Sadly, the shop is closed and the building gone for years now, the garden and building replaced…read morewith a parking lot. The shop was here for decades, with the most beautiful selection of the finest European children's and infants' clothing, shoes, accessories, stuffed toys, and classic children's books. I shopped here as a child and throughout my children's baby and teen years. The proprietor, Linda Keunkler Ward, sadly, passed away in 2018, it was a very special, tasteful, and lovely shop. My children and I have memories of the shop's pet gerbil, Christmas photo cards pinned to the wall, and a little dish of gum drops at the checkout counter.

If you've ever been one to fawn over insanely beautiful children's clothes, this would be a…read moredestination, y'all. I gotta say I've hunted far and wide for the odd baby gift, took great pride in trying to be the cool aunt to my nieces by finding unique clothes, and ive even worked in a shop or two in my day. But I tell you this with great confidence - you'll never find a shop with such an exquisite array of children's clothing. Im not kidding. The owner has impeccable taste, and Ive yet to poke through these racks and find something that wasnt classic and of the utmost quality. If you ever find yourself in Essex, Ct.: 1. consider yourself lucky. 2. visit the red balloon. Love, Sara

Great finds Friendly staff…read moreGood rotation If you've been to Chester CT even once, you know "quaint" is in the top three descriptors of anything contained therein. That applies to Lark in spades. Walking into this shop, you immediately grasp the variety available between decorations, women's clothes, little token items like soaps, and a treasure trove of thoughtful gift options. Plenty of shops can offer a decent selection, but perhaps not as well as Lark rotates their options, which is a real draw here - to see what's available each time you visit. However, even better yet is that when you reach for a price tag in Chester, you'll typically be prepared for sticker shock...and that's simply not the case at Lark, which is an outstanding feeling. Reasonable prices for quality finds that meet a variety of gift-giving needs is a business well worth sharing. Highly recommended.

After arriving in the very cute and little town of Chester, the first business on Water Street is…read moreLark. Lark is a woman's boutique, they sell quality sweaters, purses and other cashmere and wool accessories. There are so many other little accessories, like unique fair trade earrings, and hair accessories. They also have a whole assortment of decor for your home or your Christmas tree. These are my favorite. From little knit bears to a not so little wooden deer. The little knickknacks are truly so unique and equally as adorable. What else is adorable? They have a baby section at Lark. From the tiny holiday dresses, to the softest plushies, and so many toys and books. The one reason I can't give five stars to Lark is the cost, everything is a pretty penny here. If you're looking for cashmere gloves, or some moon and star earrings, this is your place.

Clean consignment shop with a great selection of kid essentials, wedding dresses, and family…read morefashions as well. If you're willing to hunt you just might find a great bargain. PS why buy new when a place like this presents items so clean and well maintained they might as well be new. Better for the environment to get a second hand item as well.

I am shocked this store has a low rating. The have second hand toys and baby toddler children…read morestrollers and clothing. The shop is well organized and itemsare easy to browse. If you are trying to keep stuff out of a landfill use this place! They are very much like once-upon-a-child in their inventor. Still they also have adult women's clothing. They are located in Westbrook, CT just off route 1 (Boston Post RD) and it's an easy drive from Madison, Clinton, Deep River, Kilingworth, Old Saybrook, Lyme, etc

We love visiting consignment shops because you just never know what you'll find. This shop is big,…read morevery clean and organized with a friendly staff. I bought a cute and very clean white sequined shoulder bag that was on sale for only $6. They have a lot of women's clothing both formal and casual. Everything looked very clean and well cared for. After reading some of the older reviews I have to say the owners must have made some improvements in the last couple of years. There was no odor in this building at all. Everything looked clean. If you want to consign items you will need to call them and make an appointment. You also have the option to shop online for this shop which is very convenient. We would highly recommend you stop in and take a look around. We'll be back when we're in the area again.

A week after I left items to be sold I stopped in to see what they were priced at. I did not see 2…read moreof them - shoes & a purse. I stopped in again the following week and still did not see them so I assumed they were sold. I never got paid for these 2 items after 4 months sooooo? I brought in 2 dresses that had matching bolero style jackets. Again I stopped in to see how they were priced. Both dresses were on the rack for sale missing the bolero jackets. I questioned the salesperson on duty telling her that these were my consigned items and the jackets were missing. Response was "oh they sometimes get misplaced.". She did locate one of the jackets and promised to look for the other. I returned several weeks later the jacket was still not found. So my experience was horrible. Would. or patronize this store ever.

