight Food Co-op
484 Central Ave., Albany

Looking for a place to get your crunchiness on? Honest Weight is one of the few co-ops in this area that offers natural food products while promoting nutritional awareness and environmental responsibility. And the size of the place equals that of some grocery stores, so you’re sure to find what you’re looking for.

Best Gourmet Market Disguised as a Produce Stand
Guido’s Fresh Marketplace
1020 South St., Pittsfield, Mass.
760 S. Main St., Great Barrington, Mass.

A perennial winner, Guido’s has the region’s best selection of quality produce, hands down; but there’s so much more to the store that you can’t expect to pop in for a head of lettuce and a couple of tomatoes and not leave with a boxful of other goodies as well. From the dozens of varieties of olive oils, vinegars and the like to the bountiful fresh meat, fish, pasta and baked goods, Guido’s is gourmet food shopping at its finest—and without the high prices you might expect to pay for this privilege.

Best Farmers’ Market
Troy Waterfront Farmers’ Market
Troy Dock and Marina, River Street, 9 AM-1 PM Saturdays

The bounty of the greater Capital Region is in abundance at the Troy Farmers Market. Why go to a grocery store for cottony tomatoes and seed-heavy zukes that have traveled god knows how many miles, when you can get them here, fresh from the earth? Luscious, gigundo tomatoes. The tenderest baby squash and zucchini. Bouquets of fragrant herbs, including those hard to find chervils and savorys. Lettuces whose green and purple frills leave no question as to why Cain chose gardening over shepherding. And speaking of animals, this year shoppers can buy exquisite free-range and organic lamb and pork products. After visiting the Troy Farmers Market, you’ll never want to eat supermarket-bought green beans or pea pods again. Trust us.

Best Bread (Organic Whole Grain)
Berkshire Mountain Bakery
367 Park St., Housatonic, Mass.

Devotees of baker Richard Bourdon’s breadmaking artistry continue to marvel at how he can combine such simple and healthful ingredients—stone-ground wheat flour, sourdough, sunflower seeds and the like—to make such delicious, hearty loaves. One of our favorites is his sunny flax seed bread, which we buy at the Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany.

Best Gourmet Bread
Bountiful Bread
Stuyvesant Plaza

Bountiful Bread offers an entire palette of possibilities for all of you gourmet-bread lovers out there, from Greek-olive-oregano to sun-dried-tomato pesto. More than two dozen types of breads are baked daily here from scratch with natural, whole-grain unbleached flour—and their loaves are preservative free. Many are lowfat and fat-free, and don’t forget to try the bread of the day.

Best Bread (Italian)
Perreca’s
33 N. Jay St., Schenectady

Better get to Perreca’s pretty early if you want to get a loaf of the yummy, chewy, dreamy Italian bread that comes out of their coal-fired ovens. Fortunately, this bread is so good that it haunts us in our sleep, waking us at the crack of dawn with cravings and yearnings for something perfect to go with our morning coffee. No, not donuts, not muffins, not bagels—we want Perreca’s, and if we rush to Schenectady right now, we just might score some.

Best Bakery (Traditional)
Vanilla Bean
573 New Scotland Ave., Albany
521 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham
216-226 Fourth St., Troy

Fudge fancies, fudge fancies, fudge fancies, peanut butter fudge fancies, fudge fancies, fudge fancies, fudge fancies, peanut butter fudge fancies, fudge fancies, fudge fancies, fudge fancies, chocolate chip cookies, fudge fancies. And lots of other really, really, really yummy cookies, cakes and baked goods, too.

Best Bakery (Exotic)
Mrs. London’s
464 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: ooh la la! Perhaps the offerings from Mrs. London’s would be less exotic if the bakery were located on, say, a rue on the Left Bank (that would be in gay Paris), but it’s in the heart of Saratoga Springs, so we continue to marvel at the genuine French baguettes, croissants, brioches, pastries and painstakingly crafted confections that are quite simply magnifique!

Best Candy Store
Catherine’s Chocolates
260 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, Mass.

Candy lovers will think they’ve died and gone to heaven. From standard chocolates to fancy cookies to special seasonal creations, Catherine’s has something for everyone who has a healthy appetite for sweets. And oh, the fudge. You might consider bringing someone who is under strict orders to restrain you.

