BOUGHT & SOLD >>

• BEST ART SUPPLIES
  Wet Paint Artists' Materials & Framing
  To the uninitiated, the claustrophobic confines of Wet Paint might be daunting. This store squeezes every usable inch out of its Grand Avenue space. But what you lose in breathing room you gain in merchandise and experience. The staff knows where to find things and how to use them—they are... More >>
• BEST BABY GOODS STORE
  Peapods
  If you're expecting, then we're expecting you'll end up at one of the big-box baby stores at some point. It's only logical. The baby goods industry is one in which the big stores and the little ones kind of need each other. As any new parent can tell you, baby infrastructure—the crib,... More >>
• BEST BIKE SHOP
  Freewheel Bike
  Last year the Census Bureau ranked Minneapolis second among the nation's biggest cities—behind only Portland, Oregon—in the percentage of people who commute to work by bicycle. The Cities are serious about their biking, and we are graced with several first-rate bike shops to meet the... More >>
• BEST BOOKSTORE (NEW)
  Common Good Books
  In a perfect world, good books and great coffee would always be found together. Just when the Barnes & Noble/Starbucks pairing seemed like the closest thing to reader's utopia, along comes Common Good Books. Unique, homey, and accessible, this Garrison Keillor-owned spot, located right... More >>
• BEST BOOKSTORE (USED)
  Magers and Quinn
  With its cluttered shelves and seemingly endless rows of books, it's easy to get lost inside Magers and Quinn. From Charlie Brown to Aristotle, hidden treasures can be found in every nook and cranny of the store. It's the perfect place to browse, with more than 120,000 used and current titles,... More >>
• BEST BOUTIQUE
  Cliché
  The outside of the dirty brick building on Lyndale doesn't seem like anything special, but once inside, the store's raspberry-colored walls and vaulted tin ceilings welcome browsers to a secret fashion wonderland. From high-fashion white drop shirt dresses and vintage jumpers with buttons to die... More >>
• BEST CAR WASH
  T & Y Service Co.
  If you want to know where the best car wash in town is, just follow the taxis. You can often find half a dozen of them lined up here on most days. The station's convenient proximity to I-94 in downtown Minneapolis might have something to do with its popularity, but cab drivers also put a premium... More >>
• BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKSTORE
  Wild Rumpus
  It might be best to try to explain the unmitigated glory of this place through the eyes of a child who is, say, two feet tall and relatively new to this world. And let's say this child has enough command of language to exclaim with reasonable articulation. This, then, is how that child would... More >>
• BEST COMIC BOOK SHOP
  Big Brain Comics
  We know a comic book fan who once sent a girlfriend into a local comic shop. No, it wasn't a practical joke; he was sure she'd be impressed by its selection of offbeat magazines. Big mistake. His friend returned verifiably creeped out. See, girly-bombs like her rarely make appearances in comic... More >>
• BEST FULL-SERVICE SALON/SPA
  The Sanctuary Salonspa
  The Sanctuary Salonspa combines beauty and relaxation in perfect harmony. In addition to cutting and coloring your locks, the staff offers a wide range of massage services including hot stone massage, pregnancy massage, and Lomi Lomi, plus facials, waxing, body treatments, and more. The friendly... More >>
• BEST GAME STORE
  Source Comics and Games
  For 14 years this mighty stronghold has stood, touted by fierce dwarfish warriors and timid nerds alike as the Cities' premier Geek House. The hallowed halls carry a dizzyingly comprehensive library of role-playing-game books, from the shiny new editions of Dungeons & Dragons to the arcane,... More >>
• BEST GARDEN CENTER
  Mother Earth Gardens
  Dealing with a short growing season and a long winter, a backyard gardener in this part of the country is an efficient and patient animal. One must work quickly when planting time comes, and must wait and wait and wait for it all winter long. It is easy for such an animal to want from its... More >>
• BEST GIFT STORE
  Avalon
  It's easy to miss Avalon, nestled subtly between louder stores like Patagonia and Ace Hardware on Grand Avenue. But those who enter will be pleasantly surprised at the variety of potential gifts inside. Got money? The store has kitschy furniture, jewelry, and the kind of quirky knickknacks that... More >>
• BEST HAIRCUT
  Hair Police
  It may be in close geographic proximity to the punk-house bathroom in Uptown where you got your first mohawk, perched shirtless on the toilet while the buzzers sheared away your winter frizz. But Hair Police, towering over the hustle and bustle of Lyndale and Lake, is light years from those DIY... More >>
• BEST HARDWARE STORE
  Seven Corners Hardware
  With spacious big-box hardware stores like Home Depot now the norm, entering the cramped, maze-like space of Seven Corners Hardware might be a bit of a shock. But think of it as an adventure, because like a hardware store in Harry Potter's Diagon Alley would, this place can work magic. This year... More >>
• BEST KNITTING STORE
  The Yarnery
  Remember when knitting wasn't cool? It must have been about seven or eight years ago when the only people spotted knitting in airports or on buses were grandmothers creating soon-to-be-unwanted Christmas gifts. Not anymore. But back before you could buy a DIY knitting kit for an iPod case at... More >>
• BEST MALL
  Midtown Global Market
  It may be a bit of stretch to call the Midtown Global Market a "shopping mall," what with its decidedly un-mall-like open layout and festive atmosphere (live music acts regularly play on center stage). Shoppers seeking respite from the sprawling, chain-store mega-malls of suburbia relish Midtown... More >>
• BEST MEN'S CLOTHING STORE (1 Comment)
  Lava Lounge
  Diamond shopping has its three Cs, school its three Rs, and clothes shopping its three Ss—sales, selection, and service. You always want to feel like you could unearth a bargain, you have options, and you're welcomed rather than reviled. Most men's clothing outlets fall flat on at least... More >>
