Appletree Books - Cedar Fairmount

  There are so few local bookstores left in the world, what with Amazon and other Internet retailers pushing out even the big-box in-person stores. Appletree books is a tiny bookstore with a good local flavor. They're right near La Gelateria and Liquid Planet so if you're out on Cedar-Fairmount for a night out you can go browse in here and find something unique.

 They have books and cards, a nice childrens' section, and most importantly, that small-bookstore feel.

Daystar Boutique - Lakewood

Wondering where to buy incense in Cleveland? Liberal bumper stickers? "Tobacco" pipes? Hippie clothes? Handmade candles? Hemp jewelry? Incense holders that are shaped like dragons?

You know the kind of shop I'm talking about. That particular kind of boutique that is frequented by a particular kind of person. These places harken back to my childhood, as my friend when I was younger was an entrepreneur of one called Fire & Earth, back in the early 2000s, in the Great Lakes Mall. It was there I first learned to use a cash register and talk to customers.

So let's just say that the smell of incense and batik dresses will always remind me of my happiest days of youth.

Anyways, I digress. Daystar Boutique sells a great selection of things at a decent price. They sell incense for a cheaper price than the local dollar store in Rocky River does. Their bumper stickers are awesome to look at, even though using one might make you 100x more likely to get pulled over by the cops. And I could just spend all day there smelling candles.

So yes: I recommend it!

Beachwood Place Mall

Where do the wealthy people go shopping in Cleveland? Or, where do you go if you want to see people walking around in the latest fashions? Beachwood Place. Their directory is here.

 

They recently remodeled. The architecture is now quite lovely. It's a good place to walk and shop... and spend, if you have the money.

Big Fun - Coventry

If you were born in the 80s, chances are you'll find something nostalgic in this store. If you're a trekkie, hippie, old school gamer, liberal, queer or just amused by plastic stuff, you will probably find something here.

There's also an old-school photobooth.

The stuff they have isn't cheap; but you'll find things you thought were lost forever, like Atari cartridges and old election pins.