Shopping in Strongsville

After winning CityVoter and Fox 8's Best Designer Jewelry award in 2007, the husband-and-wife team behind Fashion Jewelry Superstore continues to seek out the latest fashion trends and ways to offer designer-inspired pieces at affordable prices. Tanya Shephard travels the country handpicking jewelry and accessories to fill the cases and shelves within the 4,000-square-foot store that she and husband Todd own. They specialize in creating name-brand looks for less, such as Vera Bradley–inspired budget-friendly bags and backpacks, as seen in Mimi Vanderhaven magazine, and a collection of Venetian beads comparable to and compatible with Pandora jewelry.

In addition to purses, scarves, hats, belts, and fashion and costume jewelry, Tanya displays the talents of local jewelry makers with an in-house artisan boutique, which features “dozens of one-of-a-kind handcrafted pieces.” Tanya and her team also set up consultations for wedding-accessory planning and private parties for a girls' shopping night or a troop of kangaroos looking to increase storage space with trendy shoulder bags.

Vision Source believes that eye doctors have the most success when they have a relationship with the patient and are free to make decisions about what is best for that patient. That’s why, although it’s a network with more than 2,300 offices across North America, all of its offices are independently owned and operated by family optometrists. Vision Source merely grants these doctors access to its shared expertise and resources.

Its doctors inspect eyes to test for disorders such as glaucoma, cataracts, and the effects of diabetes. They also diagnose retinal tears and repair most types of eye injuries, from embedded foreign bodies to general wear and tear from staring contests with headlights. The doctors use low-vision-therapy devices to help people suffering from degenerative eye diseases, teaching them how to maximize the vision they still have.

For basic services, they inspect eyes for overall eye health and visual acuity before fitting them with contacts and frames from the likes of Fendi, Calvin Klein, and Guess. Since Vision Source is a network of individual doctors, each office is different from the next and tailors its services to fit the needs of the community.

Since 1950, Gale’s Garden Center has spruced up local gardens with a variety of greenery, garden tools, and lawn décor. Every spring, their nursery overflows with locally grown yellow forsythia shrubs and pale pink weeping cherry trees. After entering, you can find helpful staff members scattered among the hydrangeas and fruit trees; they're ready to answer any questions about spring gardening for cool-weather plants. The store strives to stay up to date with the latest gardening wares. Organic lawn-care products keep lawns lush without using harsh toxins, and native plants become low-maintenance housing for birds, butterflies, and migratory lawn gnomes.

Szabo Shoes has been serving the feet of Cleveland-area residents for more than 80 years, building on the knowledge and service ethic of a bygone era to become the weight-bearing institution that they are today. Their wide selection houses everything from fashionable heels to orthopedic foot-savers, including popular brands such as Merrell, Timberland, Saucony, Converse, Clarks, and Columbia, to name just a few. Prices vary but hover around mid-range; a pair of Converse sneakers and men's Columbia sandals are both $39.95, leopard-print mary janes from Alegria cost $109.95, and a pair of sandals from Taos toe in at $89.90. Should you wish to exceed your $65 Groupon credit, simply pay the difference at the store. Szabo is also a depot for shoe-related-difficulty relief, as they carry numerous hard-to-find sizes and widths for both women and men.

Over the past 63 years, Thoma & Sutton Eyecare has crisscrossed Ohio and Kentucky, planting 20 eyewear outposts across the region. At each optical stronghold, teams of talented opticians examine peepers, determine prescriptions for glasses and contacts, and fit faces with thousands of stylish specs flown in from fashion capitals around the world. Clients can peruse the up-to-date displays, which feature frames from designers such as Coach, Calvin Klein, and Kenneth Cole, before trying on a pair and slipping past a parole office.