Best of Eugene 2011-2012: Spending
Best Bookstore
1. Smith Family 768 E. 13th Ave., 345-1651; 525 Willamette St., 343-4717.
2. Tsunami Books 2585 Willamette St. 345-8986.
3. J. Michaels 160 E. Broadway. 342-2002.
No, seriously, print is dying. But Smith Family (either location) is keeping the flame alive. If you love books and you have a few hours to kill, Smith Family is a treasure hunt waiting to happen. If there is a title you’re trying to find, chances are you can find a very affordable well-loved or brand new copy of it there. Oh, and this is a bookstore run by bookworms — so fire away with questions, the staff knows the inventory inside out. It’s more than likely that you will find what you were looking for and a few more titles as well. Students, pay attention, this is a great place to score the books you need at a cheap price.
Best Entertainment Shop
1. CD/Game Exchange 30 E. 11th Ave. 302-3045. cdgmexeug.com
2. CD World 3215 W. 11th Ave. Suite B. 683-6902. gotocdworld.com
3. House of Records 258 E. 13th Ave. 342-7975.
Winning for the second year in a row as Best Entertainment Shop, CD/Game Exchange proves once again that it has games and gear that used to be someone else’s that can now be yours, for a good deal. Snag that old videogame you used to play as a kid, hell, you can probably pick up the entire videogame system you used to play as a kid. With DVDs both new and used (all in good condition), CD/Game Exchange is definitely where you want to be if your craving for digital media outweighs your pocketbook.
Best Environmentally Friendly Business
1. BRING Recycling 4446 Franklin Blvd. 746-3023.bringrecycling.org
2. Down to Earth 532 Olive St., 342-6820; 2498 Willamette St.,
349-0556. down-to-earth.com
3. NextStep Recycling 2101 W. 10th Ave. 686-2366. nextsteprecycling.org
Even if you are not in the middle of some huge cool home remodeling project, whiling away a couple afternoon hours at BRING is kind of like going to the biggest yard sale ever for home and garden stuff. Where else can you find used windows, used sinks, random tubes and hoses, tools with obscure uses and office furniture of all shapes and sizes? Look one way and there’s a bin of used crutches, across the cluttered but clean room is a bin of car parts, with a horse’s hackamore tossed in. There’s gold in them thar bins of recycled stuff.
Best Bike Shop
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| photo by todd cooper |
1. Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life 234 W. 6th Ave., 344-4150; 3870 W. 11th Ave., 343-2250; 152 W. 5th Ave., 344-4105; 2480 Alder St., 342-6155 www.bicycleway.com
2. Arriving By Bike 2705 Willamette St. 484-5410. arrivingbybike.com
3. Hutch’s 960 Charnelton St.345-7521; 2100 Main St. Springfield 741-2453
It’s nice to have options, and with Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life, you have an option pretty much wherever you are in town. The four shops all seem to have knowledgeable and helpful staffs, and each is slightly specialized — 5th Avenue in rentals, 6th Avenue in road and cross bikes, West 11th in helping stranded Fern Ridge bikers (thanks, guys) and Alder Street in, well, being the first Paul’s.
Best Local Resale
1. Redoux Parlour 780 Blair Blvd. 342-1942. redouxparlour.com
2. Deluxe 1331 Willamette St. 686-0205. deluxefashionshop.net
3. BRING 4446 Franklin Blvd. 746-3023. bringrecycling,org
Best Naughty Business
1. Olive Juice 543 Blair Blvd. 345-1618.
2. Freudian Slip 870 Pearl St. 345-7547. www.shopfreudianslip.com
2. The Nile Gentlemen’s Club 1030 Hwy 99 N. 688-1869.
Looking for locally made underwear? A sexy wig? Corsets or lingerie? Olive Juice, a gift shop that specializes in sexy costumery, has a variety of options that most certainly veer toward naughty. It’s a great stop when you’re looking to finalize an outfit so it has that certain je-ne-sais-fuck-me.
