Whatever Tattoo
I like going to the Cinderella jewelry stores because they have a ton of stuff at mostly very low prices. When you go in they give you a little tray to put your jewelry in, and you can browse the walls lined with earrings, necklaces, bracelets and some other non-jewelry accessories like hats and belts. The jewelry styles and materials vary, and it's not hard to find something to wear out (or even to work, depending on what you find).
Avalon Exchange
I visited this store when I went to St. Louis, and if I lived there I would go there all the time. It is a buy-sell-trade used clothing store. There is a little bit of vintage stuff, but it seems to be mostly current name-brand stuff, which is okay with me considering the prices are very reasonable and it's all in one place. In addition to women's and men's clothing (organized by size, which is actually something I don't think I've ever seen at any vintage or thrift store, and I've been to a lot), they have a good selection of shoes, hats, belts, and jewelry.
Arlene's Grocery
Arlene's Grocery is not actually a grocery store but a small live music venue on the Lower East Side. They don't usually book well-known bands, but if a band you know and/or like is playing there I suggest checking them out because it's a very small and intimate space. There is a separate bar as well as a bar in the performance room. As far as I know, the cover prices are generally low, and their popular Monday night rock and roll karaoke shows (with a live rock band) are free. I would recommend that newer local bands try to get booked here.
Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
I went to Lupos once a few years back and thought it was a pretty cool space. When I made the trek again recently, the location had changed (the address is now 79 Washington Street) and I was dismayed to find that the venue was now in a space that was much better suited for a nightclub than a live rock venue. The huge bar in the main room and the giant cages on the sides (created for x-rated dancing, I assume) don't really fit. But what bothered me most is that even though the space overall is quite big, the floor is broken up into several levels (like the Palladium in Worcester, Mass), and the lowest part in front of the stage (where the people who want to dance and sing along go) isn't very big and can easily get crowded and pushy. That type of venue only really works for bands where everyone is just going to stand and watch. They book some good bands, but so do better venues in other cities, so if you have the chance to catch a band somewhere else I would recommend it.
Avalon Night Club
Avalon is a nightclub that is now also sometimes a rock venue. This review refers to the times that it is a rock venue. Despite the fact that it is an old church, it looks like a normal venue inside, and I would say that the space is comparable to Irving Plaza in terms of size and shape (the room isn't that wide, but goes back pretty far). They don't have a ton of shows there, but it is worth keeping an eye on their schedule because they have been starting to book some good indie bands.
Mercury Lounge
Mercury Lounge is one of my favorite places in the city to see bands play. It's in a great area (the Lower East Side), a good number of established and up-and-coming indie rock bands play there, and best of all, it's small. The bar area is separated from the room where the stage is by a door, which I think is nice because it separates the people who want to drink and talk loudly while a band is playing from the people who really want to see and be able to hear the band. Their box office also sells tickets for Bowery Ballroom and Webster Hall shows, so you can stop by to get tickets for all three places at once without paying Ticketweb fees.
Threds
I was really excited about Threds when I first found out about it, but I've come to realize that it's more exciting in theory than in reality. It's a small store packed with vintage clothing and some other novelty-type stuff up front like humorous magnets. I love vintage stores, but I found that most of the shirts were tacky 70s polyester shirts and that the jeans were nothing special. These things take up most of the store. However, I am not one to tell anyone not to visit a vintage or thrift store, because everyone is looking for different things and you never know what you'll find. I did get one cute old t-shirt there for only five bucks.
North Elm Home
Johnson's is a longtime favorite stop for lovers of antique furniture. It claimed a little while back that it was closing forever, but I have heard recently that it is open again, so I am going to trust that it is and review it. The building is large, comprised of a main space with several aisles, a back room and a second floor. The furniture is a combination of large pieces like bureaus and small ones like end tables, from various periods and made of various kinds of wood, as well as a fair amount of stained glass lamps. My family has gotten some great deals on smaller pieces there and always stops by when we are looking for a new addition to one of our rooms.
Saperstein's
Sapersteins is the kind of clothing store you don't see much anymore--a family business that sells mostly basic, affordable, non-name-brand clothing for kids, teens, women and men. They have started to sell some of the surf brands that you would normally see in PacSun, but otherwise there are the basics like solid color t-shirts, sweatshirts, thermals, and winterwear. The staff are friendly and try to be helpful, but when I went looking for leggings I was told that they didn't have any even though they did because no one there knew what leggings were and called leggings workout pants, even though they are different things.
Salisbury Pharmacy
I love going to the pharmacy in Salisbury because it feels like a slice of the past. It has a friendly atmosphere and a large selection of great skin care products from independent brands that are hard to find elsewhere. They always have a selection of nice seasonal and holiday gifts and gourmet candy that is many steps above the seasonal offerings at chain drug stores.
