Best Accountant
Balentine & Borg, PLLC
3622 Lyckan Parkway, #2001, Durham
bandbcpa.net
Finalists: Chris Arena CPA, Gina DeVine CPA, Joel Levy CPA LLC
Best Architect in Durham County
BuildSense
502 Rigsbee Avenue, Durham
buildsense.com
Finalists: Ellen Cassilly, Linton Architects, Center Studio
Best Architect in Orange/Chatham County
Sophie Piesse
302 West Weaver Street, Suite F, Carrboro
sophiepiesse.com
Finalists: Philip Szo
stak, Fitch Creations, Inc., 2SL Design Build Collaborative
Best Architect in Wake County
The Raleigh Architecture Company
502 South West Street, Raleigh
raleigh-architecture.com
Finalists: in situ, Louis Cherry, Clark Nexsen
Best Attorney
Bill Young/James Little
Finalists: Beth Tillman, Katie Kelsch Dowell, Kendall Page
I can’t personally attest to his legal skills—seeing as how he focuses on criminal defense, I hope I never have to—but I feel fairly confident saying that Durham’s T. Greg Doucette, whether or not he’s the best attorney in the area, is most likely the best (only?) local attorney with a cool podcast on politics and the endemic failures of the criminal justice system. (It’s called #FSCK ’Em All, and you should go download it on iTunes or wherever.) You may remember Doucette—a libertarian-leaning conservative with an affinity for the Black Lives Matter movement and, at the time, a Republican, though he’s since dropped the GOP—from his quixotic bid to unseat state Senator Mike Woodard last year. (We endorsed Doucette and caught no end of grief for it.) On the podcast, which launched May 1, you can hear Doucette drop wisdom on everything from how screwed up probation can be to questions about the Fourth Amendment and Jeff Sessions’s renewed interest in the drug war. [JCB]
Best Auto Repair in Durham County
Massey Brothers Automotive & Towing
2108 East N.C. Highway 54, Durham
masseybrothers.com
Finalists: Wasp Automotive, Chapel Hill Tire, Ingold Tire & Auto Service Center
Best Auto Repair in Orange / Chatham County
Auto Logic
200 West Main Street, Chapel Hill
autologiconline.com
Finalists: Chapel Hill Tire, Sturdivant’s Tire Pros & Auto, Performance Automotive
Best Auto Repair in Wake County
A&J Automotive
5001 Departure Drive, Raleigh
ajautorepair.com
Finalists: Atlantic Avenue Tire & Service, Cary Car Care, Duty Tire & Service Center
Best Bed-and-Breakfast
Fearrington
2000 Fearrington Village, Pittsboro
fearrington.com<br>
Finalists: King’s Daughters Inn, Arrowhead Inn, The Mayton Inn, Small B&B Cafe
Best Bike Shop in Durham County
Bullseye Bicycle
102 Morris Street, Durham
bullseyebicycle.com
Finalists: Durham Cycles, Bicycle Chain, Durham Bike Co-op
Best Bike Shop in Orange/Chatham Counties
Back Alley Bikes
100 Boyd Street, Carrboro
backalleybikes.net
Finalists: Performance Bicycle, The Clean Machine, The Bicycle Chain
Best Bike Shop in Wake County
Oak City Cycling
212 East Franklin Street, Raleigh
oakcitycycling.com<br>
Finalists: Bicycle Chain, Cycle Logic, Performance Bikes
Best Bookstore
Flyleaf Books
752 Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, Chapel Hill
flyleafbooks.com
Finalists: Quail Ridge Books, The Regulator Bookshop, Letters Bookshop
As we celebrate the best bookstores in the Triangle, let’s pour one out to the ones we lost this year. In April, Edward McKay Used Books in Raleigh abruptly and without explanation shut down after nearly two decades in business. A few months before that, in January, we learned that the Chapel Hill landmark The Bookshop—the one with the cats—would be closing at the end of July, with its building on the market. Those two closures come on the heels of Nice Price Books, which shut down last year in Durham. (Its space now belongs to—ugh—a Papa John’s.) So here’s to the bookstores that are still persevering and the invaluable service they provide despite the changing marketplace. (Being in print media, this new business climate is something with which we’re all too familiar.) [JCB]
