Welcome back to the Besties, 518ers. If you’re new here, welcome. In this post, we’re sharing the results from our annual online best-of-everything survey, in which Capital Region customers voted for their all-time favorites in a slew of categories spanning from People & Places to Food & Drink. In this post: the Shopping categories! Meet the rest of the winners of our People & Places categories here, and stay tuned for our Besties Food & Drink issue, out in May!
ANTIQUE STORE
Stone Soup Antiques Gallery
2144 Doubleday Avenue, NY-50, Ballston Spa
518.885.5232
stonesoupantiquesgallery.com
Waverly Square Antiques
19 Low Street, Ballston Spa
518.309.3566
waverlysquareantiques.com
Black Widow Gallery
15 West Main Street, Cambridge
518.588.0556
Black Widow Gallery on Facebook
ART GALLERY SHOP
Jacob Houston Art
65 By Pass Road, Greenwich
518.812.3820
jacobhoustonart.com
The Blooming Artist
675 Grooms Road, Suite 101, Clifton Park
518.280.4928
thebloomingartist.gallery
Paint Cohoes
144 Remsen Street, Cohoes
518.348.6828
paintcohoes.com
BEVERAGE CENTER
Delmar Beverage Center
242 Delaware Avenue, Delmar
518.439.7275
delmarbeverage.com
Oliver’s Beverage
105 Colvin Avenue, Suite 4, Albany
518.459.2767
brew-crew.com
Albany Beverage Center
3899 Carman Road, Schenectady
518.355.4370
albanybeverages.com
BOOKSTORE
I Love Books
380 Delaware Avenue, Suite A
Delmar
518.478.0715
I Love Books on Facebook
Northshire Bookstore
424 Broadway, Saratoga Springs
518.682.4200
4869 Main Street, Manchester Center, VT
802.362.2200
northshire.com
Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza
Stuyesvant Plaza, 1475 Western Avenue, Suite 62, Albany
518.489.4761
bhny.com
BRIDAL SHOP
Elle’s Bridal Boutique
211 Park Avenue, Mechanicville
518.664.1189
ellesbridalboutique.com
Bridal Gallery By Yvonne
895 New Loudon Road, Latham
518.782.9333
bridalgallerybyyvonne.com
Lily Saratoga
6 Franklin Square, Saratoga Springs
518.587.5017
lilysaratoga.com
BUTCHER SHOP
Fred The Butcher
1473 US-9, Clifton Park
518.371.5333
386 Maple Road, Slingerlands
518.650.8849
fredthebutcher.com
McCarroll’s The Village Butcher
406 Kenwood Avenue, Delmar
518.478.9651
fix8media-delmar.squarespace.com/mccarrolls-butcher
CANNABIS DISPENSARY
Hold Up Roll Up
196 Washington Avenue, Albany
518.521.8324
holduprollup.com
Royale Flower Cannabis Dispensary
332 Northern Boulevard, Albany
518.380.3738
royaleflower.com
Upstate Canna Co.
1613 Union Street, Schenectady
518.280.4289
upstate-canna.co
CSA/COMMUNITY CO-OP
Honest Weight Food Co-op
100 Watervliet Avenue, Albany
518.482.2667
honestweight.coop
When it comes to natural, organic, and locally grown food in the Capital Region, Albany’s Honest Weight Food Co-oprules the roost, winning Besties in the CSA/Community Co-op and Health Food Store categories year after year. And this year, the member-owned store is celebrating a big birthday.
“Honest Weight Food Co-op began in January of 1976 as an Albany-based bulk buying club, started by a group of about 20 friends and neighbors who, through pooling their funds, could access foods and ingredients they couldn’t find or afford elsewhere,” says Marketing Manager Erika Lopez. “Fifty years later, Honest Weight is still operating as a member cooperative; our friend group has just grown a bit. The Co-op is an incredible example of what happens when people work together towards a common mission. Cheers to bringing wholesome natural foods to our Capital Region community for another 50 years!”
