Shopping in Ardmore

Owner Matt Neugebauer, an avid cyclist and self-proclaimed ‘bike nerd,’ brings bikes, apparel, services, and extensive biking knowledge together under one roof at Brandywine Cyclery. His staff of bike enthusiasts—which includes his brother and parents— helps customers navigate the store’s selection of Specialized, Felt, and Colnago bikes. They’ll happily answer questions about the shop’s selection of pedals, wheels, and tools, and offer sage advice on matching apparel with riding habits and weather. Customers can bring their own bikes in for a tune-up from an expert technician or utilize the Body Geometry Fit technique to adjust a bike to their exact physical specifications.

At Perfect Events Floral & Gifts, skilled designers gather a wide variety of fresh flowers into traditional and contemporary arrangements, which earned them one of 1-800-FLOWERS.com's Top Performance Awards in the spring of 2011. Their native and tropical flowers make special occasions such as anniversaries, weddings, and birthdays more elegant and memorable. Staff can also recommend customized gift ideas such as gourmet fruit baskets to congratulate a promoted coworker or a monkey returning from his first space voyage. While they primarily serve King of Prussia and the surrounding areas, the artists' creations can also be delivered across the nation.

The winner of four consecutive Best Custom Framing awards from CityVoter users, Masterpieces Fine Art & Custom Framing stocks more than 2,300 frames, including work by industry mainstay Larson-Juhl. Its skilled framers meld function and aesthetic form to secure works of art in everything from American hardwood to 22-karat-gold-leafing frames to metal handcuffs. Aside from framing, the staff also restores faded or creased photos to their original vivid states and brings photos to life by converting them into imitation oil paintings or watercolors that look like they were born from hours of meticulous brushstrokes.

At Salter's Ski Shop, the staff apply tenacity and meticulous planning to their boot fittings, collection of skis and snowboards, and tune-ups.

Salter's Ski Shop prides itself on thorough, precise boot fittings that help skiers and boarders control their balance both on the slopes and during limbo games. The staff takes dozens of measurements of each foot to determine the optimal fit. Snow-sport enthusiasts can peruse new boards from Morrow or skis from K2 and Goode, and bring in old equipment to the consignment shop, which donates proceeds to the National Ski Patrol. The shop also carries discounted lift tickets for nearby slopes, including Bear Creek, Jack Frost, and Blue Mountain.

For more than 80 years, the retailers at Robinson Luggage have packed their showroom with functional and stylish luggage, business cases, and bags from brands such as Kenneth Cole, Johnston & Murphy, and Kipling. Today, more than 60 brands of luggage, computer cases, and backpacks line the shelves waiting for somebody to entrust them with their clothes, business documents, or treasured slinky collections. A close-knit family, the staff averages 12 years of experience, with many team members having been a part of the store for more than 20 years. They welcomely combine their expertise to aid shoppers searching for pieces that fit ideal factors such as budget, aesthetic, or function.

French native Valerie Vittu created Margot & Camille Optique to pair clients with the European frame styles popular in her home country. Drawing from her experience working for designer Alain Mikli on Madison Avenue, Valerie selects unique, nonbranded eyewear that sets trends rather than follows them. Past designs have included efforts from Alain Mikli, Lafont, and Tom Davies's made-to-order Couture Horn collection of natural horn-rimmed frames. A hands-on presence in her shop, Valerie helps clients pick frames that fit their faces and styles, and she happily offers extended hours by appointment to accommodate clients who spend every daylight hour holding mirrors to the sky to see how the sun likes glare in its eyes.