Best Butcher Shop
Rose’s Meat Market & Sweet Shop
121 North Gregson Street, Durham
rosesmeatandsweets.com
Finalists: Cliff’s Meat Market, The Butcher’s Market, King’s Red and White Market
Best CD/Record Store
Bull City Records
2600 Hillsborough Road, Durham
bullcityrecords.com
Finalists: Schoolkids Records, Nice Price Books and Records, Carolina Soul
One distinction to be made among the Triangle’s record stores is the ratio of used product to new product, and that line seems to be crucial in defining record buyers. Would you prefer a freshly minted, shrink-wrap-encased 180-gram reissue of Pink Floyd’s Ummagumma for twenty-eight bucks, or an original copy with slight ringwear and some visual blemishes but plays great for twenty-two? Either way, record-buying these days is often more than a casual outlay, which is why a place like Carolina Soul is manna to fervent bin combers: the stock is vast, it changes often, and you can walk out with a couple of gems without breaking the bank. [DK]
Best Children’s Clothing Shop
The Red Hen
201 South Estes Drive, Chapel Hill
theredhen.com
Finalists: Once Upon a Time, Tiny, Glee Kids
Best Comic Book Store
Chapel Hill Comics
6120 Farrington Road, Chapel Hill
chapelhillcomics.com
Finalists: Ultimate Comics Inc., Atomic Empire, Capitol Comics of Raleigh
Chapel Hill Comics’ win is bittersweet. The shop that, in various forms, had fed funny books to UNC’s campus since the late seventies closed for good at the end of March. Andrew Neal owned it from 2003–14, when he sold it to Ryan Kulikowski, who told the INDY about his financial struggles on a transforming Franklin Street (“Up, Up and Away,” February 8, 2017). I’ll be honest: I go to Ultimate Comics, which is hard to beat for selection, service, and the energy of its convention schedule. But I would still stop by Chapel Hill Comics now and then—it had a different vibe, more indie, less superhero, with weird music playing from WXYC. Fonder still are my memories of going there as a kid a quarter century ago, when it was still called Second Foundation, tucked in that cool sunken nook between the Rosemary Street parking garages. It was always the highlight of summer days spent roaming Franklin with my brother while my mom worked as a teller at First Citizens Bank, among landmarks now long since replaced by Pita Pits or whatever (RIP Barrel of Fun arcade and The Record Exchange) and landmarks, like Sutton’s Drug Store and The Shrunken Head, which have somehow managed to last. [BH]
Best Consignment Shop in Durham County
Durham Rescue Mission
3900 Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard, Durham
durhamrescuemission.org
Finalists: Fifi’s, Pennies for Change, Stock Exchange
Best Consignment Shop in Orange/Chatham Counties
PTA Thrift Shop
125 West Main Street, Carrboro
ptathriftshop.org
Finalists: Rumors, My Secret Closet
Best Consignment Shop in Wake County
Cause for Paws
1634 South Saunders Street, Raleigh
cfp-nc.org
Finalists: Father and Son Antiques, Revolver, Dorcas Thrift Shop
Best Contractor in Durham County
CQC Home
3321 Guess Road, Durham
cqchome.com
Finalists: BuildSense, Gail Crabtree, Actual Size Builders
Best Contractor in Orange/Chatham County
Grey Star Woodworks & Design
greystarwoodworks.blogspot.com
Finalists: Hollow Rock Construction, Actual Size Builders, CQC Home
Best Contractor in Wake County
Grey Star Woodworks
greystarwoodworks.blogspot.com
Finalists: KJ Construction, CQC Home
Best Dance Studio
Academy for the Performing Arts
844 Perry Road, Apex
apanc.com
Finalists: Barriskill Dance Theatre School, Ninth Street Dance, Empower Dance Studio
Best Early Childhood Learning Facility in Durham County
Children’s Campus at Southpoint
7317 Fayetteville Road, Durham
childrenscampus.com/locations/southpoint/
