Thrifting through the Finger Lakes

Skaneateles has a fabulous treasure hidden under the Masonic Temple

Next-to-new is the new “New.”  The Finger Lakes region has an amazing selection of second-hand shops selling clothing, furniture, records, books and more. When summer hides, as it occasionally does, try visiting a store where stuff is recycled, re-used, vintage, antique, collectible, or just plain cheap.

Below is a list of my favorite places to treasure hunt:

Auburn 

An Eclectic Home

Where: 937 Lincoln Way, Downtown Auburn

Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; summer hours 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday with a dinner break from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Phone: (530) 889-2900.

Auburn Trading Post & Antiques

This 3-story warehouse is visible from Rt 20, as you drive through town. Not to be missed unless you are highly allergic to dust and mildew. I found a huge container of Miracle Grow for $1, classic records, silverware and dishes for my son’s apartment, Nintendo games.

24 McMaster Street, Auburn, NY 13021, 315-252-6320

Ithaca

Check out The Commons for several stores with books, furniture and clothing.

Angry Mom Records

STORE HOURS. Mon-Wed: 12-8:00PM., Thurs-Sat: 12-9:00PM, Sun: 12-6:00PM.
CONTACT. 607.319.4953

Autumn Leaves Books

Funky Junk

Petrune

Classic clothing from every decade. This is not necessarily thrift, but loaded with STYLE.

Open 7 days a week, 11am to 6pm.

Rochester

This is the easiest way to find all the smaller shops in Rochester.

My current favorite is Marianne’s Consignment Shop on South Ave. has many items that still have the store tags on them.  My most recent score: Ann Taylor fall jacket: $10, long black sweater: $3., black evening dress: $19, shoes to match: $10.

Bop Shop Music

Vintage and new music. Fabulous record collection. Located at 1460 Monroe Ave in Brighton, it is open Tuesday – Saturday 11-8, and Sunday, 12-5.

The House of Guitars

A fixture in Rochester on Titus Ave since the dawn of rock and roll, the great great House of Guitars contains an enormous inventory of musical instruments and music. Aerosmith, Ozzie Osborne, Cheap Trick, Metallica and Matthew Sweet are among the major acts that have shopped at the House of Guitars.

Skaneateles

St. James Thrift Store is my favorite store in town, despite my enduring love for the donuts at the Skaneatleles Bakery. Difficult to spot, it’s located downstairs, with the entrance and sign on a side street, off Genesee. This is where you’ll find brand-new baseball cleats for $4.00 and a full military dress uniform for $10. The Thrift Shop is located in the basement of the Masonic Temple on Genesee Street between State and Jordan streets.

 96 East Genesee Street, Skaneateles, NY 13152

Phone: (315) 685-7600

Hours 10-4, M-S.

Syracuse

The Thrift Shopper is a comprehensive listing of all the great shops in Syracuse

Eco Chic Boutique

EcoChic Boutique combines NEW and CONSIGNED clothing and accessories for the Ecologically conscious and Economically savvy shopper. Located on 4314 East Genesee St in Dewitt.

Monday to Saturday: 11am to 6pm
Sunday: 12pm to 5pm

The Sound Garden

Great store to browse and kill some time in.  The selection is vast and they always seem to be adding new products across different mediums.  Prices on new and old records/DVDs/games are the best you can find in any brick-and-mortar shop.

Armory Square
310 W Jefferson St
Syracuse, NY 13202

Please share with me your favorite thrift stores are and I’ll add them to this blog.

Ithaca’s Fabulous Gorges — a photo gallery

Check out these photos of The waterfalls and gorges around Ithaca, by the Huffington Post. “150 waterfalls with in 10 miles of Ithaca!

Lucien Morin Park — Guided Hikes Unlock the Secrets of the Trail

It’s nice to take a hike, even nicer when you have an experienced guide to share everything you would ever want to know about the plants and the history of the area.

I took a hike with the Penfield Trails Committee to learn more about Lucien Morin Park, aka the Ellison Park Wetland aka The Rifle Range Trail. The Rifle Range Trail is so named because it passes what remains of a rifle range and pistol range formerly used by the National Guard and State Police, during WWII.

The Piggery: Ithaca’s (and the world’s) Best Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ithaca strikes me as the LAST place on earth to have a restaurant that specializes in pork. If it was “The Sproutery” or “Veggies and Stuff,” I’d believe it. But when a friend told us not to miss the Piggery, I was incredulous.

So my friend and decided to go whole hog. We walked in at noon on a Sunday and asked if we could order some bacon. Classic comedic response: “We ran out of bacon yesterday.”

View from Hemlock Lake

At normal water levels both Hemlock and Canadice have limited shoreline. Left alone, the forest grows right to the water’s edge. However, after a long dry summer, the lake level drops, creating a generous shore with some startling views.