Shopping in Spring Valley

It is not difficult to find NJ Mattress Factory—simply look for a showroom with rows of blanket-less beds. Once there, you will see sewn onto bare mattresses patches with the names Sealy, Serta, Stearns & Foster, Simmons Beautyrest, and Tempur-Pedic, a who’s who of mattress brands the store is authorized to sell. Any questions can be directed to the seasoned staff, whether they are about mattresses or the shop’s bedding accessories, which include Tempur-Pedic pillows and mattress pads that can fend off water, microbes, allergens, and that one nightmare where you are forced to stuff your mattress into an airplane’s overhead compartment.

Framed by Kosal's archivists comb a vast inventory of conservation materials to retrieve mats and mouldings that best showcase each client's valuables. By giving special attention to each custom framing order, the archivists carry on a tradition that began when the shop first began preserving artwork, keepsakes, and entire refrigerator doors. From in-store to at-home consultations, staff members guide customers toward the framing materials that optimize beauty and longevity. In addition to framing, Framed by Kosal's specialists offer photo restoration and large-format photo printing, and stock the store with a wide selection of art.

Since 1988, Specs For Less has been sharpening visual acuity in Staten Island and its surrounding areas. At each of its five locations, customers' eyes are coddled by a staff of optometrists, who examine eyes aided by up-to-date equipment as well as ongoing education. Meanwhile, eyewear consultants concern themselves with keeping newly minted prescriptions stylishly adhered to faces, occupying the vanguard of frame style trends with an inventory of designs from Coach, Fendi, and Dior.

Dell Williams, founder and groundskeeper of Eve's Garden, has stocked her discreet boutique with erotic and sensual wares since 1974. An advocate for women's sexual freedom, Dell has written pieces that have made their way into the filing cabinets at Cornell University, and her acting talents have graced stages in productions of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues. The shop's shelves reflect her celebration of female sexuality with vibrating and inert accessories and books by Vibratex, Lelo, and Je Joue that enlighten ladies as to their bodies' capacities for pleasure. Located on the 12th floor of a midtown Manhattan office building, Eve's Garden proffers a private shopping experience away from the prying eyes of street-level pedestrians and judgmental pigeons.

Camera Land's list of products and services covers all corners of the photography industry. Its stock of equipment ranges from traditional cameras and binoculars to digital recorders and printers, and it extends beyond lenses to include GPS systems and photoproducts, including albums and frames. On the services side, the staff stands ready to repair damaged equipment, digitize photos and videos, lead workshops, or even craft a customized frame to enclose customers' first scenery-induced gasp.

Camera Land’s expansive list of goods and services stems from its tradition of doing everything possible for its customers. In the shop’s early days in the 1950s, Camera Land's driving force Ed Paymer fulfilled his customers' needs, following the mantra, "The difference between them and us is us." Employees such as Sara in imaging, Neil in general photography, and Reggie in repairs continue Ed's mission of customer service by not only filling their orders and maintaining their gear, but also by answering customers’ questions and happily talking shop.