Finalists: Montessori Community School, Our PlayHouse Preschool and Kindergarten
Best Early Childhood Learning Facility in Orange/Chatham County
Children’s Campus of Chapel Hill
110 Kingston Drive, Chapel Hill
childrenscampus.com/locations/chapel-hill/
Finalists: Childcare Matters, The Little School Hillsborough, Our PlayHouse Preschool and Kindergarten
Best Early Childhood Learning Facility in Wake County
Follow the Child Montessori School
3601 Harden Road, Raleigh
followthechild.org
Finalists: Arts Together, Christ Church MMO, Preschool for the Arts (APA)
Best Electrician
Bonneville Electric
210 Maple Avenue, Carrboro
bonneville-electric.com
Finalists: One Call Electric NC, Brown Brothers Plumbing & Heating, Miller & Miller Electric
Best Environmentally Friendly Store
The Scrap Exchange
2050 Chapel Hill Road, Durham
scrapexchange.org
Finalists: Twig, TROSA Thrift Store, Durham Co-op Market
Best Erotic Gifts
Cherry Pie
6311 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh
cherrypieonline.com
Finalists: Adam & Eve, Frisky Business, The Maxxx
Best Ethnic Market
Li Ming’s Global Market
3400 Westgate Drive, Durham
lm-globalmart.com
Finalists: Neomonde, H Mart, Grand Asia
Best Fabric Store
Mulberry Silks
200 North Greensboro Street, #B6, Carrboro
mulberrysilks.net
Finalists: Cary Quilting Company, JoAnn, Mill Outlet Village
Best Fair Trade Store
Ten Thousand Villages
1800 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill
tenthousandvillages.com/chapelhill
Finalists: One World Market, Weaver Street Market, Durham Co-op Market
Best Financial Adviser in Durham County
Nancy Williams
2312 Nelson Highway, Chapel Hill
Finalists: Molly Stanifer, Marie Baker, Chuck Clifton
Best Financial Adviser in Orange / Chatham County
Woodward Financial Advisors
1504 East Franklin Street, #105, Chapel Hill
woodwardadvisors.com
Finalists: Nan Vanderpuy, Kim Ray, Kevin Mishoe (Wells Fargo Advisors)
Best Financial Adviser in Wake County
Jason Garey
4020 Westchase Boulevard, #275, Raleigh
jasongarey.nm.com
Finalists: Nate Brown (SB Financial Group), Alan Morgan, Daniel Corley (AXA Advisors)
Best Florist
Pine State Flowers
2001 Chapel Hill Road, Durham
pinestateflowers.com
Finalists: Ninth Street Flowers, Fallon’s Flowers, Victoria Park Florist
Best Furniture Store
TROSA Thrift Store
3500 North Roxboro Street, Durham
trosathriftstore.org
Finalists: Father and Son Antiques, Nadeau, Area Modern
Best Garden Store
Logan’s One Stop Garden Shop
707 Semart Drive, Raleigh
logantrd.com
Finalists: Stone Bros & Byrd, Southern States, Fifth Season Gardening
Best Gift Shop in Durham County
Morgan Imports
113 South Gregson Street, Durham
morganimports.com
Finalists: Parker and Otis, Vaguely Reminiscent, Chet Miller
Best Gift Shop in Orange/Chatham Counties
Cameron’s
370 East Main Street, #130, Carrboro
camerons-gallery.com
Finalists: Southern Season, WomanCraft Gifts, This & That Gallery
Hats off to these fine establishments and all of their respective quirkiness. But we want to take a moment to highlight perhaps the quirkiest local gift shop of them all—excluded from this category by a mere half-mile: Quirks in downtown Mebane (118 West Clay Street, Suite A), just a few blocks from the Orange County border in Alamance. Somewhere between a giant junk drawer and a treasure trove, the tagline says it all: “Clothing, Antiques, Art, and Weird Stuff You Want.” Come here for spinal cord earrings, a crazy cat lady Christmas ornament, or a giant praying mantis head. You’ll also find a collection of reasonably priced vintage comics, records, toys, and clothes. [SW]
Best Gift Shop in Wake County
Cedar Creek Gallery
1150 Fleming Road, Creedmoor
cedarcreekgallery.com
Finalists: Deco, NOFO, The Green Monkey
Best Handyman/woman
Grey Star Woodworks & Design
greystarwoodworks.blogspot.com
Finalists: Alejandro Vanegas, Dunrite Home Maintenance, Rik Meijer
Best Hardware Store
Fitch Lumber
