My wife and I are driving around Connecticut (we grew up here, but many many years ago) and are…read morehitting up some local book shops while in the area. We were making our way through West Hartford when we stumbled across the River Bend Bookshop and just had to check it out. This shop is super cool looking because it's basically just inside of a small apartment. The shop itself has a cozy New England vibe and has a small to large section of pretty much every genre. Sadly, the horror section seems to be one of the smaller sections but hey, I don't live here, so clearly they know what their customers are looking for. Near the cash registers they have a nice selection of merch for the shop (sadly, no River Bend Bookshop Magnet) and a cool section dedicated to local authors and stuff like that. Overall, River Bend Bookshop is a super nice little book shop for the area and definitely a place worth checking out. Sadly, I didn't make a purchase on this trip because I can only fly back to LA with so much stuff, but I very much enjoyed checking this place out.

We did a book fair with them last year. The book choices were lovely. I worked with Meghan. She…read morewas not very responsive. She would tell us she would be somewhere and not show up and not communicate she would be late. Communication was a huge issue. I wish so much that we had a better experience because our school really enjoyed working with a local company. We were looking forward to planning two book fairs as well as a Parent book fair this year with Riverbend, prior to the issues. I ended up having to reconcile our account, since she did not have time. The system they use is not user friendly. Meghan did apologize in the end. I would be very cautious working with this company as a book fair.

Great little shop for gifts. Really affordable and just the most personable and lovable staff…read morearound. They sell great skin products made locally, trays , scarves, garden decor, plant hangers, candles and diffusers among a wide variety of decorative accessories. The owner has a great eye for bringing new things in and anything you buy is placed in a white shopping bag with tissues and ribbon, so you can take it out of the store ready to gift. Be sure to visit this great shop the next time you're in town.

Tapestry Rose is a fabulous little gift shop located in the old train station in Rocky Hill…read more I walked in there today to stumble on the most wonderful array of gifts and trinkets for that someone that has everything. There are glass vases, picture frames, unique bookmarks...handbags, martini sets, salad sets etc. There are beautifully decorated Christmas Trees with all of the gorgeous ornaments (some glass blown) available for purchase. There is a section with gifts for children, a selection of fabulous music, and a unique array of handmade jewelry. What I liked most is that some things benefited a group or a cause if purchased. This is a great little gift shop that I know I'll visit several times this holiday season.

Love this store ! Beautiful inviting shop . Nice staff , there done lots for the community such…read moreas a l local fundraising and helped raise money for the local dog park . Always donated for worthy cause. Nice relaxing landmark in Rocky Hill Connecticut and tourist coming across the Connecticut River. Very unique !!

Explored this place as a random Yelp find. It certainly takes a minute or two to find being in the…read moreart space multi building parking lot, and figuring out how to get buzzed in by calling, however, there's some really good book hunting here in the decent sized space, particularly if you're a fan of old books. The owner was very friendly and chatty to me and I had a pleasant experience, found a few old reads, and would return. Thanks!

Weird little place in a weird little space. The whole store is under lock and key--one must buzz-in…read moreby telephone request unless one has made a prior appointment to access what could be a browser's paradise. The owner (as he announced himself) is, on every third Thursday of each alternate month, a nice-enough-fellow full of the love of books. But every other day at the store, he cements his love of books at the cost of a passing indifference for his customers that borders on hostility. While the book selection is as comprehensive as it is well-organized, something about the place seems... well... 'off.' It's as though one is being watched--or rather scrutinized--by unseen eyes, suspicious you may be replacing a book in the wrong place, disturbing the piles of rarities without regard to how the newly imbalanced feng-shui will impact the owner as he lingers scowling from the sequestered bowls of the shop. The books are, nevertheless, excellent and priced clearly in the "almost-too-expensive-but-still-just-affordable" range. Comparatively, the prices here are fair to good. You will not be finding any shocking bargains or hidden but neglected treasures here. The books are carefully selected, after all, and intended to turn a profit for the owner. After all, buying low and selling high is the name of the game--and yet, listening in on the owner's bargaining with one collector attempting to sell her books, I'd say there are fairer prices to be had from other buyers. But after exhaustive talks ranging from condition to author popularity (when has it been hard to sell Orwell?), she settled on a price with our peculiar host all the same. It was, in a word, creepy. Upon leaving with my new acquisitions, I was reminded of John Locke's description of this weird trade which combines refined erudition with predatory avarice: "Printers, binders, sellers, and others that make a trade and gain out of them have universally so odd a turn and corruption of mind, that they have a way of dealing peculiar to themselves, and not conformed to the good of society, and that general fairness that cements mankind." True enough of this odd little place, I thought. And then I went home, placed the books on my desk, and retired to take a nice long shower.

