Photographs by Catherine Grace
Cozy Bookstore: Hidden Chapter Bookstore
If you were imagining the perfect charming bookstore, you might include an attached café where browsers could get coffee, a small bar where readers could get shots of bourbon, and a passage between the shop’s two sides concealed behind a wardrobe. Luckily, you don’t have to imagine Hidden Chapter, which hides in plain sight in Ft. Thomas. The stock favors fiction, with an emphasis on romantasy, fantasy, mystery, horror, and thrillers. Pick your favorite, find a comfy perch, and create your own hiding place. ♦ 118 N. Ft. Thomas Ave., Ft. Thomas, (859) 442-0118, thehiddenchapter.com
Lampshades: Palette Studios
Need the perfect shade to complement the powder room wallpaper? Or a replacement for grandma’s antique floor lamp? Palette Studios can help, whether there’s something in stock or you need a custom creation. The electricity magicians there can also rewire that old table lamp with a frayed cord or turn grandpa’s oil lamp into an electric light. The business has been around since 1912; longtime owner Sharon Denight, who helped restore Music Hall’s chandelier, passed away earlier this year. ♦ 2501 Woodburn Ave., Walnut Hills, (513) 961-1316, palettestudios.com
Crystal Shop: The Crystalary
When she was 8, Mel Huffman collected her first rock, a Sulphur crystal, which was the beginning of a lifelong love affair that she would turn into a business nearly 30 years later. Huffman and her business partner Nancy Hartley Parsons operate The Crystalary, specializing in putting high-quality minerals and crystals in the hands of collectors. From a smoky quartz sourced from Switzerland to vintage pieces like Cordey China Company figurines, the fine mineral gallery will have something that suits your tastes. ♦ 1030 Delta Ave., Mt. Lookout, (513) 549-0887, thecrystalary.com
Treasure Trove of Weird Things: Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub
You know you can take your hard-to-recycle plastics to the Hub, but did you know you can shop there, too? On the fourth floor, browse the selection of tile, fabrics, planters, office supplies, and more, priced by the pound (either 25 cents or $1, as well as specially marked items) or free. More people are recycling at the Hub, so your purchases can help it expand—and keep items out of the landfill. ♦ 911 Evans St., Queensgate, (513) 629-9040, cintirrh.org
Grocery Store: Dorothy Lane Market
Dorothy Lane Market’s highly anticipated Mason location opened its doors back in August to great fanfare, the first new store in 23 years and the first outside of its hometown stomping grounds of Dayton. One trip will tell you why it’s received so much attention. From the dry-aging chamber in the butcher shop to the gourmet cheese selection to the wine bar, everything gleams with the store equivalent of the new car smell. We get the feeling this will last long after the pomp and circumstance dies down. ♦ 7200 Mason Montgomery Rd., Mason, (513) 229-2500, dorothylane.com
Clean Girl Aesthetic: Skin by Brownlee & Co.
With the help of celebrities like Alicia Keyes and Pamela Anderson, a “no makeup” movement is slowly growing, and Sylvia Brownlee’s products are perfectly positioned to lead the charge. The local veteran esthetician has been helping individuals tackle their acne and hyperpigmentation issues with her Skin by Brownlee & Co. line for a decade. Earlier this year, she launched her Toned collection, focusing on creams and serums that brighten uneven skin tones and minimize dark spots over time. ♦ skinbybrownleeandco.com
Plant Nursery for Edibles: Growing Value Nursery
This perennial edible nursery grows foods you’d be hard-pressed to find at your everyday grocery store. Find goumi, aronia, and honey berries, pawpaws, persimmons, spice bush, chestnuts, and more at Growing Value’s expansive nursery. Just be sure to check its walk-in shopping hours or make an appointment for one-on-one help with plant selections before stopping by. ♦ 824 Enright Ave., Price Hill, (513) 259-3504, cincinnatipermacultureinstitute.org
Uncommon Instrument: Cincinnati Washboards
While not based in the Queen City, this washboard-making company is its namesake. And don’t be fooled by its title—Cincinnati Washboards doesn’t make tools to wash clothes, either. Rather, they create washboards as instruments, complete with hotel call bells, small cymbals, jam blocks, and thimbles for your fingers to run down its crimped metal surface—perfect for a one-man jam sesh. ♦ cincinnatiwashboards.com
Indie Tabletop RPGs: Woodburn Games
At this tiny game shop in East Walnut Hills, you’ll find titles like Psychic Trash Detectives, Thirsty Sword Lesbians, and Hamsters & Himbos: The Small Town Mystery of Unmatched Thiccness lining the tabletop RPG shelves right next to classics like Dungeons & Dragons. Woodburn seeks out unique games from Indie Press Revolution to serve the enthusiastic indie gaming customer base that even plays them in-store on occasion. ♦ 2803 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills, (513) 206-8776, woodburngames.com
Home Organizer: Organized by Wendy
As a lifelong neat-freak and natural organizer, Wendy Sauer has dedicated her career to helping others bring a sense of peace and calm to their own homes. She offers a three-step process involving consultation, customized design, and sorting services to not only create an organized space, but a system that you’ll be able to sustain long-term. Wendy also provides regular organizational tips on social media. ♦ (513) 702-4844, getorganizedbywendy.com
Comic Book Shop: Up Up & Away
What’s better than a neighborhood comic book shop with Funko Pops, clothing, books, collectibles, manga, model kits, and online ordering? Two shops in different parts of town! Looking to declutter your storage bins? They’re always open to buying old comics. ♦ 4016 Harrison Ave., Cheviot, (513) 661-6300; 9678 Kenwood Rd., Blue Ash, (513) 936-6300; upupandawaycomics.com
Taxidermy: Hail Records & Oddities
If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop where you can pick up the newest indie vinyl and a stuffed peacock to mount on your wall, try Hail. Each room in the small Covington shop is lined with unique taxidermy pieces, all of which have names, and many of which are not for sale. The owners seek out these pieces through antique sellers and then decide which ones get a “NFS” tag based on how much they personally like them. So, while some may come and go, pieces like Totes Magoats, Berry the Bear, and Roarwee will always be around to help you pick out some records. ♦ 720 Main St., Covington, (859) 261-0107, hailcincinnati.com
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