309 North Greensboro Street, Carrboro
fitchlumber.com
Finalists: Seaboard ACE Hardware, Public Hardware, Town and Country
Best Hotel
The Durham Hotel
315 East Chapel Hill Street, Durham
thedurham.com
Finalists: The Umstead, 21c Museum Hotel, Carolina Inn
Best House Cleaners in Durham County
Carpe Diem Cleaning
902 Pearl Street, Durham
carpediemcleaning.com
Finalists: Tangerine Clean, Enovana Green Cleaning, Two Maids & a Mop
Best House Cleaners in Wake County
Southern Hospitality Cleaning & Concierge
facebook.com/southernhccFinalists: Go-2-Girls, Enovana Green Cleaning, Two Maids & a Mop
Best House Painter
Hansell Painting
606 United Drive, Durham
hansellpainting.com
Finalists: Zarazua Painting, Anderson Painting, Gonzalez Painters and Contractors
Best HVAC Company
Comfort Monster Heating & Air
5025 Departure Drive, #101, Raleigh
comfortmonster.com
Finalists: Boer Brothers, CWJ Heating & Air Conditioning Inc., Comfort Engineers
Best Insurance Agent
Pam Herndon (State Farm)
104 South Estes Drive, #105, Chapel Hill
pamherndon.net
Finalists: Carmen Ritz (State Farm), Matt Gorman (NC Farm Bureau), High & Rubbish
Best Jewelry Store in Durham County
Jewelsmith
2200-A West Main Street, Durham
jewelsmith.com
Finalists: Hamilton Hill Jewelry, Light Years, Atelier
Best Jewelry Store in Orange/Chatham County
WomanCraft Gifts
360 East Main Street, Carrboro
womancraftgifts.com
Finalists: Grimball Jewelers, William Travis Jewelry, Wentworth & Sloan
Best Jewelry Store in Wake County
Bailey’s Fine Jewelry
415 Daniels Street, Raleigh
baileybox.com
Finalists: Diamonds Direct, Quercus Studio, Johnson’s Jewelers
Best Kitchen Store
Kitchenworks
201 South Estes Drive, Chapel Hill
kitchenworksinc.com
Finalists: Southern Season, Sur la Table, Whisk
University Mall has almost entirely changed out in the past ten years. Hell, it’s not even called University Mall anymore (it’s University Place, go figure). But from the days of Walden Books to the arrival of Silverspot, Kitchenworks has remained. And there’s a reason for that. You can come in a novice or an expert and have an equally pleasant experience. You don’t need to know what you’re looking for—although if you have something in mind, you might need some help finding it. Spatulas, microplanes, glassware, cookware, and more are practically stacked to the ceiling. There is simply no room left for pretension. [SW]
Best Landscape Company
TROSA Lawn Care
1100 Neville Street, Durham
trosalawncare.com
Finalists: Bountiful Backyards, O’Mara Landscaping & Lawn Care, JT’s Landscaping & Lawncare
Best Local Brand
Burt’s Bees
210 West Pettigrew Street, Durham
burtsbees.com
Finalists: Runaway Clothing, Merge Records, Ponysaurus Brewing Company
Burt Shavitz is, of course, best known as the face of Burt’s Bees. He was a beekeeper in Maine who, along with cofounder and former romantic partner Roxanne Quimby, built a multimillion-dollar business purchased by Clorox for $900 million a decade ago. Shavitz left the company (on apparently less-than-amicable terms) long before that—in the early nineties, around the time Quimby moved the company to North Carolina. In 1999, the year Burt’s Bees moved to Durham, Quimby bought out Shavitz’s stake for $130,000.
Shavitz lived until his death in 2015 in a backwoods home in Maine with three golden retrievers and no electricity or running water. This story was memorialized in the 2013 documentary Burt’s Buzz.
Before all of that, he was an eccentric from Long Island, a photographer who shot for Time and Life magazines. Before that, in October 1963, according to his FBI file (yep, he had one), which was obtained in 2015 by the website Muckrock, Ingram Burt Shavitz went to Warsaw, Poland, where he was detained by Polish authorities and his film was apparently confiscated. This trip to Eastern Europe caught the FBI’s eye because of Shavitz’s previous associations.
