Excelsior Bay Books is a nice stop for a day by the lake!…read more There was a good selection of new books, many of which were geared towards younger readers. The space was small but light and open. It was wonderful looking out onto the lake at the end of the street. The best part was the adorable bookshop poodle! Stop by for a lakeside view, some books, and a cute pup!

Really pleased with this independent bookstore right off the lake. I was visiting family from LA,…read morewhere hip bookstores abound. I was surprised by the wonderful selection, although there is more of an emphasis on YA and children's novels than what I'm used to. Ended up grabbing "So Much For That Winter," a book of novellas by Dorthe Nors. What struck me more than the book was the friendliness of the shop owners, a husband and wife duo. As more people stopped by, it was clear that there were many regulars. Both owners gave recommendations and welcomed people by name. Even as I was checking out, I was charmed that they wrote purchased books down on pen and paper. A true mom and pop bookstore. I hope to return the next time I'm in town - please support small businesses so gems like this can continue to make communities better!

Love this store and everything in it! The girls working there were great, super kind. Stopped in…read morehere while visiting my in-laws and will be stopping there again next time!

I was at Gray earlier today and the service was terrible. I walked in and neither of the women…read moreacknowledged me until I looked straight at one. Further, a third woman was walking up the steps from the basement and I was right at the top looking at something and when she saw me there was also no acknowledgement, not even a smile and a welcome. Gross.

What an incredible store...the type of place you can always find something you need or absolutely…read moreput on your want "wish list" Cool place with lots of nautically inspired theme gifts and a great spot just to browse to get awesome decorating ideas for your home or cabin. A must stop if you're walking around downtown Excelsior....

If you haven't been to Excelsior lately then it's time for a visit. There's been a surge of retail…read morestores opening and one of the most recent is Lake Effect. As the name implies this store seems to be dedicated to the boating lifestyle or cabin you might have. You'll find lots of nautically inspired home decor and gifts for everyone. When I walked into the store I was greeted by Danielle, the owner. She couldn't have been more friendly and I loved hearing her story about how she decided to open her own shop. Retail experience seems to run in the family as her mom owns a shop in the Galleria and she also had an aunt in the business too. You'll be sure to find something here so check out this great addition to Excelsior!

Rude owner and overpriced merchandise. I have purchased there before. Never again. No service…read morevalue whatsoever.

This was store was well displayed, and staff wore masks. Everyone made a conscious effort to…read moresocially distant. All items were displayed in an eye-pleasing manner. I purchased a unique and beautiful salt grinder and matching pepper grinder. I also purchased a tonic for adult beverages (very tasty, by the way) and a cookbook (I've now used for a few different recipes). This was the first store I visited in Excelsior. I asked the sales clerk if I could leave my purchases for a few hours. I was easily accommodated and the clerk couldn't have been nicer about it. This was one of my favorite places in Excelsior!

Absolutely EXCEPTIONAL!! I was in the middle of a paint project and needed more paint to finish. It…read morewas after 5pm (close time for EP&D) but Carolyn answered the phone and said if I could get there quickly she'd wait for me. Not only was she incredibly knowledgeable about the paint and colors but what a delightful and helpful lady! It was my second trip to EP&Design that eve and the first employee (mid length reddish hair) was equally wonderful and helpful. With multiple paint projects happening at our home -- and several blah experiences at Sherwin Williams Chanhassen, I will never shop anywhere besides Excelsior Paint & Design! Truly grateful to this community team! Five stars isn't enough! Mary Beth S.

I worked with them this spring when looking for wallpaper. I ended up ordering from somewhere else,…read morebut the service I got at this store was amazing, much more so than any other place I went. I highly recommend them.

I inherited a lawn and garden from someone way beyond my skill level, and I've spent literal years…read morelooking for a gardener or landscaper who would be willing to work on smaller projects ($5k-$10k) to help me clean it up. I was also looking for a company who cares about eco-friendly gardening, which obviously led me to Ecoscapes. I was initially very impressed at the consultation. Craig was really professional and extremely knowledgeable. He spent a lot of time telling me about my yard and even walked through every little spot with me identifying plants and giving me ideas for DIY projects that I could tackle without much cost. I was literally at the point of tears (of joy) after the consultation because I was so grateful. Unfortunately, once things got into the planning stages, the experience went downhill pretty fast. It took almost a month before I received the initial quote on the project, although he said things might be delayed so I didn't think much about it at the time. But after that, all communication completely dropped off. I sent a follow-up message to the quote asking for a couple modifications, but never heard back. After a few weeks I sent another message asking if he received my last one. That's when he very quickly responded (quote): "I'm sorry, I'm not interested in small projects. If you decide to tackle a larger project I would be fine with entertaining that in the future." To say I was disappointed is an understatement. It was immediately clear to me that my project wasn't "valuable enough" for him, despite having long-term plans for multiple projects. What was especially frustrating is that his business is not only advertised as "small project-friendly" but Craig was clear in the consultation that he would work with me after I had given him the scope. It definitely felt like he was simply "being professional" to get the $100 consulting fee but had no actual interest in following through. I had also put other prospective landscapers on hold waiting for responses from Craig that I never received. So while the consultation went well, I really can't recommend this company if you're considering a project under $10k. Which is a shame because I was ready to be a customer for life based on the first meeting. So if you need an eco-friendly landscaper and you don't have a big budget, look elsewhere. But if you're looking to pay $100 for someone to tell you about the plants in your yard, the fee is worth it.

Craig was professional, knowledgeable and has an amazing eye for the possibilities. They came out…read moreand removed our overgrown, diseased spruces. They then installed a circular paver patio with seating area around the back, paver sidewalk connecting the patio to our stairs coming down from deck and concrete patio from our walk-out, drainage system installed from side of house traveling under the paver walkway that drains into the most amazing rain garden filled with beautiful perennial flowers and a river birch, and finally, the rest of the yard was planted with assorted native trees and shrubs. Our yard was totally unrecognizable when they were done. They left things neat and tidy too. We could not be happier with Ecoscapes Sustainable Landscaping!

Natural beauty with minimal weeding!! Blends perfectly with…read morethe surrounding landscape . That's a win win

From the owner: Natural Shore Technologies is a design build ecological restoration company/native plant nursery…read morewith over a decade of experience in creating and maintaining quality natural areas, with a focus on shoreline buffers. Proudly serving central Minnesota, our experience spans from small residential properties to sprawling city and county parklands. We grow our own Minnesota native plants and sell both retail and wholesale