Best Bookstore
1. Smith Family 768 E. 13th Ave., 345-1651; 525 Willamette St., 343-4717.
2. Tsunami Books 2585 Willamette St. 345-8986.
3. J. Michaels 160 E. Broadway. 342-2002.
No, seriously, print is dying. But Smith Family (either location) is keeping the flame alive. If you love books and you have a few hours to kill, Smith Family is a treasure hunt waiting to happen. If there is a title you’re trying to find, chances are you can find a very affordable well-loved or brand new copy of it there. Oh, and this is a bookstore run by bookworms — so fire away with questions, the staff knows the inventory inside out. It’s more than likely that you will find what you were looking for and a few more titles as well. Students, pay attention, this is a great place to score the books you need at a cheap price.
Best Entertainment Shop
1. CD/Game Exchange 30 E. 11th Ave. 302-3045. cdgmexeug.com
2. CD World 3215 W. 11th Ave. Suite B. 683-6902. gotocdworld.com
3. House of Records 258 E. 13th Ave. 342-7975.
Winning for the second year in a row as Best Entertainment Shop, CD/Game Exchange proves once again that it has games and gear that used to be someone else’s that can now be yours, for a good deal. Snag that old videogame you used to play as a kid, hell, you can probably pick up the entire videogame system you used to play as a kid. With DVDs both new and used (all in good condition), CD/Game Exchange is definitely where you want to be if your craving for digital media outweighs your pocketbook.
Best Environmentally Friendly Business
1. BRING Recycling 4446 Franklin Blvd. 746-3023. bringrecycling.org
2. Down to Earth 532 Olive St., 342-6820; 2498 Willamette St.,349-0556. down-to-earth.com
3. NextStep Recycling 2101 W. 10th Ave. 686-2366. nextsteprecycling.org
Even if you are not in the middle of some huge cool home remodeling project, whiling away a couple afternoon hours at BRING is kind of like going to the biggest yard sale ever for home and garden stuff. Where else can you find used windows, used sinks, random tubes and hoses, tools with obscure uses and office furniture of all shapes and sizes? Look one way and there’s a bin of used crutches, across the cluttered but clean room is a bin of car parts, with a horse’s hackamore tossed in. There’s gold in them thar bins of recycled stuff.
Best Local Resale
1. Redoux Parlour 780 Blair Blvd. 342-1942. redouxparlour.com
2. Deluxe 1331 Willamette St. 686-0205. deluxefashionshop.net
3. BRING 4446 Franklin Blvd. 746-3023. bringrecycling,org
Best Place to Pamper Yourself
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| photo by todd cooper |
1. Gervais 248 E. 5th Ave. 345-1312; 301 W. 5th Ave. 334-6533. www.gervaiseugene.com
2. Pearl St. Day Spa 1375 Pearl St. 683-3377. www.thepearldayspa.com
3. Bello 2746 Shadow View Dr. 345-0551. www.bellospa.com
When it comes to the pampering process, the folks at Gervais have it down. Aveda products enhance the normal salon experience with fresh scents of lavender. And give your hands and feet a little TLC with a manicure and pedicure at the 5th & Lincoln day spa. Get those roots touched up or get a nice haircut and style over at the Fifth Street Public Market salon.
Best Clothing Shop
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| photo by todd cooper |
1. Redoux Parlour 780 Blair Blvd. 342-1942. redouxparlour.com
2. Deluxe 1331 Willamette St. 686-0205. deluxefashionshop.net
3. Sweet Potato Pie 20 E. 11th Ave. 344-8810
Get your shop — or your sell — on at Redoux Parlour. Whether you are looking for designer labels or something a little funkier, you are sure to find it at this resale store. Clean out your closet and turn your dowdy day outfits into someone else’s Sunday best. Redoux only accepts the best of the best when it comes to hand-me-downs — which is great news for savvy shoppers — so be sure check out their guidelines. The Redoux Parlour also offers alterations and hosts two levels of sewing classes for the craftier types. Plus meet the who’s who in Eugene’s up-and-coming fashion scene and see their latest designs — tagged by some as wearable art — as many local designers are featured in this one-stop shop.
