31. Stories
City: Richmond, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (804) 231-4213
Address: 5067 Forest Hill Ave.
Description: You need to know two things about this store, in business since 1982: Its motto is “If it’s weird, we probably have it.” And it has an inventory of more than one million comics, so go get what you want, including Manga, graphic novels, posters, and action figures. A second location is at 9040 W. Broad St. in the West End (804-270-4216).
32. Dave’S Comics And Cards
City: Richmond, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (804) 282-1211
Address: 7019 Three Chopt Rd.
Description: Nestled in the hallway of the Village Shopping Center for years, Dave’s has an impressive comic book collection from A (Adventures of Spiderman) to X (X-Men) and just about everything else in between, from the golden age of comics to tomorrow, somehow. The 1700-square-foot shop has a toy department, too.
33. Sneed’S Nursery And Garden Center
City: Richmond, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (804) 320-7798
Address: 8756 Huguenot Rd.
Description: Sneed’s offers a relaxed shopping experience. Its size is manageable, yet you can still find a varied selection of annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees. The unexpected gem here is in the small, well-stocked gift cottage. It’s the perfect place to find something interesting for the gardener in your life, but it also has a quirky selection of home decor and unusual holiday decorations.
34. Strange’S Garden Center
City: Richmond, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (804) 360-2800
Address: 12111 W. Broad St.
Description: If you want to plant it, Strange’s has it. There’s a full selection of vegetables, herbs, perennials, annuals, shrubs, and trees here. Walk around; you can steal ideas for your garden and browse among the selection of statuary, fountains, and birdbaths. Indoors you’ll find houseplants including orchids, bonsai, cacti, and more. A second location is at 3313 Mechanicsville Pike in Mechanicsville (804-321-2200).
35. Cross Creek Nursery
City: Richmond, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (804) 794-9760
Address: 501 Courthouse Rd.
Description: This 10-acre nursery has beautiful display areas for roaming about—over bridges, by ponds, under pergolas, and beside a waterfall. Make a list of what you want to copy. They grow 60 percent of what they sell, so the prices—especially on shrubs—are competitive with the big chains. The greenhouse is full of indoor plants and whatever’s in season, from poinsettias to geraniums.
36. The Great Big Greenhouse And Meadows Farms Nursery
City: Richmond, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (804) 320-1317
Address: 2051 Huguenot Rd.
Description: Whether you have a large plot or a couple of pots to fill, you’ll be impressed with the greenhouse’s 3½ acres of trees, shrubs, and the mind-boggling array of perennials and annuals. It’s a winter’s treat to walk through the greenhouse, as the warmth and blossoms convince you spring will return. There’s a silks department for dried or silk arrangements, and a strong selection of indoor and outdoor pots, seasonal decor, and furniture. The greenhouse offers a farmers’ market on Thurs.
37. Quirk Gallery
City: Richmond, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (804) 644-5450
Address: 311 W. Broad St.
Description: Discover handcrafted jewelry, clever artwork, adorable yet offbeat stuffed animals for children, and much more here. If you’re looking for a gift that’s out of the ordinary, you’re bound to find it here. The store is closed on Sun.
38. Visual Art Studio
City: Richmond, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (804) 644-1368
Address: 208 W. Broad St.
Description: Besides the large-scale paintings and artwork for sale here, you’ll find nicely priced pottery, glass, jewelry, small works of art, and prints sure to please the artsy person on your list. The shop is closed on Sun and Mon.
39. For The Love Of Chocolate
City: Richmond, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (804) 359-5645
Address: 3136 W. Cary St.
Description: Before you set foot in this shop in the Cary Court Shopping Center, make sure you have either willpower or money. This chocolate and candy shop is jammed with fine chocolate, including Lake Champlain and Leonidas Belgian brands, and Gifford’s caramels. For truffle fiends, Nancy’s are out of this world—but made in Virginia. The selection also includes fine chocolate from Europe, South America, and beyond. For bakers, there are racks of ingredients you’ve never heard of but suddenly need. And for the proverbial kid in the candy store, there’s a large section devoted to sugary sweets of yore.
40. Mongrel
City: Richmond, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (804) 342-1272
Address: 2924 W. Cary St.
Description: This store caters to “all breeds of humans,” as they say. The ethos is cool and sophisticated in the home-decor area of the shop, pet-friendly in another section, and sometimes practical-minded in cards, stationery, and accent items. But part of the point here are the items that have a bit of an attitude—snarky and funny. The store is always rated at the top by Richmond Magazine readers, as the best place to buy a gift.
41. Gearhart’S Fine Chocolates
City: Richmond, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (804) 282-1822
Description: Chocolatier Magazine ranked Gearhart’s among its favorite “20 artisan chocolatiers,” in its 20th-anniversary issue. One sniff of the store and you’ll understand why. Perhaps you’d like TAJ, bittersweet chocolate ganache flavored with candied ginger, cardamom, and rose and then dipped in dark chocolate. Remember, you’re here to buy a gift for someone else! The shop is closed on Sun.
42. Shoppes At 5807
City: Richmond, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (804) 288-5807
Address: 5807 Patterson Ave.
Description: With two dozen shops within, there’s an eclectic mix of items from the cutesy, to the practical, to the pewter. Each little shop is jam-packed, displaying apparel, home decor, gifts, handcrafted pieces, or accessories. Layer upon layer of goods fill the space, so it pays to look closely. The store is closed on Sun.
43. Appalachian Spring
City: Richmond, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (804) 364-9700
Address: 11800 W. Broad St.
Description: This artful store, recognizable to those from the Washington, D.C., area, brings an enormous and appealing collection of American handicrafts to Short Pump Town Center. The work is often achingly beautiful and includes jewelry; useful items for the home such as candlesticks, clocks, and pottery; and the sweetest birdhouses you’ll ever see.
44. Tweed
City: Richmond, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (804) 249-3900
Address: 11743 W. Broad St.
Description: This cheery store is for those who like their gifts and home decor on the preppy side. You’ll find plenty of pink and green and silver baubles here. Don’t let the owner’s promise of “ferocious customer service” scare you. They just want you to love what you buy. Monogramming and engraving are specialties, so you could monogram a fleur-de-lis wine cooler or personalize a hot-pink laundry bag.
45. Embellish
City: Richmond, VA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (804) 622-7770
Address: 5105 Lakeside Ave.
Description: This adorable shop has been a Lakeside attention-getter since 2006. It’s stocked with whimsical garden ornaments, unusual lamps, unique home decor, handcrafted jewelry, and art for your home or someone else’s. The shop is closed on Mon.