Best Dairy
Meadowbrook Dairy
Route 443, Clarksville

Milk. It’s a natural—at least, that’s the case at Meadowbrook Dairy, where the creamy white stuff is produced the old-fashioned way, without chemical enhancement from bovine growth hormones. Bottled in glass, delivered to your door, and tasty as milk should be. Meadowbrook got milk—real milk.

Best Smokehouse
Oscar’s Smokehouse
22 Raymond’s Lane, Warrensburg

OK, we admit we sometimes feel a pang of guilt when walking past the cute, carved piggies outside Oscar’s. But our carnivorous side always wins when we catch the delectable scent of hickory- and mesquite-smoked meats and cheeses as we approach the threshold of our favorite smokehouse. Sorry, Babe.

Best Wine Store
All-Star Wine & Spirits
Latham Farms

A repeat winner, All Star still has the richest wine selection in the area, and the service that such a selection deserves; the only drawback we can think of is that it’s located in the hideous Latham Farms. Not only has owner Craig Allen given us a first-class wine store, he’s also put the Capital Region on the national wine map.

Honorable Mention: Nejaime’s (444 Pittsfield Road, Lenox, Mass.) earned this distinction last year for a well-chosen selection and superior service, and since then, the store has been enlarged.

Best Beer Store
Oliver’s Beverage Center
105 Colvin Ave., Albany

In the immortal words of Homer Simpson: “Mmm, beer.”

Best Bike Shop
The Downtube Cycle Shop
466 Madison Ave., Albany

When we need bike stuff, we always go to one place first: the Downtube. The friendly and knowledgeable staff is able to satisfy our every biking desire. Need a new bike? The fellows here will guide you through their fine selection of Gary Fishers and Treks, and find the bike that best suits your needs. Need accessories? They’ve got water bottles, bike pumps, helmets and cycling clothes. Looking for some good, gnarly trails in the Capital Region? They’ll be happy to help you out with a few suggestions. A bent frame? Worn brakes? Flat tire? Piece of cake for these guys. They’ll have you two-wheeling again in no time.

Best optical Store
Hughes Opticians
411 Kenwood Ave., Delmar

On a two-year winning streak, the family-owned Hughes Opticians continues to please. They treat each customer as one of the family, and you’ll appreciate the expert service and advice offered. Custom orders are not a problem, and sit-ins with any particular frame rep (Armani, anyone?) are offered—so you can get up-to-the-minute styles at reasonable prices. However, a plethora of frame designs are on display at all times, and contacts, sunglasses and eye exams make this a one-stop eyecare facility.

Best Gym Doing the Best With What They Have
Capital District YMCA
Various Locations

The Y is a nonprofit entity bringing the masses closer to fitness and health. And in competition with the big guns, they nearly hold their own. Sure, air-conditioning levels vary from day to day, and it’s hard to get that sweat-sock smell out of the carpets, but the downtown location handles the heavy traffic well. On top of rooms of free weights, Cybex equipment and
aerobic-fitness equipment (does “wall of treadmills” mean anything to you?), there are courts, pools, classes, perso
nal-training sessions and an after-school program.

Best Butt Blaster
Lena Hart
The Sweat Shop, 818 Central Ave., Albany

Hart’s 6 AM functional strength training classes take you through your paces. “It’s all about the butt, ladies [and, often, gentlemen], Hart intones while demonstrating how easy it is, with determination, to do intense glute training for what seems like hours. No matter how tough the class is, we keep coming back. Hart’s regimen brings results, and her attitude—equal parts no-nonesense drillmaster and sly wit—is refreshing. “A strong butt helps keep your abs, your legs, your knees strong. . . . And it helps you in other ways, if you know what I mean . . .”

Best Pet Supplies
Pet Supplies Plus
1235 Western Ave., Albany

Photo by Cassi Suen

A solid winner three years running (could be more, but our archivist got tired), Pet Supplies Plus continues to shine in the pet-outfitting biz. The store isn’t so big that you need a golf cart to get around it, but within its walls are found leashes upon fish bowls upon chewies upon play-toys. They cater to all kinds of critters, and have an extensive selection of foods. Champ can come on in, too, and choose his own damn nummies.

