"Well, I've got a brand-new pair of roller skates You've got…read morea brand-new key I think that we should get together And try them on to see" (Melanie) It's NOT a thrift store, because everything here is brand new. So, if the thought of paying pennies on the dollar for BRAND NEW clothing gives you a buzz, well consider checking out Off Price Outlets in Wallingford. It's not a "store" in the normal sense -- it's a weekend only warehouse sale. They have no dressing rooms (you've been warned), but returns are allowed, which helps. The warehouse is big -- 7,000+ square feet of shoes, clothes, wallets, even jewelry, and whatever else they restock every weekend. Women's clothing dominates (I'd peg it around 75-80%), but there's enough men's stuff to make it worth wandering through. Sizes run up to 3XL for men and plus sizes for women. I did notice very few M and L men's sizes, but saw plenty of XLs and XSs. I definitely would have bought a sweet Hawaiian shirt, but alas I'm not an XS. We saw quite a few high-end brands on the racks, like Vineyard Vines, Athletica, Cutter & Buck, and J Crew. Shoes are everywhere -- sneakers, boots, dress shoes, open toe, closed toe, and a few pairs that look like they'd be perfect for a side gig on a stage circumnavigating a pole. Prices are rock bottom - open toe shoes $15, closed toe/dress/boots $20, sneakers $25. Tops start at $5, pants/shorts/swim/dresses/men's polos from $10, denim from $15. Their whole model is simple: they buy directly from the brands, skip the middleman, and open the warehouse only on weekends. The warehouse was quite crowded when we arrived. The line to check out wrapped around parts of three walls of the big space. But the line did move reasonably fast, and the crowd had definitely thinned out a bit after the morning madness. So, did we buy anything? Of course we did. We walked out with a brand-new pair of men's shorts, a pair of yoga pants, 2 men's shirts, a lady's top, and a cute pajama set for around $74. So, check it out and Happy Hunting. PRO TIP Definitely check out the website to see when the next sales event is scheduled

Avon Village Center is a sophisticated plaza filled with restaurants, retail, various of other…read morebusinesses, and residential housing. The parking lot was spacious and nicely paved. Getting in and out the plaza was easy; there's a traffic light which is great since it's a busy area. Whole Foods takes center stage in this plaza and can be seen from the street. They have Whale Tea for boba tea and Poke Bros for fresh sushi bowls. The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail is adjacent to the center. A great place to walk around, shop, and eat.

A perfect example of size doesn't matter..lol! It's a small space but has everything one needs all…read morecentered in one location. There is just so many diverse things one can do at Somerset square..stroll around the stores, dine at the restaurants and cafes (bgood, chipotle, max a more, Starbucks), paint at the muse paint bar, and not to forget 2 saloons,medspa and a European wax center, dry cleaners and more. The centers proximity to several office buildings makes it a great spot for lunching...most have patio seating in good weather. The high end stores and cleanliness give such an elevated shopping experience. This is one of my favorite outdoor mall in the area.

The shops at Somerset Square are great. There's a nice mix of restaurants and retail shopping. Max…read moreAmore and Max Fish are the highlights. There's also places to grab a quick bite to eat, like Chipotle or B Good. The parking always a bit chaotic. I try to avoid the traffic circle and park on the sides. I also wish there was more local businesses. It seems a bit commercialized.

The mall is alright, but I wouldn't drive out of my way to get here. It's got a lot of your lux…read morestores which means everything here is expensive, heck even the coffee. A small cup of coffee set me back almost $6; only starbucks is allowed to rip me off that way! The bright side is that across this mall is a Trader Joe's and some other stores on a strip that I'm more likely to actually shop at.

I like this mall. Well designed, plenty of stores in all price ranges. Clean with good selection of…read moreplaces to eat and drink. Security is active and obvious, making me feel a bit safer. Plenty of parking making even the holiday shopping bearable.

Avon Marketplace is an outdoor shopping plaza located in Avon, CT. It's a busy plaza with plenty of…read moreparking; it's located on Route 44, a main artery in CT. I'm there quite often because I like shopping at the stores there. Here are a list of stores as of November 2024: Russian School of Math Uponavon nail spa European Wax Center BurgerFi Max a Mia GAP Starbucks LensCrafters She La La Salsa Fresca Samara Med Spa Verizon New Balance Playa Bowls Munson's Chocolates Athleta Club Pilates Ulta Beauty Orvis CVS They have space available for lease. The sidewalks are wide and pedestrian friendly. Overall, a decent place to get some shopping done at.

So glad my wife and I stopped in here. They have a great selection, and Sal -- the owner -- was…read moresuper helpful and got me into the PERFECT suit. Great prices is a big plus, too. =) We will be back the next time we need to look sharp! Highly recommended.

Not a place for everyone. Lots of European-styled jackets and suits that are better for a man 30…read moreyears younger than I, but I was still temped. Shirt selection is wide - lots of solid colors, and some unique stripes/patterns. A good selection of fancy dress shoes (not business wear shoes, for sure). I go for the ties - some great patterns at affordable prices ($20-$30), and lots of solids in great. Colors. This is the only place where I've found ties to match some of my more brightly colored shirts. They also rent/sell tuxes, and I saw a few Edwardian styles that would suit the Goth/Prince fans(no raspberry berets, though). The owner is a very pleasant man who makes you feel welcome to browse. Even after buying a single tie, his thanks really came across as genuine. I got a few more pounds to lose before I could pull off some of these styles, but when I'm ready, my closet will be bursting at the seams.

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.

Blue Back Square is a popular spot in West Hartford. It has restaurants, shopping, entertainment,…read moreand a residential area. There is a hotel and large name stores such as Whole Foods, The Cheesecake Factory, and various others. It's a beautifully maintained area and very pedestrian friendly. People have the option to live, work, and play right in this area. There's a wide selection to choose from, you don't have to leave the area if you don't want to. Parking can be found on street and two garages, all metered but affordable. There are bright murals throughout. A movie theater and a library are within walking distance. There are events such as live music. There are quite an array of things to do and eat and all in walking distance. The area can be busy but for a good reason. I find myself there quite often and enjoy the amenities.

I saw last week on Facebook that Adam River from 95.7 was going to be present and Chaz the Cream…read morePuff man from the Big E Express at the Blue Back Square handing out cream puffs samples from 3:30-5:30 today. I ventured out with my kids to check it out. They thought I was crazy but went with me to see what I was taking about. They both were amazed how big these cream puffs are and the filling is so fresh. I told them the 1st time ever having them was at the Big E back in the day. With today being the opening day for the Big E it was an added touch to the West Hartford community to have a visit from Chaz. Next best thing to driving up to West Springfield tonight. Chaz was so photogenic and super nice and thank you for making my afternoon. I plan to get more cream puffs on Wednesday when I go which is also Connecticut Day at the Big E.