Readers Poll: Best Goods and Services

Best Optical Store

1. Empire Visionworks aka Empire Vision Centers

2. DiNapoli Opticians

3. Buenau’s Opticians

The results are clear and focused: Empire Visionworks is superlative with spectacles.

Best Appliance Store

1. Sears

2. Lowe’s

3. Cocca’s Appliances & Home Electronics

The big boxes have the visibility to put themselves in the front of customers’ minds, but the local appliance merchant, tucked away behind Target Plaza, also gets our readers’ attention.

Best Antiques

1. Aunt Katie’s Attic

2. Trojan Horse

3. Ye Olde Wishin’ Shoppe

This is the second time in a month Aunt Katie has received some well-deserved attention in these pages. Congrats.

Best Bookstore

1. Barnes & Noble

2. The Book House

3. Market Block Books

We’ll give the old B&N credit just for surviving as a big-box bookseller, alongside perennial faves the Book House.

Best Comic Book Store

1. Earthworld

2. Aquilonia

3. Zombie Planet

The geeks have spoken . . .

Best Garden Store/Nursery

1. Hewitt’s Garden Center

2. Faddegon’s Nursery

3. George’s Market

Until New York legalizes weed (hurry up already), these are the best places to get your greenery.

Best Florist

1. Lark Street Flowers

2. Emil J. Nagengast Florist

3. Frank Gallo Florist

Thank gawwwd Price Chopper didn’t win this category again this year. Albany, your evolving taste in flora does us proud.

Best Kitchen Store

1. Different Drummer’s Kitchen

2. Lowe’s

3. Bed Bath & Beyond

Spatulas, get yer spatulas.

Best Furniture Store

1. Old Brick Furniture

2. Taft Furniture

3. (tie) Mooradian’s and Raymour & Flanigan

Congrats Old Brick. It’s safe to assume your name describes the construction of your building not your living-room sets, yes?

Best Pet Supply Store

1. PetSmart

2. Benson’s

3. Healthy Pet

Cats and dogs have it easy these days . . .

Best Gift Store

1. Wit’s End

2. Romeo’s Gifts

3. (tie) Pearl Grant Richman’s and Maggie’s

Greeting cards, porcelain statuary, macaroni shaped like penises . . . these guys have you covered.

Best Wine/Liquor Store

1. Empire Wine & Liquor Outlet

2. Exit 9 Wine & Liquor

3. All Star Wine & Liquor

Glug, glug, glug . . .

Best Women’s Clothing Store

1. Macy’s

2. Truly Rhe

3. Kohl’s

“OMG, is that a Karen Scott three-quarter-sleeve henley top from Macy’s? Stop it! I’m literally dying. Yaaaaasssss.”

Best Men’s Clothing Store

1. Macy’s

2. Kohl’s

3. Jos. A Bank

Rock a Van Heusing wrinkle-resistant windowpane plaid shirt from Macy’s and you too can “slay smokes on the reg.”

Best Children’s Clothing Store

1. (tie) Kohl’s and The Gap

3. (tie) Macy’s and The Children’s Place

Ugggh, can we go to Pac Sun instead, mom?!

Best Consignment Clothing Store

1. Plato’s Closet

2. Clothes Mentor

3. Dang That’s Cherry

Because they don’t make fashion like they used to.

Best Sporting Goods Store

1. Dick’s Sporting Goods

2. Sports Authority

3. Goldstocks

When you’re driving the lane to put the ball in the hole, Dick’s is an easy in-and-out.

Best Head Shop

1. Northern Lights Smoke Shop

2. Déjà Vu

3. Orion

Legalize it, Gov. Cuomo.

Best Cigar/Tobacco Shop

1. Habana Premium

2. Edleez Tobacco

3. Amerivape

Legalize it (trade with Cuba), Pres. Obama.

Best Holistic Shop

1. Honest Weight Food Co-op

2. Peaceful Inspirations

3. Crossroads

Crystals, get yer crystals.

Best Art Supply Store

1. Arlene’s Artist Materials

2. Michael’s

3. Soave Faire

Dude, have you ever thought about how much art is in one of these stores that hasn’t even been made yet? Whoa.

Best Bicycle Shop

1. The Downtube Bicycle Shop

2. Plaine’s

3. Troy Bike Rescue

Downtube are still the best to get you geared up and tuned up for the season. TBR is a great way to learn bike maintenance skills and maybe even build your own bike. Fight oil addiction, ride a bike.

Best Toy Store

1. Toys ’R Us

2. G Willikers

3. (tie) The Toymaker and Ta Da

Because even Candy Crush gets old after a while.

Best Jeweler

1. Northeastern Fine Jewelry

2. Hannoush Jewelers

3. JK Bloom

Even if she’s says no, gold and diamonds are a more reliable investment than real estate.

Best Day Spa

1. Kimberly’s A Day Spa

2. Complexions

3. Jean Paul Salon

Do yourself a favor.

Best Musical Instrument Store

1. Parkway Music

2. Drome Sound

3. Guitar Center

They’ll help you plug in. It’s up to you to build the chops.

Best Apple Orchard

1. Indian Ladder Farms

2. Goold Orchards

3. Bowman Orchards

Spring is barely here, but we’re already eager for apple cider donuts.

Best Farmers Market

1. Troy Waterfront Farmers Market

2. Schenectady Greenmarket

3. Saratoga Farmers Market

The food movement is alive and well in Troy, thanks in part to its superlative farmers market.

Best Produce

1. Honest Weight Food Coop

2. Price Chopper

3. Troy Farmers Market

The new store is amazing, but it’s always been what’s inside the co-op that makes it the best grocery shopping destination in the area.

Best Shopping (Plaza)

1. Stuyvesant Plaza

2. Mohawk Commons

3. Clifton Park Center

Best of all, there’s a Chipotle.

Best Shopping (Mall)

1. Colonie Center

2. Crossgates Mall

3. Wilton Mall

It’s like amazon.com, but you can actually walk around and stuff.

Best Shopping (Downtown)

1. Troy

2. Saratoga

3. Schenectady

If this category were an action film, we’d call it River Street Redux: Uncle Sam’s Revenge.

Best Shopping (Outlet)

1. Lee Outlets

2. Lake George

3. Woodbury, NY

One of many reasons to visit the Berkshires.

Best Supermarket

1. Price Chopper

2. Hannaford

3. ShopRite

That new Market Bistro store in Latham is a feather in Price Chopper’s hat, but the grocery wars will enter a new round next year with Whole Foods moving into Colonie Center.

Best Health Food Store

1. Honest Weight Food Co-op

2. Uncle Sam’s

3. GNC

No surprises here, except in number three. Is Muscle Milk really a health food?

Best Record Store (Used)

1. Last Vestige

2. The Beat Shop

3. FYE

Real audiophiles (still) spin vinyl.

Best Video Game Store

1. GameStop