Best Building Supply
Bellevue Builders Supply
504 Duanesburg Road, Schenectady

If you’re tired of facing frustration at every turn in the big-box building supply stores, a trip to Bellevue is in order. A knowledgeable staff and old-time service (the kitchen-design staff is second to none) are what you’ll find, whether you’re in the market for a few simple tools or everything you’ll need for a major home rehab or new construction project.

Best Large Appliances
Cocca’s Appliance and Video
158 Railroad Ave. Ext., Albany

Not the biggest or the most obvious, but for our washer-and-dryer dollar, the best. Great deals, great service, free delivery. A repeat winner.

Best Furniture (Traditional)
The Furniture House
1254 Route 9P, Saratoga Springs

If money were no object, this is where the more traditionally minded from among our ranks would make our home-furnishing dreams come true. While the sofas, dining-room furniture and the like may speak to our less-daring selves, this is not where your Chippendale-loving grand’mère would get her furniture fix, as much of what’s for sale exhibits a contemporary, if somewhat stately, flare.

Best Furniture (bargain)
Huck Finn’s Warehouse Outlet
25 Erie Blvd., Albany

On a bit of a budget? Never fear: Huck Finn’s Warehouse fills its huge space with sofas, mattresses, desks, bureaus, carpets, loveseats, chairs, ottomans, recliners, tables, bed frames, davenports—whatever the hell you furnish your house with, they stock it. Cheap. Shop around; check out other showrooms; then go to Huck Finn’s. The price is right. And the product is pretty darn good too. While you’re there, you can also stock up on bedding, dishware, bathroom items and the like. They have it all.

Best Place to Pamper Your Senses
Drygoods
42 Railroad St., Great Barrington, Mass.

Try as we might, we are unable to visit this charming store on Great Barrington’s boutiquey Railroad Street without dropping at least a few bucks on the simply sensational goodies they offer. Every week, it seems, a new shipment of unique baubles arrives—how can you refuse? And once you get past the jewels, there are all the body-care products: the creams and perfumes and moisturizers and bath crystals, powders, all decked out in mysterious and romantic bottles and boxes. The clothing, the shoes, the handbags, the scarves—all seem to be yearning to be caressed and tried on. The paper goods cry out for you to touch them, too, and to imagine beginning, at long last, that journal you’ve been meaning to write. Surely, this is shopping at its most sensual.

Best Sporting Goods
Goldstock’s
98 Freemans Bridge Road, Scotia

There’s a reason the folks who live out this way swear by this sporting-goods institution: Goldstock’s packs more quality sports gear—and friendly service—into a store with a fraction of the floor space of the chains. You might not find 100 variations on the same basic item here, but our money says you’ll find the one you want.

Best Newsstand

Coulson’s
420 Broadway, Albany
594 Loudon Road, Latham

Sad to say, there aren’t many of these left; and even Coulson’s doesn’t have as many out-of town newspapers as we’d like (there’s something cool about seeing papers from Chicago or Paris in our local newsstand—even if we don’t actually read them!). But seriously, Coulson’s is about the only serious newsstand left where you can count on finding a full supply of the region’s papers. Pretty fair magazine selection too.

Best Musical Instrument store
Parkway Music
1602 route 9, halfmoon

If even after all those harrowing episodes of Behind the Music, you still want to be a rock & roll star, you’ve got to keep Parkway Music in mind. They’ve got everything you’ll need shy of rehab facilities. Great new and used gear of all sorts, instrument and electronics repair, rentals, lessons, and—most importantly—a helpful staff of musicians who know what the hell they’re talking about. Musicians first and foremost, mind you, not just salespeople angling for the sale.

Best Home Electronics

Hippo’s
Stuyvesant Plaza

Big-box electronic stores come and go, while Hippo’s just keeps going and going. Maybe owner Tony Hazapas knows something about this business that CEOs crunching numbers in far-off corporate headquarters don’t—for example, that quality and service matter. And it helps when the owner and staff have a personal relationship with the customers, something that’s nearly impossible at the chains.