{ “Look at that doggy in the window,” He’s real! Thread in the South Wedge. }

YOUR

#roc the holiday

ONE STOP

#shoplocalroc

SPOTS

{ Loud. Smelly. Crowded. Over Priced. Parking. … I don’t like the mall. Still, the 1 most common myth associated with #ShopLocal is this – It’s not a 1-stop-spot. Untrue! The proximity of diverse shops + merchants found while shopping local rivals any “convenience” the mall offers. Take this Holiday Bazaar + this South Wedge main drag as proof. }

The Yards Holiday Bazaar

local convenience

50-52 Public Market Way (above Cure at the Public Market – Facebook)

No to the Mall: What is so “convenient” about shopping at the mall??

1. Parking – excessively far.
2. Finding your Car – a chore.
3. Stores + Food – at opposite ends of 4 different wings.
4. Loud Nosies – It’s loud, and some stores really smell!
5. People – Inherent traffic laws of “left + right” seem not apply.

Yes to Shop Local: Shopping Local maximizes convenience while creating experience.

1. Parking – Never more than 1 { 2 at most } city blocks away.
2. Finding your Car – glance at street name + intersection: voila.
3. Stores + Food – all in a row, and { as with bazaars } all in the same space!
4. No Loud Nosies – played-out music + smells do not dominate the air waves.
5. People – Joyfully + contently peruse shops and stands in merriment + harmony.

Hedonist ice cream shop has art for you to buy! { Madelyn Neva }

make your holiday light

SHOP

• The Yards Holiday Bazaar at the Public Market: Saturday, December 20 { 10am – 3pm at The Public Market }
• The South Wedge: Ongoing { Gregory Street + South Ave }
• Mayday! Underground: Sunday, December 21 { 10am – 4pm also in The South Wedge – Groove Juice Ballroom, 389 Gregory Street }

SHOP LOCAL ROCHESTER CONTEST

1. Shop Local
2. Photograph your purchase
3. Post { Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter } + Hashtag – #shoplocalroc

Abode with endless gifting options.

top 3 reasons for 1-stop-spots

• Diversity. South Ave, alone, houses:
  • food: coffee shops { Equal Grounds, Coffee Connection }; restaurants { Beale, Banzai Sushi … the list is endless }; speciality food shops { Little Bleu Cheese Shop, Hedonist Artisan Chocolates, Mise En Place }
  • drink + entertainment: wine stores { South Wedge Wine + Spirits }; bars + wine bars { Solera, Cheshire, Lux }
  • clothing + fashion: street style { Thread }; gift + clothing { Zak’s Ave }; thrift { Goodwill }; vintage { Hot Rod Betties }
  • home: mid-century + modern { Abode }; vintage + home repairs { Historic Houseparts }
  • music: record store { Needle Drop Records
  • sport: bike shop { Full Moon Vista }
  • speciality: there’s even a Tattoo + Barber shop! { Bauman’s Barber Shop }
• Quality. Handcrafted + hand selected: Rochester artisans create, craft, + cultivate with a pride both palpable + unending. The Yards Holiday Bazaar Artisans include:
  • Lisa Barker Photography { also check-out what this woman does for #Roc! }
  • Lauren Blair
  • Katie Carey Ceramics
  • Chara Dow Rustic Works
  • Amber Dutcher
  • Earthling Supply Co.
  • Greg + Jess Handmade
  • Shawnee Hill
  • Hohm Designs
  • Interstellar Love Craft
  • Katharina Jackson
  • The Knotty Owl
  • Joann McGranahan { Vintage Refashioned }
  • Mr. PVRT
  • Panoptic Press
  • Pistachio Press
  • Sarah C. Rutherford
  • Dylan Staib
  • Kala Stein
  • Samantha Stumpf
  • Heather Swenson
  • Mark Thone
  • EmmaLee Wolf
  • Tanya Zani Photography
  • WholeBytes { vegan eats! }
• Community. These merchants + artisans create opportunities and conversations. They make art + comfort affordable. They imbue gift giving with life + love. Get out and get to know your Rochester community this weekend!

