Shopping in Broadlands

The scribes of Maryland Life Magazine crisscross the Old Line State to bring readers noteworthy cuisine, elegant homes, and local happenings. Bimonthly issues contain articles praising local eateries such as Hagerstown staple Schmakerl Stube and examining how local anglers manage to snag fish from under the ice using heat vision. Recipes, gardening tips, and useful homeowner information burst from Maryland Life Magazine ’s binding, intermingling with reviews of art-gallery exhibits and profiles on socialites about town.

FastFrame outlines photographs and wall-worthy art with more than 1,000 frames in styles ranging from baroque gold trims to funky, contemporary schemes. Dedicated to craftsmanship and creativity, professional framers help select matting hues to complement a diploma or the original Bill of Rights banning knuckle cracking. All projects are completed onsite, ensuring that no materials get dented or lost by clumsy carrier pigeons, and clients can return any custom designs for complete retooling within 30 days if they don't match homes' décor.

Named for its location at the western end of the W&OD Trail, Trail's End Cycling Co welcomes cyclists of all stripes with a hefty inventory of gear and bikes alongside mechanical services. Each of the store's experienced staffers is also a mechanic qualified to fit bikes to riders' proportions or the gaudiness of racing stripes to their egos. When not training for the bicycle Iditarod, lead mechanic James Hodges channels 20 years of bike-industry experience into his tune-up tasks, and pro wrencher Bill McCarrick specializes in triathlete bike repair and prep.

The same able staffers also lead custom tours of wineries, fall foliage, and other seasonal sights in warm weather. During the winter, riders can pedal out of hibernation with indoor training rides atop their own bikes, which are secured on special mounts to keep them from zipping away.

An authorized AT&T retailer, AT&T Portables sets itself apart from the crowd with customer-service-oriented staffers who guide shoppers through the process of picking phones and accessories from an extensive inventory. Each employee is well versed in the bells and whistles of the latest smartphones from Apple, Samsung, Blackberry, and Nokia, helping shoppers translate tech specs into real-world pros and cons. Customers’ chosen phones are accompanied by a range of protective and stylish accessories, as well as cellular plans that provide an appropriate amount of minutes, text messages, and bandwidth for sending and receiving urgent cat videos.