Shopping in Commerce City

Twice As Nice Kids transitions children from one stage of childhood to the next with a 2,500-square-foot arsenal of kids' apparel, books, puzzles, and toys. Shoes up to kids' size 4 and boys' and girls' clothing up to size 16 accommodate growing children. New mothers can take home highchairs to teach infants the value of table manners and bouncers to teach them the fundamentals of physics.

For almost 20 years, Colorado Sports Rental has helped visitors and locals alike get their adrenaline pumping in any season with gear in affordable rental packages. In the summer, they lend out recently purchased jet skis, fishing boats, and dirt bikes; the winter months bring new models of skis and snowboards from brands such as Burton, Neversummer, and Salomon, which patrons can rent for a day or all season. To accommodate resort hoppers, the staff can also supply ski racks and Thule boxes for the tops of cars.

Nominated as one of the best ski and snowboard shops in the 2011 CityVoter A-List, Larson's Ski and Sport earns local lauds with a large selection of gear for both winter and summer seasons. The staff bedecks the shop's walls with skiing and snowboarding equipment from top industry brands such as Dynastar and Nordica, as well as gear for warm-weather sports that range from kite sailing to kayaking. Alternatively, equipment rentals and lessons supply sportsmen with gear and know-how to ski, standup paddleboard, and windsurf. With an average of 10 years of repair experience, Larson's qualified technicians get skis and snowboards back in top form at the repair shop, where skilled hands fill in deep scratches, grind away flaws with a stone or belt, and apply hot wax for a faster, hair-free ride.

Ed and Kyle Becerra, Young's Market and Garden Center’s owners, took over the business from Ed’s father, who founded it more than 50 years ago. Locally grown perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs, and Chia Pets squint at the outdoor sun, and rows of flowers line the dirt aisles of tidy greenhouses. In addition to plants, Young's inventory includes soil, fertilizers, weed-control products, and pond supplies. In season, customers can find fresh produce at Young’s bustling farmers' market.

Vines interlaced with flower stems snake upward from the base of a glass vase to wrap around the red and purple spirals of carnation blooms. Customers can choose from fresh cut flowers or one of the striking arrangements available that vary according to the season. Each of Lydia’s arrangements manages to capture and condense the beauty of the natural world, from her Vera Wang–inspired rose bouquets to her wild and woodsy collection of cattails, asters, and bushy-bearded garden gnomes. She further personalizes floral arrangements with inflatables picked from her garden of 500 balloon varieties, as well as stuffed animals, chocolates, and greeting cards.

In true family style, brothers Nick and Kirby Kuklenski own and operate two “sister” Ace Hardware stores in Colorado Springs, keeping local homes beautiful with name-brand products and services. Lawns grow thick and colorful with Scotts fertilizers, plants, and seeds from the shops’ lawn departments, whereas computerized color matching in the paint aisles keeps outsides as vibrantly hued as flowers in a garden or a house fly strolling across an artist’s palette. Collections of DeWalt and Craftsman hand and power tools help homeowners assemble Webster grills, with staffers standing at the ready to build any piece bought at the store. Even autos can get in on Ace Hardware’s helpful services: keys are cut onsite, with Sidewinder keys including built-in chips that interact with car computers to ensure proper starts without feeding vehicles buckets of floppy disks.