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Last Updated: March 15, 2008 - 3:24 PM
Best of Santa Fe 2007: Shopping
By SFR Editorial Staff
Published: July 25, 2007
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Models for Dust In The Wind. Photo by Ursula Coyote |
Best Independent Bookstore for Corporate-Free Reading
1 Garcia Street Books
376 Garcia St.
986-0151
Winner’s Circle: What’s the opposite of Big Box? Perhaps “out of the box,” as in this local, independent bookstore with an international reach, huge selection and unrelentingly knowledgeable and helpful customer service.
Secrets of Success: The store, owned by Edward and Eva Borins, is known for hosting imaginative readings; recently, Ali McGraw, Jane Fonda, Valerie Plame, Joseph Wilson and others read from Eve Ensler’s book A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and a Prayer at a Garcia Street Books fund-raiser for V-Day (working to stop violence against women and girls). “We will remain involved in the fusion of art and activism and we have several surprise projects coming up that are even bigger than V-Day,” Edward Borins says.
Garcia Street Books hosted a star-studded reading for V-Day. Photo credit: Daiken Nelson |
Applause, Applause: “We’re elated to be selected as Santa Fe’s best!” Edward Borins says. “Especially following so closely on the V-Day event. The response to that event has been phenomenal. People have been walking up to me on the street, hugging me. I’m a committed male vagina warrior! Thank you, Santa Fe!” (Peter Breslin)
2 Collected Works Bookstore
208 W. San Francisco St., Suite B, 988-4226
3 The Ark
133 Romero St., 988-3709
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Best Place to Rent Movies Particularly When it Snows Two Feet
1 Video Library
120 E. Marcy St.
983-3321
Winner’s Circle: This movie lover’s paradise opened its doors 26 years ago. Today, with a selection that far outstrips anything offered by any of all the Big Box video chain stores, Video Library covers bases Netflix and other outlets can’t even dream of. The shop maintains a knowledgeable, funny, helpful, hip young staff and the arrangement of films by category (Hitchcock, Cult, Country, Language, etc.) makes browsing an adventure in itself.
Secrets of Success: Buyer Casey St. Charnez and owner Lisa S Harris are very familiar with the thrills and chills of running an independent small business in downtown Santa Fe. “Boy howdy, it was the hardest year in our 26-year history,” they say. “Santa Feans just don’t come to the Plaza any more. There’s almost no reason left for them to do so. Most of the old familiar locally owned downtown businesses have closed to make room for tourist support. Furthermore, obstacle-course construction, screwy new one-ways, rampant orange barrel-itis, hundreds fewer parking spaces and an unforgiving meter force have driven residents away from downtown—even though we have our own parking! But we digress…” And the hazy future? “Who knows? We hope for the best, but the bottom line is ‘Use us or lose us.’”
Applause, Applause: St. Charnez and Harris say, “We’re excited, exhilarated and exhausted. Mostly we feel deeply and humbly grateful for our wonderful loyal core audience. We thank you—and we do mean you.” (PB)
2 Hastings
542 N. Guadalupe St., 988-3973
3 Casablanca Video
1935 Warner Ave., 473-0600
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Best Local Women’s Boutique for Sophisticated or Sassy
1 Dust In The Wind
131 E. Palace Ave.
986-1155
Winners’ Circle: For 12 years, Yasmine Amir-Moez has combined dress-up clothes, party fashion, casual styles and denim at Dust in the Wind. Locals love to frequent this independent boutique for designer jeans and cute, unique finds from nearly 50 clothing lines.
Denna Amir-Moez models a peace T-shirt at Dust In The Wind. Photo credit: Chelsea Freeman |
Secrets of Success: Recently, Amir-Moez decided to reduce her collection to 12 lines. She believes that fashion has become corporate and, in light of the current state of the world, it’s important to encourage more politically involved clothing. Therefore, Dust in the Wind now has a wide array of peace T-shirts representing Darfur, liberal political candidates such as Barack Obama, and even a clothing line designed in Paris and produced by Peruvian orphans. All proceeds from these products will benefit charity.
