→ New Nail Salon
Spruce Nail Shop
Your blood pressure will go down just walking in: West Elm pedicure chairs, Brush Factory manicure tables, the light scent of lotions and oils mixed on site and no chemicals, plus plants plants plants. “The Goods” manicure’s hot stone massage—no token swipe of lotion here—will release tension you never knew your hands could hold. And, a happy surprise to our skepticism, the all-natural products did not make for short-lived polish. It may mean a slightly longer drying time, but we were too busy people-watching out the Vine Street–facing window to notice. Over-the-Rhine, sprucenailshop.com
Photograph by Jeremy Kramer
→ Friend to Urban DIY-ers
Acme Lock and Hardware
It’s Saturday morning in OTR and you need weather-stripping. Or it’s Friday on Fourth Street and you gotta have picture wire. Or paint, hand tools, cleaning products, PVC pipe…whatever. A couple of years ago the little locksmith shop on Main Street grew to include supplies for contractors, rehabbers, and residents in the urban core. Now it’s expanding again—stretching to 8,000 square feet, adding features such as garden gear and glass cutting, and relocating to East Ninth Street. Look for the new location to open (with a new name: Woods Hardware) by the end of the year. And get out your To-Do list. Downtown, acmelock.com
→ Pet Sitter
Professional Pet Nanny, Inc.
Finding a neighbor to walk the dog or feed the cat may be easy, but what about feeding fruit flies to your poison dart frog, or cleaning up after that not-so-little-anymore pot-bellied pig you fell for? Since 2000, Kyle Maushardt’s team of pet nannies have provided in-home care for furry, scaly, slimy, feathery, or exoskeletal friends in Ohio and Kentucky. Visits include scooping, walking, feeding, hydrating, and playing. Bonus: They’ll also take in your mail and put out your trash. professionalpetnanny.com
→ Party Supply Rental
Alleen Company
Hosting a blowout bash or a small soiree? The Alleen Company offers everything from coffee pots and dinnerware to grills and dance floors (all competitively priced). But we’re particularly fond of their tent selection, which includes professionally installed pole tents, DIY models for budget-conscious partiers, and everything in between. An added bonus: Their customer service agents are responsive, efficient, and accommodating, regardless of what you spend. Sharonville, alleencompany.com
→ Elopement Services
My Tiny Wedding
Weddings are a nice expression of your eternal love and all, but they’re also kinda overhyped—and way overpriced. My Tiny Wedding at Red River Gorge offers an alternative: A gorgeous setting commensurate with Your Special Day, at a price that allows you to spend your remaining cash on something you could actually use, like a rad honeymoon or house or whatever. Packages are organized by how much hiking you’re hoping to do and options for photography and extras like “a decorated altar in the middle of the woods.” Eat your heart out, Pinterest. Red River Gorge, mytinywedding.com
→ Travel Group
Wanderlust: Wanderlearn
Founded by seasoned world-traveler Simone Kuzma, Wanderlust:Wanderlearn is not your mama’s bus tour company. Kuzma arranges travel groups to exotic destinations based on info you provide in her online application, then designs 10-day itineraries and requires all participants to take a travel-101-style class prepping you for the trip. Looking for resort life? Move on. Looking to become “a more capable and confident independent traveler?” This group’s for you. wanderlustwanderlearn.com
→ Chalk Art
Suzy Richardt
Since the summer of 2013, Dayton, Ohio–based Suzy Richardt has been chalking it up, creating custom signage for weddings and businesses alike. There’s a warmth to these hand-lettered, ephemeral creations, whether the letters are Art Deco or free-flowing. In August, Richardt announced a sabbatical, during which she’s crafting a plan to take her “side hustle” full-time. She’ll return in the spring with a clean slate. suzyrichardt.com
→ Movers
Valley Moving and Storage
They arrive on time, introduce themselves, and seem undaunted by multi-story townhouses, fragile antiques, and complex domestic arrangements (“So, you’ll drop the sofa off at my stepdaughter’s ex-fiance’s house in Hyde Park, then…”). And they’re respectful of you and your furnishings, even after a long day of The recliner? Put it there. No, wait…. Reading, (513) 733-5075
→ Honest Garage
Trusted mechanics? We’ll vouch for these three.
Whities Car Care
Specialists in Asian cars, this East Walnut Hills shop has serviced family autos for 70 years. Whities prides itself on honest estimates and over-and-above customer service. They even provide loaners and consult with other mechanics when your car has trouble out of town. East Walnut Hills, whitiescarcare.com
Donovan’s Auto & Tire Center
The Donovan family has owned a shop in Pleasant Ridge since 1958. Final repair cost here is almost always less than what they quote you upfront, and they’re totally honest about what work really needs to be done now and what can wait. Pleasant Ridge, donovantire.com
Delhi Import Service
When the owner is nicknamed “Cubby,” you know the shop has got to be good. His prices are fair, the repairs competent and thorough and—maybe most important—Cubby saves you money without cutting corners and won’t make a client “feel like an idiot,” says one satisfied customer. Delhi, (513) 244-7222
→ Way to Host guests
Route Fifty Campers
These refurbished vintage trailers are built for speed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t park one in your driveway when cousin Eddie comes calling. And don’t feel like you’re putting him out, either: Both the 1958 Fan Travel Trailer and the 1969 Aristocrat Lo-Liner (a.k.a. Lola) come equipped with electric heat and air conditioning, plus a stovetop and sink. The Fan sleeps four and has an 8-by-10-foot canopy with café lights, while Lola has a fridge and one more sleeping space. routefiftycampers.com
Photograph by Aaron M. Conway
Photograph by Aaron M. Conway
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