The file includes a 1955 memorandum sent to the FBI director noting Shavitz’s membership in the Great Neck Peace Forum, which the FBI regarded as a “communist front group, active in the Long Island, NJ area.” But that same memo noted that “Mr. Shavitz who is employed as a lifeguard and recreational instructor at the Great Neck Estates pool … is regarded by his neighbors and associates as a loyal American and has an excellent reputation. He appears to be a normal young man of good habits.” [JCB]
Best Men’s Boutique
Runaway
212 West Main Street, #102, Durham
runawayclothes.com
Finalists: Vert & Vogue, Lumina Clothing, Devolve
Best Moving Company
TROSA Moving
700 Mallard Avenue, Durham
trosamoving.com
Finalists: Two Men and a Truck, Chapel Hill Moving Company, Truckin’ Movers Corporation
Best Music Lessons
Notasium
3750 Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard, Durham
notasium.com
Finalists: Django Haskins, High Strung Violins & Guitars, Leah Gibson (cello)
Best New Business in Durham County
Bulldega Urban Market
104 City Hall Plaza, #100, Durham
facebook.com/bulldega/
Finalists: Liberation Threads, U-Dirty Dog Self Wash Spa, Beer Study
Best New Business in Orange/Chatham County
Crossfit Homeward
201 South Estes Drive, Chapel Hill
crossfithomeward.com
Finalists: Monarch Brow & Facial Studio, K’s Closet, Shampoo
Best New Business in Wake County
Little Details
2626 Timber Drive, Garner
littledetails.storenvy.com
Finalists: Wylde Flowers, Retro Modern Furnishings, Vidrio
Best Nonprofit in Durham County
TROSA
1820 James Street, Durham
trosainc.org
Finalists: Animal Protection Society of Durham, Urban Ministries of Durham, Habitat for Humanity
Best Nonprofit in Orange/Chatham County
Planned Parenthood
1765 Dobbins Drive, Chapel Hill
plannedparenthood.org
Finalists: Orange County Rape Crisis Center, Goathouse Refuge, PORCH
Best Nonprofit in Wake County
Planned Parenthood
plannedparenthood.org
Finalists: LGBT Center of Raleigh, Second Chance Pet Adoptions, Habitat for Humanity
It’s no secret that the right has it in for Planned Parenthood, its bête noire for decades now. The stated reason is that some Planned Parenthood clinics provide abortion services, but the animus goes deeper than that. Abortion constitutes only about 3 percent of Planned Parenthood’s services; the bulk, about 80 percent, are related to preventing unwanted pregnancies. In 103 of the 491 U.S. counties with Planned Parenthood centers, the Planned Parenthood center is the only family planning center available, according to the Guttmacher Institute. In other words, Planned Parenthood offers women who would not otherwise have it, control over their reproductive health, and for that conservatives have turned Planned Parenthood into some kind of boogeyman.
In April, President Trump signed a law allowing states to withhold federal funds from Planned Parenthood, even though federal law has long forbidden taxpayer dollars from subsidizing abortions. This will hinder Planned Parenthood’s ability to provide preventative health care, birth control, pregnancy tests, and other services that women need. Planned Parenthood serves some 2.5 million women a year; of them, nearly two thirds rely on public programs like Medicaid to access health care. States can now forbid Medicaid dollars from going to Planned Parenthood, which means many of these women won’t be able to access these services.
And that means Planned Parenthood needs your support now more than ever. [JCB]
Best Outdoor Outfitter
REI
4291 The Circle at North Hills Street, Raleigh
rei.com
Finalists: Great Outdoor Provision Co., Townsend Bertram & Company, Apex Outfitters and Board Co.
