Coarc's retail store Tradewinds is my absolutely favorite gift shop. In fact, it recently was voted…read moreBest Gift Shop in Columbia County for 2016! If I need a special, unique gift for a birthday, wedding, or Mother's Day, Tradewinds is the first and last shop I visit. They have numerous handcrafted, exquisite items. I love that they have fair-trade and socially conscious products, and many local items as well. The manager, Tammy, is so helpful and friendly and she provides great advice when I'm looking for a specific gift. Many items are crafted by individuals with disabilities. One of the best things about Tradewinds is they provide employment training and opportunities to people with disabilities. Tradewinds is part of Coarc, the largest nonprofit organization in Columbia County, NY that provides services and support to individuals with disabilities. Some items I've purchased at Tradewinds...a colorful, one-of-a-kind hand-blown glass ball for my aunt to hang in her window, a cute birdhouse made from a gourd, handmade hair pins for my friend, and gorgeous blue and flowery ceramic coasters for a Mother's Day gift.

Can it be that a store is both conscious and stylish. Yep, this place had not only socks as you…read moreentered that made impact in their purchase for domestic violence causes to helping support reproductive and LGBTQ rights...it also had a sustainable footprint that seemed to carry throughout the store. Along with cute eclectic gifts that don't cost a lot, this place is hard to skip.

Today I decided to join a coworker for a walk around downtown Albany. During our adventures, we…read morestumbled upon a very cute, hole-in-a-wall Thrift Shop called Vandys. Upon entry we were immediately greeted by the worker sitting behind the desk. We said our pleasantries and the fun immediately began. The shop had a nice selection of items, from men's/women's/kids clothing nick nacks to dresses for a night out. Prices ranged from $5 through $35. There was a few items that I was so tempted to buy but had to decline at the last minute. My coworker purchased several items... a few of which was brand spanking new. She was totally excited. The check out process was quick and simple. When I return, I will be the one doing the shopping. I cannot wait!

Love the owner. Love the selection. Sometimes the price on generic thing though is insane because…read moreof the general pricing system they use. I'm not complaining tho I just got an armani jacket for $36.5 and a pair of vintage Abercrombie jeans for $27

Beautiful store with so many unique gift ideas. The employees were all kind and helpful. The…read morechocolate selections nearly endless and all the ones we tried were beautifully made and delicious!! Our go to for gifts and handmade chocolates. We'll be back again and again!

Happy to see this store is still in business when other places have been forced out of Stuyvesant…read more A reliable stop for great gifts and cool home decor items. They also have an excellent selection of greeting cards, a small selection of food items such as those from Stonewall kitchen and a small jewelry selection. If you like vintage, you will enjoy the back rooms!

Hands down my favorite shop in the Capital Region. This place is adorable and their inventory is…read moreimmaculately curated. They sell a range of home goods, jewelry, accessories, and other various trinkets. I wish I could live in this store - I want my apartment to look like this! This is a great place for gifts, and prices are very reasonable.

Lots of cool Albany swag. Even if you live here, you'll want a sweatshirt! Or a shot glass with…read moreNipper on it. Lots of unique things too, from body butter to bar tender essentials to books about Albany. Stop by and browse! It's a small boutique located in downtown on Broadway.

My wife and I have shopped here several times. They have a fairly large selection of clothing and…read moreshoes and carry top brands. They are not inexpensive but you get what you pay for. Quality clothing is worth the price in terms of fit and longevity. The sales staff are very friendly and helpful and well informed about their products. What is especially nice is when they offer sales. My wife picked up a beautiful brand name coat for a substantial discount over the price on the tag. Of course the tag price is just something someone made up and not based in reality- however- it was nice to be able to pick up such a beautiful item at a very reasonable price. This shop is definitely worth a visit. They do offer wonderful merchandise.

Great personal service and quality selection of outdoor footwear. Also check out the collection of…read moresocks - hiking and casual wear socks.

The cutest gift shop to stumble across. My friends and I visited the Berkshires and landed on…read moreStockbridge to walk around and window shop. We started at Sidetracks and ended up spending the most amount of time in this one store. We even finished checking out all the other stores on the main road and returned here because we liked it that much. The selection inside is huge, there's little trinkets and stylish clothes, hair accessories and hats, there's bath items and kitchen items, party favors, games, and more. It feels like a "you name it, they have it" type of dealio. And, it's not the biggest store you'll ever see and still they have so much to offer! Such friendly staff and 3 out of the 5 of us left with a purchase! Great place to check out and browse if you're in the area.

I saw this place when we got hot chocolate the day before and told my mom we had to come check it…read moreout the next day so we did. Such a cute shop and I got the cutest bell necklace for Christmas for my son. I have no idea what my mom bought but she was in her glory here. This just completed our perfect Berkshires vacation.

I was intrigued by this store which looked similar to the brand Lole in Montreal, which I love…read more They have a lot of athletic gear including leggings and sports bras as well as accessories like bags, keychains, lanyards, hair ties and other hair accessories like hairpins. Prices are a bit lower than Lululemon. I liked some of their accessories like the keychains and hair items. I was excited to see actual French pins which I've never seen at Lulu. I didn't look too closely at the leggings and bras because I definitely don't need these. Most of their bags were in a puffer/ quilt look which is not my favorite aesthetic. I'll check back here in the spring and summer when I assume this look will be out of season anf they may have sleeker and more sporty selections. I enjoyed browsing but they could improve their service. While someone did greet me, there was no offer to help me find anything or let me know about the brand. I only learned it was connected with Free People when I started checking out the labels on the hair accessories.

Amazing addition to the plaza! Great selection of chic athletic wear and fun pops of color! Perfect…read morefor the upcoming spring & summer season!!!

This beautiful little boutique gift shop nestled within the Robinson Ace Hardware is adorable! The…read morecare and design with the store's set up is how I would expect to see something in Soho or the Hamptons but with much more affordable prices. I was happy to find gift items I usually can only find online but I love much more to support local and see what I am getting in person (and not have to pay shipping fees.) I picked up unusual gift items that I can't find online as well. I was only in the area to visit, but I will definitely make my way up here again if only to visit this store because it's worth going out of the way for.