Great store to go shopping for our granddaughter in. Reasonable prices and very nice selection…read more Even though we were shopping for our granddaughter, there was plenty of selections if we were shopping for a boy. We were definitely pleased to find the store and will definitely be coming back when we are in the area.

A thousand stars!…read more My friend and I made the mistake of arriving just under two hours before they closed. I wish we had given ourselves more time, because you need it here! We started by visiting the bird and reptile sanctuary, which was both really sad but also really nice. The folks working there were friendly and informative. We also enjoyed visiting the goats outside. The book geodesic dome is very cool, and the tchotcke camper was fun to poke around in. Very sad we didn't have time for the Christmas airstream. Inside there is a case, which was closed by the time we got to it. Another reason we should have arrived earlier. It's next to an old books room, which I loved. I just want to sit in there and read. The mounted stuffed animal heads were a nice touch. The lower level also has a huge amount of stuff, but it's super well organized. I wish, when I was young and moved into my first apartment, I could have gone to a place like this to get all of my home furnishing and kitchen things. Upstairs is more like a traditional thrift store with clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry, etc. Everything here is so inexpensive!! I bought five books, two shirts, a pair of earrings, and two greeting cards for $24. I would have bought waaaaaay more stuff if I had time to browse longer and more thoroughly. The only other warning I have aside from the amount of time this place needs in order to fully experience it is that it is rather dusty inside. When I go back--and I will--I will take an allergy pill or wear a mask. Can't recommend this amazing and unique place enough!

We love the entire atmosphere here at Pandemonium! They are a non-profit organization and all the…read moredonations benefit the animals on site! We knew we'd love it just from the aesthetic driving in. The gate is awesome along with signs and it just feels welcoming! There is a terrific selection of thrifted items from clothing, books, toys, housewares, cds, vinyl, and even bikes outside! The two cats warmly greeted me as well as all the front end workers. I didn't know it but the clothing was all 25% off and the prices are great to begin with. As the wonderful front end person told us their pricing is better than the local chain stores! I got 2 pairs of pants, 2 hoodies, and 4 fun graphic tshirts all for just $26! We loved the book center and goats, turtles and fish pond that are free to admire! The cafe is also awesome! I loved my warm chocolate chip cookie. My husband enjoyed his iced coffee, cinnamon roll and cheesecake brownie. You could spend a day here and I really recommend you do. There's something for everyone! 5 stars!

Bright, clean and organized. Reasonably priced. Although only one of about four stores left in the…read moreOutlet area. Still they have a lot to offer. Was fun shopping here in the store.

This really isn't an outlet in the traditional sense. It's more or less a regular H&M store…read more This is my favorite H&M in the state for men's clothes. They are always well stocked, have a large discount section and seem to get new items in before other H&M stores. Also, unlike many H&Ms it's clean and well organized. Finding things isn't an exercise in futility. No clothes in the isles. Nothing just dumped on the rack. Also, all of the employees I've encountered have been friendly, helpful and polite. I haven't checked out the women's or childrens sections so I cant really comment. However, just passing through to mens it seems the same. Neat and tidy. Great location and worth the 45 minute drive for me to get there!

Super great experience at this store today. I walked in with…read moremy son (in a stroller) and the layout of the store was spacious. I came in with a bag of clothing that all had the tags on them that I was looking to retuen for store credit. Upon entering, we went immediately to the cashier to total up the credit which was around $40. I was told that it couldn't be purchased on a merchandise credit card and to go shop and make purchases right then and there (which was fine because that's what I had planned on doing anyway). After discounts and whatnot, I totaled in my head that our new purchase would be about $42 and tax. I ended up getting a great amount of quality outfits for my son, now all in his correct size for about $4 additional. I'd totally recommend shopping here.

While attending a wedding in CT we stumbled upon these outlet stores and decided to stop in at…read moreCarter's to look through their selection. The store was packed with merchandise and we were excited to see that they had a huge selection of clearance items. We ended up walking out with a bag full of cute baby outfits as well as a few dresses. The only hangup we had at this particular Carter's was the fact that the checkout line was slow moving.

Excellent service and tremendous help; James is a…read morefirst-class merchant; I opened him up for the clothing line I sold him. I was charmed by the town and very impressed by the store. James and his wife are excellent merchants. A+ taste and attention to detail, enjoy your time with J Alden, a bright spot in Essex Ct. Eric Epstein

This store is at the center of Essex. The owners select great clothing and accessories and they are…read moreso personable and helpful. They genuinely are interested in their customers and they are very active in the welfare of the village.