Applause, Applause: “Winning gets better every time,” Amir-Moez says. “It’s so significant, especially to be recognized in a town where parking has not been made easy.” (Tristan Mara Katz)
2 Bodhi Bazaar
Sanbusco Center, 500 Montezuma Ave., Suite 117, 982-3880
3 Maya
108 Galisteo St., 989-7590
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Best Local Men’s Clothing Store Because You
Can’t Just Wear T-shirts
1 Harry’s Clothing
202 Galisteo St.
988-1959
Winner’s Circle: Just when you thought the days of highly personalized service by experts who dedicated their lives to clothes were gone, Harry’s reassures us that its staff will continue to provide just that in a non-snobby and relaxed setting. From socks to cuff links, cummerbunds to cardigans, the snappy dresser always shops at Harry’s. (Harry’s also has a particularly exciting fall line for women.)
Harry’s Clothing specializes in personalized service. Photo credit: Ayla Bystrom-Williams |
Secrets of Success: A staff with a combined 60 years of experience in men’s clothing means customers get a lot of great advice. The store persists in offering high quality lines of menswear. Customers appreciate the personal and informed service.
Applause, Applause: “We always appreciate being voted the best men’s clothing store,” owner Greg Voida says. “It’s a neat deal! It’s important for local independent businesses to get customer appreciation.” (PB)
2 Corsini
107 W. San Francisco St., 820-2300
3 Robert R. Bailey
150 Washington Ave., Suite 105, 983-8803
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Best Jeweler When You’re Ready to Glitter
1 Chavez Fine Jewelers
DeVargas Center, 171 Paseo de Peralta
988-8000
Winner’s Circle: Talk about stability: Chavez Fine Jewelers has been family owned and operated since 1976. “I’ve been in the business since ’64, and I love what I do for a lot of reasons. I make people happy,” co-owner Faustin “Tino” Chavez says. In addition to the store in Santa Fe, Chavez Fine Jewelers also has a branch in Taos, run by Chavez’ daughter.
Secrets of Success: Chavez is a member of the Independent Jewelers Organization, a group of about 1,000 small jewelers who buy pieces directly from the carvers. Every year, Chavez and his daughter make several trips to jewelry markets around the world, including a visit to buy diamonds from the craftsmen who cut them in Antwerp, Belgium. This allows Chavez to pick out the best pieces for his customers at the best prices. In addition, Chavez and his brother Andy also make unique special-order pieces.
Applause, Applause: “I wish I could do it another 43 years,” Chavez says, “so I have no reason to retire. This is very satisfying work.” (Maggie York-Worth)
2 James Kallas
2801 Rodeo Road, Suite B8, 986-1955
3 Packard’s on the Plaza
61 Old Santa Fe Trail, 983-9241
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Best Shoe Store, Because Tootsies Need Love Too
1 On Your Feet
Sanbusco Center, 530 Montezuma Ave.
983-3900
Winner’s Circle: On Your Feet, that venerable staple of downtown’s Sanbusco Center, has consistently been voted a favorite in our annual reader poll. Nina Houle, the owner of On Your Feet, credits her employees for the shop’s astonishing winning streak: “I couldn’t have the successful business I have without these people working for me.”
On Your Feet offers free reflexology sessions every Friday. Photo credit: Chelsea Freeman |
Secrets of Success: Houle says her employees stay informed about products in order to provide the best customer service possible. In addition, On Your Feet has a foot reflexologist in the store every Friday for free 10-minute sessions to keep those peds peppy.