• BEST METAPHYSICAL SUPPLY STORE
  Magus Books & Herbs
  Emporiums catering to alternative spirituality stand tall among the few remaining bastions of independent retail. Part of the reason is that few corporations have the chutzpah to launch, say, Tarot R Us or the Pentacle Depot, because they figure they'd get unwelcome attention from the religious... More >>
• BEST MYSTERY BOOKSTORE
  Uncle Edgar's
  Some bookstores can be too orderly. Shelves that are too neat can make the selection seem sparse and take all the fun out of stumbling across a great bargain or serendipitous discovery. Other shops are completely out of control, making it nearly impossible to find anything. Uncle Edgar's, like... More >>
• BEST NEIGHBORHOOD FOR GARAGE SALES
  Macalester-Groveland
  A veteran garage sale expert knows how to case a neighborhood by population data. Usually the study is more informal, but hard numbers as well as experience back up our choice. The Macalester-Groveland neighborhood boasts that 64 percent of its residents have college degrees. The median income... More >>
• BEST PHARMACY
  Schneider Drug
  True, Tom Gupta's drugstore is among the last independently owned pharmacies in the Twin Cities, with the others countable on a Simpsons hand. And yes, it is also one of the great local bastions of civic engagement. His political salons, with attendees crammed into the narrow aisles of his... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO ACCESSORIZE YOUR SCANDO HERITAGE
  Ingebretsen's
  The following is an exchange, recounted verbatim, as it was overheard at the beloved Scandinavian gift and meat shop on East Lake Street: "Look, Lori, a gnome," said one woman, in a proud second- or third-generation Scandinavian drawl. "No, Deborah, that's a troll," came the impatient response.... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO BUY USED DVDS
  CD Warehouse
  The used DVD is this decade's used CD—if you want to get the latest release cheap, your best bet is often to wait a few weeks (or even a few days) and hunt for it in the used bins. The various CD Warehouses in the Twin Cities offer a cornucopia of options, not just the latest Hollywood... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO GET A PIñATA
  Litin Everything Party 'n' Paper
  This massive warehouse store, in its 40th year of business in the Twin Cities, lies on the edge of downtown Minneapolis and houses one of the biggest collections of random party paraphernalia you're likely to find—supplies for any kind of bash, from a wedding to a costume ball. But glance... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO SAY IT WITH A CARD
  Mitrebox
  There are those of you out there who are inclined to "say it with a card" but can't for the life of you find the card to say it. The gag card with the muscleman in the thong doesn't say it. The kitten in a boot doesn't say it. The soft-focus flowers with the swooping font don't say it either.... More >>
• BEST PLUS-SIZE SHOPPING
  Mall of America
  Whether you celebrate or camouflage your curves, if you're above a size 16 you know the importance of great, well-fitting clothes. While it's still often hard to find them, shoppers know that through a combination of persistence, personal style, and patience, good, non-matronly clothes can be... More >>
• BEST SCIENCE-FICTION BOOKSTORE
  Dreamhaven
  Recently a new customer at Dreamhaven's longstanding location on Lake Street was overheard exclaiming, "I could spend a whole day in here!" That wouldn't be hard at all. With thousands of books, both new and used, not to mention extensive comic book and magazine sections, Dreamhaven is a place... More >>
• BEST TATTOO PARLOR
  Saint Sabrina's
  The embellishment that once marked members of tribal cultures, sailors, and circus performers has now become a mainstream fashion statement. The removal of its aura of taboo no doubt displeases counterculture enthusiasts; after all, the tattoo loses its edge when every small-town prom queen... More >>
• BEST TOY STORE
  Creative Kidstuff
  These are the things that make a great toy store: first, restraint. Namely, the restraint required to opt out of the lucrative world of TV- and movie-themed toys—you know, the ones developed by marketing groups instead of people who actually care about child development. What happens when... More >>
• BEST USED CLOTHING FOR KIDS
  Arc's Value Village
  Let's narrow this category a bit and tweak the name: "Best place to shop for used kids' clothes with toddler in tow and come out a winner." Surely the people at Arc needed a focus group of thrift-store-weary parents to make their kids' clothing section work the way it does. Let's just tick off... More >>
• BEST USED CLOTHING STORE
  Buffalo Exchange
  Buffalo Exchange provides the yearning shopper, who perhaps also has a yearning, mostly empty wallet, with an unthinkable experience. The bright colors and patterned fabrics begin to spin together, putting the body into overdrive. So many shirts! And skirts! And necklaces! And jeans! The body... More >>
• BEST VIDEO RENTAL STORE
  Nicollet Village Video
  Beyond the tattered carpet and beneath the almost painful fluorescent lights lies The X Files. Three whole shelves of it. The grizzly Nicollet Village Video is a store for the retro movie and television lover, with a selection you'd never expect to see outside of 1993. For a mere $5 for a... More >>
• BEST WOMEN'S CLOTHING STORE
  Heartbreaker
  Uptown offers a wealth of shopping opportunities, between Urban Outfitters, American Apparel, and the maze of vintage stores. The problem is that a few swipes of a nearly maxed-out Visa can leave a girl looking like a fashion plate from Any-town, USA, with tiredly ironic T-shirts and played-out... More >>
• BEST WESTERN CLOTHING STORE
  Emil Schatzlein started working with saddles at age 14 as an apprentice in his native Germany. Not long after, he immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Minneapolis in 1907, where Schatzlein Saddle Shop opened on Lake Street. The store hasn't strayed from that street nor from the family; six... More >>