City: Hamden, CT

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (203) 287-9286

Address: 1842 Whitney Ave.

Description: This is the only video store in this guidebook, and there’s a good reason for that. Founded by iconoclast Hank Paper in 1985, it is consistently rated the best in the state, and offers a unique selection of 60,000 movie titles on DVD and VHS. At first you might think the store is smaller than a chain store, until you realize most of the videos are jammed into shelves sideways instead of “displayed.” Many are also for sale, often for under $5, and they have everything you need for a night at the movies like popcorn and ice cream. They also now feature a coffee shop that serves donuts from Neil’s Donuts in Wallingford and coffee from Willoughby’s in New Haven, a great example of independent local businesses helping each other. Best Video also has a space amid the rows of videos where lecturers speak and musicians give performances, so now they are technically competing with themselves for an evening’s entertainment. That’s okay—Best Video is still in business despite the web-based companies because they do things better, faster, and friendlier than anyone else.