Shop Local Rochester: { Forget the Mall } 1-Stop-Spots for The Holidays!

{ “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.

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

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

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! }

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! }

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

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! }

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.