Applause, Applause: “It’s very exciting for me,” Houle says. “We have a wonderful family here.” (MYW)
2 Goler Fine Imported Shoes
125 E. Palace Ave., Suite 125, 982-0924
3 Street Feet
100 E. San Francisco St., 984-3131
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Best Local Car Dealer—Even Though Driving is Becoming a Guilty Pleasure
1 Beaver Toyota
1500 St. Michael’s Drive
982-1901
Winner’s Circle: General Manager Matt Calavan has a theory about happy customers: If the employees are happy and treated well, the customers will follow. That philosophy has paid off. Beaver’s continued focus on employee appreciation keeps this dealership well-loved and popular in the city driven. This year the dealership also received national recognition by winning a Toyota Presidential Award (its third) for excellence in customer service.
Secrets of Success: Beaver Toyota is planning a second dealership on Cerrillos Road and Interstate 25, just outside of town, to be completed in 2009. According to Calavan, the new building will provide much-needed breathing room in a new space three times as big as the current location.
Applause, Applause: “We’re just blessed to do business in Santa Fe and blessed with loyal customers,” Calavan says. “We hope to continue to serve them.” (MYW)
2 Premier Motors
4480 Cerrillos Road, 471-7007
3 Santa Fe BMW
2578 Camino Entrada, 474-0066
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Best Nursery and, Hey, it Looks Like We Can Plant This Year
1 Santa Fe Greenhouses
2904 Rufina St.
473-2700
Winner’s Circle: A homegrown, family-operated business that has become internationally recognized for the introduction of many new xeric, water-wise plants, Santa Fe Greenhouses is also simply a fascinating place to shop. The tree nursery, perennial selection, greenhouses and garden center combine high quality, knowledgeable and helpful staff and a huge selection of plants.
Santa Fe Greenhouses specializes in water-wise plants. Photo credit: Daiken Nelson |
Secrets of Success: According to owner David Salman, 2007 has turned out to be a wonderful year for gardening, especially when compared to 2006. The success of the Santa Fe nursery has allowed the business to build a large new production greenhouse in Bernalillo. The new greenhouse will allow the nursery to increase its stock of locally grown annuals and perennials and open up more retail space at the store in Santa Fe next year.
Applause, Applause: “We’re all very excited to be voted Best of Santa Fe!” Salman says. “It confirms that our customers recognize us as the area’s xeriscaping experts and their preferred source for quality plants and information.” (PB)
2 Plants of the Southwest
3095 Agua Fria St., 438-8888
3 Payne’s
Payne’s North
304 Camino Alire, 988-8011
Payne’s South
715 St. Michael’s Drive, 988-9626
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Best Local Eyeglass Shop Because Four Eyes are Better Than Two (And Definitely Better Than Three)
1 Eye Associates of New Mexico
2947 Rodeo Park East
995-1001
Winner’s Circle: Eye Associates is much more than a frame shop. Founded in Albuquerque in 1976, this is now the largest group of ophthalmologists and optometrists in the Southwest, with 17 clinics and nine shops in New Mexico, from Farmington to Tucumcari. Here in Santa Fe, you can pop into Eye Associates to pick up a pair of reading glasses, find out if you’re a candidate for LASIK, get fitted for contact lenses or get those cataracts taken care of.
Secrets of Success: The frame shop here caters to Santa Feans by offering special student packages and regular shipments of hot new styles.
Applause, Applause: “It is exciting for the company as a whole,” optical process advisor Grace Katzer says. “I’m sure the founders would be very proud that their optical shop is doing so well.” (MYW)
2 Acoma Optical
1521 Fifth St., 988-5321
3 Ancient City Opticians
1704 Llano St., 471-2020
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Best Local Pet Supply Store/Service for Pampering our Best Friends
1 The Critters and Me
1403 Agua Fria St.
982-5040
Winner’s Circle: Since opening nine years ago, The Critters and Me has focused on the best, healthiest products for pets and their people. For owner Laura Moore, one central part of that mission is knowing exactly what’s in every bag of food, every treat and every supplement that she sells. “You really have to know what the company is doing,” Moore says. “With my main line of food, I know the owners and everyone all the way down.”
The Critters and Me employees are well-versed in pet nutrition. Photo credit: Daiken Nelson |
Secrets of Success: While Moore knows a great deal about the nutritional facts of her food, she also makes sure her employees are well-versed in nutrition and homeopathy. “I‘ve worked real hard to find staff that know nutrition,” Moore says, “so they can serve the client at that level.”