“small businesses work really hard to find really unique things,” -Ann Duckett, owner of The Little Bleu Cheese Shop

LBCS also sells local art + has tons of ideas for gifts!

The South Wedge

One of the friendliest neighborhoods in Rochester, with some of the friendliest, most gracious merchants in tow.

This past weekend I stopped by Abode, Little Bleu Cheese Shop, + Hedonist Artisan Chocolates, all near the corner of Gregory + South. This is why 1-Stop-Spots like The South Wedge make Holiday Shopping better:

1. Unique Gifts
2. Hand Selected Quality
3. Friendly, Amenable Service
4. { BONUS: All of these businesses are women owned! }

95% vintage – 5% looks vintage. Abode.

ABODE | 289 Gregory Street Rochester, NY 14620 | FACEBOOK

Love Anthropologie? Me too … But. It’s at the mall, + the prices are exorbitantly high. { No way am I decorating my home with decor that exceeds my clothing/make-up/wine budget. } Enter Abode, owned + operated by Ariane Krenichyn + Amanda DeFisher, 2 women with a passion for design, a taste for mid-century, and an eye for local + vintage. At Abode, you will find:

• the most incredible, one-of-a-kind gifts your friends + family will forever love you for
• tasteful home decor with bite + range: from large furniture to accent pieces to knick-knacks + tchotchkes
• friendly, knowledgeable shop owners + sometimes Lucy, the French bull dog!

{ BONUS: Find vintage pieces on Etsy! }

More versatile than an LBD. It’s LBCS.

THE LITTLE BLEU CHEESE SHOP | 684 South Avenue Rochester, NY 14620 | FACEBOOK

“We simply love cheese,” reads The LBCS tag-line. And I simply love Ann. Owner Ann Duckett selects handcrafted, artisan cheeses from around NYS, the US, + the world to bring us and Rochester the very best. And she does so with love. Every single time I have ever brought LBCS cheeses to a party, a friend’s, a holiday occasion, or as a gift – that parchment packet of goodness has turned each occasion into a gracious celebration. At LBCS, you will find:

• impeccable cheeses { that take your breath away } + the opportunity to sample
• more gifts! locally handcrafted cutting blocks + granite blocks + mustards to Brooklyn made pickles to cookbooks and a myriad of unending accoutrements
• convenience – LBCS is happy to deliver! { the beauty of buying from small businesses }

“At The Little Bleu Cheese Shop, we really get to know our cheese makers,” –Ann Duckett, owner of LBCS

Truffles + Clusters are just the beginning.

HEDONIST ARTISAN CHOCOLATES | 672 South Avenue Rochester, NY 14620 | FACEBOOK

Ice cream, sorbet, + chocolate to be, exact. Let’s be clear – this isn’t just any sweets shop. This is down-and-dirty gourmet. With almost a decade in the South Wedge, I wouldn’t expect anything less. Truly, Hedonist Artisan Chocolates, owned by Jennifer, lives up to the jovial + rascal-like implications of its name. … Food allergies, you say? Hedonist offers options, including dairy free! At Hedonist, you will find:

• silky,glossy, beautiful chocolates: drinking chocolate { it exists! }, bark, truffles, clusters, + even discounted items so delectable, they have their own cult-following!
• expert recommendations + packaging. Hawa, shop manager, is: professional, knowledgeable, friendly, resourceful, and knows how to package a gift. { Godiva is jealous of the job she did on mine, I guarantee it. }
• dairy-free + vegan options! Yes. And Hedonist still makes it taste sinful.

{ BONUS: All chocolates in-store last at least until Christmas. Hedonist delivers. And there’s a Goat Cheese Collection! }

A feast for the eyes. South Wedge window displays. { Hedonist. }

This, your last weekend before Hanukkah ends + Christmas begins. Get your 1-Stop-Shopping done + look good, feel good doing it. #Roc the holiday and #ShopLocal!

#happyholidays

#shoplocal

XO.