Shopping in Geneva

Drawing on Hallmark's deep well of cards, inscribed with charming well wishes and humorous missives, Lisa's Hallmark's three shops assist customers with enveloped correspondences. Sorted by occasion, Lisa’s extensive selection of cards covers a wide range of expression, such as condolences for a loved one, congratulations for a graduate, and gratitude for a fellow bank robber. The shops also feature a range of gifts, including candles, picture frames, and plush animals, to sweeten the card-giving experience.

Steve and Tom Sanna oversee Bristol's Garden Center, a verdant, 11-acre garden and nursery that has been greening up the Rochester region for more than 25 years. Their flora emporium blooms with more than 900 varieties of trees, shrubs, and specialty plants ranging from red maple and spruce to dwarf evergreens and ornamental trees. Cacti, houseplants, and cascading fountains fill their tropical greenhouse with sweet scents and calming sounds, and leafy residents in the covered greenhouses include perennials, ornamental grasses, and hostas. The center's garden store arms DIYers with tools, soils, and fertilizers, and professional landscapers lend out their services to customers whose thumbs are flesh-colored instead of green.

At Dazzle, staffers rely on their eye for style, scrutinizing each of the tees, jewelry, scarves, and purses before allowing it to grace their shelves. An eclectic inventory outfits ladies of all ages and styles, ranging from edgy bracelets crafted in paracord for tweens to DaVinci beaded necklaces for conservative shoppers. Like a tree's favorite outfit, the shop's inventory changes with the seasons, drawing browsers back to check for unexpected gifts or rare accessories.

Don and Donna Maines opened Green Thumb Markets in 1971, where they began cultivating buds alongside their young son, David. Though Don and Donna have retired, visitors can still spot David, his wife, and his four boys working in their greenhouse. They tend geraniums, prune roses, and discuss customers’ gardening concerns and methods for keeping lazy poets from using their roses as similes. Giant hanging baskets dangle from the ceiling, the electrically hued, trumpet-shaped blossoms of petunias spilling forth and tangling with ivy geraniums. On the ground, colorful rows of perennials, annuals, and vegetables thrive alongside a variety of topsoils, compost, and environmentally friendly mulches.

The Maines family also runs an onsite bakery, which they stock with their own homemade ice cream, cookies, and pies.

Since its founding by William Bright Sr. and William Dunk Sr. in 1927, Dunk & Bright Furniture has grown from a modest storefront to a 100,000-square-foot showroom. The store's staff—accredited by the Interior Design Society and American Society of Interior Designers—leads visitors through a maze of bedroom and living room sets, mattresses, and other pieces by brands such as Ashley, Harden, and aspenhome. A separate 1,000,000-cubic-foot warehouse stores the bulk of the shop's inventory, which also includes wall-to-wall carpeting, area rugs, shutters and blinds, and enchanted mirrors. Dunk & Bright delivers purchases free of charge within 200 miles of Syracuse.

A childhood charm bracelet. A necklace for prom. A pair of earrings to wear on your wedding day. Since 1968, the accessorizing experts at Beads ‘N Things have been crafting inimitable jewelry to model during life’s many occasions. When taking over the full-service bead shop in 1984, the current owners began cementing their reputation as a reliable source for beading advice. They regularly unveil the tricks of the trade to visitors during private lessons, group classes, and casual conversations at the counter.

At Beads ‘N Things, arts-and-crafters can find all the supplies needed to string together their own unique accessories. The shop's display cases and racks brim with pendants, freshwater pearls, and beads carved out of almost every material imaginable, including metals, bone, semiprecious stones, and hand-cut Czech glass. Fully equipped kits and learning materials inspire amateur and experienced artisans alike to pursue various beading projects. Finished pieces of jewelry hang on display, and guests hoping for more personalized trimmings can commission custom items. The staff also repairs cherished possessions, carefully restringing tattered strands and replacing missing parts.