Applause, Applause: Her customers, both human and four-legged, are paramount to Moore and her business: “They have been so supportive and so loyal to me, no matter how big we get or how popular we get, it’s still the same mission, to help people and their pets.” (MYW)
2 Pete’s Pets
2801 Cerrillos Road, 471-5071
3 Teca Tu
Sanbusco Center, 500 Montezuma Ave., Suite. 116, 982-9374
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Best Sports and Gear Shop, When it’s Time to Stop Being a Couch Potato
1 Wild Mountain Outfitters
www.wildmountainonline.com
Winner’s Circle: Wild Mountain Outfitters originally opened in 1988 as a used gear shop called the Wilderness Exchange. In the 1990s it was bought by a Colorado company called Wild Mountain Outfitters, which sold it to Jon and Janet Asher in 2002. For five years the couple sold backpacking, hiking, river and other outdoor gear at the store and recently they had seen a surprising success with a unique niche: outdoor gear for dogs. But for a variety of reasons the couple decided to close their shop on July 25 and transform into an e-tailer, selling mostly gear for dogs on their Web site.
Wild Mountain Outfitters’ owners Janet and Jon Asher now focus on canine accoutrements. Photo credit: Daiken Nelson |
“Small retail stores in Santa Fe really have to have something totally unique or a huge following,” Jon Asher says. While his canine accoutrements were certainly unique, there just wasn’t enough traffic in Santa Fe to support the store. “A lot of people are sad and we are too,” Jon Asher says. He urges Santa Feans to support other local businesses, especially through the Santa Fe Alliance and the Locals Care program. When you’re out shopping, Asher says “Stop and think: ‘Where can I go to get this where it might benefit my community?’”
Secrets of Success: Wild Mountain’s Web site, which was under renovation when we went to press, will offer an expanded selection of items for Fido, including life jackets, coats, boots, packs, collars and leashes, beds and toys. “We’re going to rig it so that people can purchase online and still use their Locals Care card,” Asher says, adding that he hopes to allow local buyers to pick up their purchases instead of having them shipped.
Applause, Applause: “I’m really flattered,” Asher says, “and I really thank Santa Fe for caring about us. We have so many people that actually love and care for us that it’s almost overwhelming.” (Gwyneth Doland)
2 Santa Fe Mountain Sports
607 Cerrillos Road, Suite A, 988-3337
3 Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works
328 S. Guadalupe St., 984-8221
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Best Local Hardware Store So You can Stop Singing, “If I Had a Hammer...”
1 Big Jo True Value Hardware
1311 Siler Road
473-2255
Winner’s Circle: Big Jo True Value Hardware is known for its excellent customer service and knowledgeable staff. The store first opened downtown in 1926 in the El Dorado building. It was bought by the father of current owner Ron C de Baca in 1973 and moved to its current location in 1983. While Big Jo is not a franchise, it is affiliated with True Value Company, a “retailer-owned hardware cooperative” that has provided retailers with products and skills since 1948.
Big Jo True Value Hardware is part of a retailer-owned cooperative. Photo credit: Daiken Nelson |
Secrets of Success: For C de Baca, it’s not just about selling drills or lawn fertilizer, but also about helping the customers solve each and every problem. “It’s so hard to find good help in Santa Fe, but we seem to have done that and we treat them like family,” C de Baca says. Plans are underway to expand the current store and find a new location for their booming business.
Applause, Applause: Despite the steady encroachment of Big Box stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s, Big Jo hasn’t been negatively impacted. “We just welcome everybody with open arms,” C de Baca says. (MYW)
2 Empire Builders Supply Co.
1802 Cerrillos Road, 982-2646
3 Ace Hardware Santa Fe
2006 Cerrillos Road, Suite 1, 424-9343
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© Copyright 2000-2008 by the Santa Fe Reporter
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