Best Downtown Business
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| photo by todd cooper |
1. Voodoo Doughnut 20 E. Broadway. voodoodoughnut.com
2. The Kiva 125 W. 11th Ave. 342-8666. kivagrocery.org
3. Passion Flower 128 E. Broadway. 344-3857. passionflowerdesign.com
Since its arrival last year, Voodoo Donuts continues to hold its place downtown — and its notorious scent of sugary goodness permeates the air. The trademark pink boxes can be seen all over Eugene. The cereal-topped doughnuts continue to bring out customers’ inner children and the penis-shaped doughnuts continue to bring out the perverts. And what could be better than a fresh maple bar? How about a maple bar topped with bacon? Mmmm.
Best Body Modification Shop
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| photo by rob sydor • robsydor.com |
1. High Priestess 675 Lincoln St., 342-6585; 525 E. 13th Ave., 343-3311; 2475 N.W. Monroe Ave., Corvallis, 738-7711; highpriestess.com
2. Area 51 3585 Main St., Spfd., 747-3110, www.a51tats.com
3. (tie) The Parlour 1097 Willamette St., 345-6465, www.theparlourtattoo.com; and Black Lotus 1011 W. 6th Ave., 434-8282, www.julientattoo.com
Punch a hole in you and call it art! High Priestess will pierce and tattoo just about every part of you, whether you’re in Eugene, Corvallis or even Roseburg. All their piercers are members of the Association of Professional Piercers, and if there’s one way the Eugene locations feel, it’s clean. Tattoo artists display their portfolios online, so you can browse through their work until you find an artist whose work you feel comfortable with. Even better, the shop welcomes those with healing piercings and tattoos wondering “is this normal?” to stop by and make sure it is.
Best Tattoo Artist
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| photos by todd cooper |
1. Wendy Kai, Pure Devotion 304 E. 13th Ave. 221-2048. www.puredevotiontattoo.net
2. (tie): Chris Rohaley, Area 51 3585 Main St., Spfd., 747-3110, www.a51tats.com; and
Dr. Julien, Black Lotus Tattoo 1011 W. 6th Ave. 434-8282. www.julientattoo.com
Wendi Kai, lady tattooer, inks her customers in her much-anticipated new parlor, Pure Devotion Tattoo, located inside Antrican on 13th. The space is welcoming and showcases Kai’s devotion to her art, as well as the local artistic community. When asked how it feels to finally have her own space, she says, “Besides raising my son, it is the most rewarding investment of my time and energy.” Kai has been tattooing in Eugene for the past five years and she “feels lucky and grateful to get to do this as a profession.”
Best Pet Supply Store
1. Mini Pet Mart 974 W. 6th Ave., 344-9603; 2636 Willamette St., 345-3399; 2775 River Rd., 688-8619; 1999 Main St., Spfd., 744-0665.
2. The Healthy Pet 2777 Friendly St. 343-3411. www.thehealthypet.com
3. Wags! Dog Emporium 485 Coburg Rd. 338-8801. www.wagsdog.com
While it may seem completely backwards for a place that promotes the health and well being of domesticated animals to sell cigarettes, we love that Mini Pet Mart does. Besides the extremely cheap smokes, though, Mini Pet Mart has everything you could possibly imagine needing for your moggies and doggies, and let’s not forget your birds and reptiles either. The scratch-off bonus cards are also a nice touch.
Best Glassware
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| The men of Midtown |
1. Midtown Direct Smoke Shop 133 E. 13th Ave. 345-3337. www.midtowndirect.us
2. Cornerstone Glass 1068 W. 2nd Ave. 341-1788. http://cornerstoneglass.com
3. Glass Menagerie 980 W. 5th Ave. 344-4865.
Gorgeous swirls of color and plucky little dots decorate the pipes at Midtown Pipe and Tobacco. They range in style from Sherlocks to hookahs to one-hitters. In addition to glassware, Midtown has pipe tobacco, hookah supplies and incense. Just don’t mention any less-than-legal substances that could be smoked out of the glassware — it’s a quick ticket out of the shop.
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