I love this toy store. They have unique gifts and are extremely friendly. Prices are on par with…read morethe box stores and you help out a small business. They also offer a little workshop where kids can paint and play. I have not done this yet but will absolutely soon. The best part I found was that they will gift wrap presents for you!!!! That alone is worth it!

The Silly Sprout is so cute! It's a high end children's store, mostly toys but there are some…read moreclothes as well. The inventory ranges from the softest toys and clothes for newborns to larger outdoor toys to the 10+ crowd. There is a wall of books as well, which includes some very cute board books about New England. The prices are a little high, but the items are obviously high end and good quality. They will last through playtime. The proprietor was running the register herself, with a little Lego doppelganger at her side. She was very friendly, and open to providing information and suggestions to help you find what you may be looking for.

It's a wonderful place for pretty much everything here, not just books!…read more There's a nice lady who runs the bookstore in weekends. They sell everything from books to board games to puzzles and many more. There's a whole section dedicated to anime and graphic novels as well. They also carry movies on DVD. They also have shelves exclusive to paperbacks as well. They also have books on nonfiction, Sci-Fi, Mysteries and Thrillers. They sell books at thrifty prices and they give you store credit if you're loyal to this small business shop. We support bookstores and small businesses!

This place was SO COOL! The books occupied one half of the store and then the games were the other…read moreright-most half. The store is run by a husband and wife duo who were both there when I stopped by. She handles the non fiction books and he handles the fiction. All books are 3$ and they accept donations (if you have any books bopping around your home that you mine want to part with)! If you're looking for something particular, you can provide them the details and then they mentioned they have 10,000 more books at their home. I can't wait to come back! Great value and easy to spend an hour + going through all the titles. Thank you!

Great place. It's a dangerous place for a grandparent to go if you are the spoiling type like me…read moreand grandma. The selection is massive. The store looks small on the outside but is sectioned off so well, you will discover that this store has actually thought about what it offers. The prices are reasonable and the service was excellent. Nice people Well run Well stocked Locally owned. GO! You won't be disappointed

Necker's has been around forever it seems! It was here when I was little (I'm in my mid-50s now!),…read moreand is still every bit as magical a place as it was then! The curbside view is deceiving because this store is so much larger inside than you'd think & definitely worthy of becoming your Go-to toy and hobby store! There are approximately 11 areas for you to explore.. toys for all different age groups, for out and indoors. There are books, puzzle and craft areas. Leggo kits, bikes and scooters, bubbles, even toy guns and cowboy hats. They carry some Girl Scout supplies, like patches and books and charms. This is really one stop shopping for children gifts. The owners and staff are always super friendly and helpful. They even offer to wrap your purchases, making gift giving even easier.

What a wonderful store! My grandchildren love visiting all the wonderful items they carry. Such a…read morespecial place and such a special town!

Adorable little kids store! Great service! My kids are older now but I just wanted to visit and see…read morewhat they offer. We ended up getting some temporary tattoos and the value was very good for the quality. Highly recommended for families with young kids. High quality selection of kids toys and books!