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Readers’ Poll: Goods & Services

by The Staff on March 13, 2013

Best Holistic Shop, Best Produce, Best Health Food Store: Honest Weight Food Co-op. Photo by Erin Pihlaja.

Best Optical Store

1. Empire Vision Centers

2. Lens Crafters

3. Hughes Opticians

Empire Vision Centers are a repeat winner; Lens Crafters moved up from last year’s third-place finish; and Delmar’s Hughes Opticians knocked an old favorite out of the top three.

 Best Appliance Store

1. Sears

2. John D. Marcella & Son Aplliances

3. (TIE) Cocca’s Aplliances and Home Electronics, Lowes

Department stores come, department stores go. In the hearts of our readers, Sears abides. But you still have plenty of love for local mainstays Marcellas and Cocca’s.

 Best Antiques Store

1. Aunt Katie’s Attic

2. La Moda Lisa

3. Silver Fox

Auntie K. was a clear favorite in the poll—looks like we’ll have to go hunting for treasures soon.

Best Bookstore

1. Barnes and Noble

2. The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza

3. Open Door Bookstore

It’s great to see so many people vote for bookstores. Maybe the screens won’t take over everything completely.

Best Comic Book Store

1. Earthworld

2. Zombie Planet

3. Aquilonia

Earthworld is a clear favorite of comic book fans in the region.

Best Garden Store/Nursery

1. Hewitt’s

2. Faddegons

3. Gade Farms

Hewitt’s lead was untouchable among those with a green thumb.

Best Florist

1. Emil J. Nagengast Florist

2. Lark Street Flower Market

3. Price Chopper

Artistry and service have made Nagengast an Albany institution. The Lark Street mainstay was close behind.

Best Kitchen Store

1. Different Drummers Kitchen

2. Lowes

3. William Sonoma

No one stood a chance against Different Drummers—the clear winner in the kitchen wars.

Best Furniture Store

1. Old Brick Furniture

2. Taft Furniture

3. Raymour and Flannigan

A solid margin of victory for the Old Brick.

Best Pet Supply Store

1. Petsmart

2. Bensons

3. (TIE) Healthy Pet Center, Petco

This category drew a lot of votes. There must be plenty of pampered pets out there.

Best Gift Store

1. Wit’s End

2. Romeo’s Gifts

3. Pearl Grant Richmans

Three great local stores in which to find that perfect gift.

Best Art Supply Store

1. Arlene’s

2. Michaels

3. A.C. Moore

The chains have marketing clout, but Arlene’s has the local, personal touch to make it a landslide winner.

Best Wine/Liquor Store

1. Empire Wine

2. Exit 9 Wine & Liquor Warehouse

3. All Star Wine & Spirits

So that explains why Empire Wine is always hustling and bustling. The Target Plaza wineseller won the top spot with plenty of room to spare.

Best Women’s Clothing Store

1. Macy’s

2. Kohl’s

3. Truly Rhe

It’s nice to see a local boutique in the running here, even though Macy’s easily took the lead.

Best Men’s Clothing Store

1. Macy’s

2. Jos. A. Bank

3. Spectors

Another solid win for Macy’s.

Best Children’s Clothing Store

1. The Children’s Place

2. Old Navy

3. Kohl’s

Three big chains, and not much daylight between their vote totals.

Best Consignment Clothing Store

1. La Moda Lisa

2. (TIE) Plato’s Closet, Clothes Mentor

La Moda Lisa offers great fashion finds and documented paranormal activity.

Best Sporting Goods Store

1. Dick’s

2. Goldstocks

3. Sports Authority

Nice to see Goldstocks in their, battling the chain-store juggernauts.

Best Head Shop

1. Northern Lights

2. Orion

3. Deja Vu

There are so many interesting implements one can use to smoke, um, tobacco.

Best Cigar/Tobacco Store

1. Habana Premium Cigar Shoppe

2. Edleez Tobacco

3. Smokers Choice

The winners here reflect tobacco quality and value.

Best Holistic Shop

1. Honest Weight Food Co-op

2. Peaceful Inspirations

3. (TIE) Magic Moon, Uncle Sam

Honest Weight Food Co-op: Good for the body, good for the soul.

Best Bicycle Shop

1. Downtube Bicycle Shop

2. Plaine and Son

3. (TIE) Freeman’s Bridge, CK Cycles

It’s pretty hard to top Downtube, even though Plaine and Son came respectfully close.

Best Toy Store

1. Toys R Us

2. The Toymaker

3. TaDa!

It was that heavy ad campaign in the ’80s wasn’t it? You’re all still waiting to win that toy shopping spree, aren’t you?

Best Jeweler

1. Northeastern Fine Jewelry

2. Hannoush Jewelers

3. Kay Jewelry

It was close, but Northeastern Fine Jewelry wins the tiara.

Best Day Spa

1. Kimberly’s A Day Spa

2. Complexions

3. Serenity

Kimberly’s remains your clear favorite.

Best Musical Instrument Store

1. Parkway Music

2. Guitar Center

3. (TIE) Hermie’s, Drome Sound

Parkway Music was your overwhelming favorite, but only one vote separated the second- and third-place finishers.

Best Apple Orchard

1. Indian Ladder Farms

2. Goold’s Orchard

3. Bowman Orchard

Is it the cider doughnuts? Is it the baby animals? Is it hay rides? Is it Santa? It’s a little of each, but, mainly, it’s the apples you love at Indian Ladder Farms.

Best Farmers Market

1. Troy Waterfront Farmers Market/Troy Winter Farmers Market

2. Schenectady Greenmarket

3. Delmar

Troy’s epic farmers market brought in a hefty amount of votes proving all of the loyal Troy fans right again—this city is doing something right.

Best Produce

1. Honest Weight Food Co-op

2. Hannaford

3. Price Chopper

A decent 30-vote-margin win for Honest Weight, but only a couple of ballots separate Hannaford from the Chopper.

Best Shopping (Plaza)

1. Stuyvesant Plaza

2. Mohawk Commons

3. Newton Plaza

This wasn’t even close. Stuyvesant topples all.

Best Shopping (Mall)

1. Colonie Center

2. Crossgates Mall

3. Wilton Mall

We think Colonie Center won again because it still has a just-renovated look and new-mall smell; Crossgates stayed a strong No. 2 because it has Forever 21; and Wilton Mall finished third because Saratogians wouldn’t be caught dead in Clifton Park.

Best Shopping (Downtown)

1. Saratoga Springs

2. Troy

3. Lark Street

Another category with a big winner but a solid second-place finisher. C’mon, Troy!

Best Shopping (Outlet)

1. Lee

2. Lake George

3. Woodbury Commons

Alas, Western Mass. is not a top-three day trip any more—unless shopping is involved.

Best Supermarket

1. Price Chopper

2. Hannaford

3. Shop Rite

It’s been a crazy couple of years for the Capital Region grocery scene, but Price Chopper still has a pretty loyal fan base. Still, Hannaford was right on their heels.

Best Health Food Store

1. Honest Weight Food Co-Op

2. Trader Joe’s

3. Uncle Sam’s

We guess people were still in too much of a Trader-Joe’s-is-here daze to actually vote for them in large numbers. A landslide for Honest Weight.

Best Record Store

1. Last Vestige Music Shop

2. River Street Beat Shop

3. Fuzz Records

Did we just say “landslide?” We’ll say it again! Last Vestige won in a landslide.

Best Video Game Shop

1. Jay St. Video Games

2. Gamestop

3. Pastime Legends

For all your gaming wants—and needs.