Fox Creek Farms CSA
182 Fox Creek Farm Road, Schoharie
518.872.2375
foxcreekfarmcsa.com
Cambridge Co-op
1 West Main Street, Cambridge
518.677.5731
cambridgefoodcoop.com
CAR DEALERSHIP
Keeler Motor Car Company
1111 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham
518.785.4197
keeler.com
Lia Auto Group
Multiple Locations
liacars.com
Goldstein Auto Group
Multiple Locations
goldsteinauto.com
CHOCOLATE SHOP/CANDY STORE
Krause’s Homemade Candy
1609 Central Avenue, Albany
518.869.3950
krausescandy.com
Uncle Sam’s All American Chocolate Factory
2571 Albany Street, Schenectady
518.372.2243
594 New Loudon Road, Latham
518.609.4949
unclesamscandy.cloveronline.com
Candy Kraft
2575 Western Avenue, Altamont
518.355.1860
candykraft.com
CLOTHING BOUTIQUE
Truly Rhe
1 Broadway, Troy
518.273.1540
trulyrhe.shop
Circles (tie)
Stuyvesant Plaza, 1475 Western Avenue, Albany
518.482.2554
circles-shop.com
Yellow Boutique (tie)
491 Broadway, Saratoga Springs
518.581.1700
yellowbtq.com
Lifestyles of Saratoga
436 Broadway, Saratoga Springs
518.584.4665
lifestylesofsaratoga.com
CONSIGNMENT SHOP
Collected Boutique
257 Delaware Avenue, Delmar
518.439.5722
collectedboutique.com
Worth Repeating
Socha Plaza, 123 Saratoga Road, Glenville
518.384.0946
worthrepeating123.com
Polkadots
10 New Karner Road, Guilderland
518.452.1812
polkadotsconsignment.com
FARMERS’ MARKET
Troy Waterfront Farmers Market
Monument Square (May–October)
Troy Atrium (November–April)
518.708.4216
troymarket.org
Delmar Farmers Market
Bethlehem High School (May–October)
Bethlehem Middle School (November–December)
delmarmarket.org
Saratoga Farmers’ Market
High Rock Park (May–October)
Wilton Mall (November–April)
518.812.8649
saratogafarmersmarket.org
GARDEN NURSERY
Faddegon’s Nursery
1140 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham
518.785.6726
faddegons.com
Hewitt’s Garden Center
Multiple Locations
hewitts.com
Gade Farm
2479 Western Avenue, Altamont
518.869.8019
gadefarm.com
GIFT SHOP
The Crossed Eyed Owl
3143 US-9, Suite 8, Valatie
518.758.6755
crosseyedowl.com
5th Corner Goods & Gifts
395 Kenwood Avenue, Delmar
Stuyvesant Plaza, 1475 Western Avenue, Albany
5thcornergoods.com
Wit’s End
1762 US-9, Clifton Park
518.371.9273
witsendgiftique.com
HARDWARE STORE
Robinson Ace Hardware
Multiple Locations
robinsonshardware.com
Phillips Hardware
6517 NY-158, Altamont
518.861.5364
235 Delaware Avenue, Delmar
518.439.9943
shopphillips.com
Allerdice ACE Hardware
Multiple Locations
HEALTH FOOD STORE
Honest Weight Food Co-op
100 Watervliet Avenue, Albany
518.482.2667
honestweight.coop
Four Seasons Natural Food Store
120 Henry Street, Saratoga Springs
518.584.4670
fourseasonsnaturalfoods.com
Healthy Living
3065 NY-50, Saratoga Springs
518.306.4900
healthylivingmarket.com
JEWELER
Joyelles Jewelers
318 Delaware Avenue, Delmar
518.439.9993
joyellesjewelers.com
Hannoush Jewelers
Multiple Locations
413.504.3215
hannoush.com
John Fritze Jr, Jeweler
4 Normanskill Boulevard, Delmar
518.439.7690
johnfritzejrjeweler.com
LIQUOR/WINE STORE
Empire Wine & Liquor
1440 Central Avenue, Albany
518.694.8503
empirewine.com
Purdy’s Discount Wine & Liquor
70-72 Congress Street, Saratoga Springs
518.584.5400
purdyswine.com
All Star Wine & Liquor
579 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham
518.220.9463
allstarwine.com
MEN’S CLOTHING STORE
Union Hall Supply Co.
437 Broadway, Saratoga Springs
518.450.7025
Stuyvesant Plaza, 1475 Western Avenue, Suite 35, Albany
518.512.3050
unionhallsupplyco.com
When longtime Saratoga women’s boutique owner Heidi Owen West opened menswear store Union Hall Supply Co.on Broadway in 2019, it became an instant hit. Five years later, she expanded the concept to Albany, and the second Union Hall celebrated its grand opening in Stuyvesant Plaza in 2024. Now, following Union Hall’s Best Men’s Clothing Store win in this year’s Besties, Owen West is at it again…except this time, she’s got a new concept: The Sale Room.
Coming this spring to the space formerly occupied by Posh Brow + Lash in the alley next to Putnam Market in Saratoga is The Sale Room, which will carry sale product from all of Owen West’s stores (she also owns Lifestyles of Saratoga and Caroline and Main, both in the Spa City), as well as props that were formerly used for her shops’ iconic in-store and window displays.
“Basically, we’re out of room,” Owen West says simply. “This will make it easier for the customer—especially the customer that loves our deals—to be able to shop all of the stores at once, and not have to go to four different locations.”
At press time, The Sale Room was scheduled to open for business at the beginning of April. And the timing couldn’t be better—when it opens, Owen West says, discounted spring goods will be in high supply.
Mark Thomas Men’s Apparel
385 Broadway, Suite 2, Saratoga Springs
518.871.1293
155 Wolf Road, Unit 5, Albany
518.438.7887
markthomasmensapparel.com
Tuxego
952 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham
518.783.0260
tuxego.com
MUSIC STORE
Parkway Music
1777 US-9, Clifton Park
518.383.0300
parkwaymusic.com
John Keal Music Company
Multiple Locations
johnkealmusic.com
Blue Sky Music Studios
118 Adams Street, Delmar
518.478.7862
blueskyrecording.com
OPTICAL CENTER
Frameology Optical
426 Maple Avenue, Saratoga Springs
518.886.1525
frameologyoptical.com
Hughes Opticians
411 Kenwood Avenue, Delmar
518.439.4971
hughesopticians.com
Buenau’s Opticians
228 Delaware Avenue, Delmar
518.243.8793
buenaus.com
PET STORE
Benson’s Pet Center
Multiple Locations
bensonspet.com
Healthy Pet Center
Multiple Locations
healthypetcenters.com
Head To Tail
1604 Union Street, Schenectady
518.280.9898
head-to-tail.edan.io
SHOPPING MALL/CENTER
Colonie Center
1417 Central Avenue, Albany
518.459.9020
shopatcoloniecenter.com
Stuyvesant Plaza
1475 Western Avenue, Albany
518.813.4959
stuyvesantplaza.com
Crossgates
1 Crossgates Mall Road, Albany
518.869.3522
shopcrossgates.com
SPORTING GOODS STORE
Sports Page
138 Quaker Road, Queensbury
518.792.1304
sportspageski.com
Steiner’s Sports
Multiple Locations
steinersskibike.com
Val’s Sporting Goods
North Main Street, Mechanicville
518.664.2441
valssportinggoods.com
SUPERMARKET
Price Chopper/Market 32
Multiple Locations
pricechopper.com
Hannaford
Multiple Locations
hannaford.com
Honest Weight Food Co-op
100 Watervliet Avenue, Albany
518.482.2667
honestweight.coop
TIRE STORE
LaBarge’s Tire & Auto Service
Multiple Locations
518.436.8473
labargestireautocenter.com
Grand Premier Tire
Multiple Locations
grandpremiertire.com
Warren Tire
Multiple Locations
warrentiresvc.com
TRAVEL AGENCY
AAA Hudson Valley
Multiple Locations
518.426.1000
hudsonvalleyaaa.com
Cruise Planners
1266 Duanesburg Road, Suite 111A, Schenectady
518.605.1249
travelprofessionalsllc.com
Enchanting Escapes
2261 Western Avenue, Guilderland
518.608.4644
enchantingescapes.net