Best Pet Boarding in Durham County
Camp Bow Wow
2612 South Miami Boulevard, Durham
campbowwow.com/durham
Finalists: Suite Paws Pet Resort & Spa, Willow Oak Veterinary Hospital, Kate’s Critter Care
Best Pet Boarding in Orange/Chatham County
Green Beagle Lodge
6805 Millhouse Road, Chapel Hill
greenbeaglelodge.com
Finalists: Camp Bow Wow, Chapel Hill Pet Resort, Doggie Spa and Day Care
Best Pet Boarding in Wake County
Dogtopia of Raleigh
4708 Hargrove Road, Raleigh
dogtopia.com/north-raleigh/
Finalists: Suite Paws Pet Resort & Spa, Pup’s Day Out, Dog Holiday Resort
Best Pet Groomer in Durham County
Beth’s Barks N Bubbles
4711 Hope Valley Road, #6B, Durham
bethsbarksnbubbles.com
Finalists: U Dirty Dog, Petropolitan, Pampered Pooch
Best Pet Groomer in Orange/Chatham County
Hair of the Dog Grooming Studio
11312 U.S. Highway 15-501 North, #305, Chapel Hill
hairofthedognc.com
Finalists: Chapel Hill Pet Resort, Love Overboard, Suite Paws Pet Resort & Spa
Best Pet Groomer in Wake County
Dogtopia of Raleigh
4708 Hargrove Road, Raleigh
dogtopia.com/north-raleigh/
Finalists: Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming, Pup’s Day Out, Dog Holiday Resort, Suite Paws Pet Resort & Spa
Best Petsitting Service in Durham County
Kate’s Critter Care
katescrittercare.com
Finalists: Bull City Pet Sitting, A Whole Lotta Love Dog Walking and Pet Services, Laughing Dog Pet Care
Best Petsitting Service in Orange/Chatham County
Kate’s Critter Care
katescrittercare.com
Finalists: Laughing Dog Pet Care, A Whole Lotta Love Dog Walking and Pet Services, Arvadia Mason – Private Pet Sitter
Best Petsitting Service in Wake County
Raleigh Pet Sitters
raleighpets.com
Finalists: Furbaby Pet Sitters, Best in Show Pet Sitting, Dog Holiday Resort
Best Pet Specialty Store
Phydeaux
400 South Elliott Road A1, Chapel Hill
phydeaux.com
Finalists: Other End of the Leash, Unleashed, Oliver’s Collar Dog Treat Bakery & Boutique
Best Place to Adopt a Pet
Animal Protection Society of Durham
2117 East Club Boulevard, #101, Durham
apsofdurham.org
Finalists: Second Chance Pet Adoptions, SPCA Wake County, Orange County Animal Shelter
Best Place to Buy Locally Made Art in Durham County
Durham Craft Market
501 Foster Street, Durham
durhamcraftmarket.com
Finalists: The Makery, The Patchwork Market, Golden Belt
Best Place to Buy Locally Made Art in Orange/Chatham Counties
Hillsborough Gallery of Arts
121 North Churton Street, Hillsborough
hillsboroughgallery.com
Finalists: WomanCraft Gifts, FRANK Gallery, N.C. Crafts Gallery
Best Place to Buy Locally Made Art in Wake County
Cedar Creek Gallery
1150 Fleming Road, Creedmoor
cedarcreekgallery.com
Finalists: Artspace, Deco, The Green Monkey
Best Place to Buy Musical Instruments
High Strung Violins & Guitars
1805 West Markham Avenue, Durham
highstrungdurham.com
Finalists: Music Loft, Harry’s Guitar Shop, Guitar Center
Best Plumber
Carrboro Plumbing
carrboroplumbing.com
Finalists: Sparrow & Sons Plumbing, ACME Plumbing Co., Brown Brothers
Best Realtor in Durham County
Chloë Seymore, Red Collective
1901 Chapel Hill Road, Durham
red-collective.com/chloe/
Finalists: Justin Burleson (Fonville Morisey Realty), Ellen Bell (Urban Durham Realty), Adam Dickinson (501 Realty)
Best Realtor in Orange/Chatham County
Justin Burleson (Fonville Morisey Realty)
8100 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh
fmrealty.com/real-estate-agents/justin-burleson
Finalists: Chloë Seymore (Red Collective), Emily Massey (Massey Real Estate), Terri Turner (Weaver Street Realty)
Best Realtor in Wake County
Christina Valkanoff Realty Group
100 Lynn Road, Raleigh
cvrealtygroup.com
Finalists: Justin Burleson, Ben Rifkin, Don Johnson Realty
Best Retail Beer Selection in Durham County
Sam’s Quik Shop
1605 Erwin Road, Durham
facebook.com/SamsQuikShop919/
Finalists: The Glass Jug, Beer Study, Beer Durham
Best Retail Beer Selection in Orange/Chatham Counties
Beer Study
106 North Graham Street, Chapel Hill
beerstudy.com
Finalists: Weaver Street Market, Carrboro Beverage Co., 580 Craft Beer
Best Retail Beer Selection in Wake County
Tasty Beverage
327 West Davie Street #106, Raleigh
tastybeverageco.com
Finalists: Bottle Revolution, Peace Street Market, State of Beer
Best Retail Beer Selection That Is NOT a Bottle Shop
Total Wine
6105 Capital Boulevard, Raleigh
totalwine.com
Finalists: Peace Street Market, Weaver Street Market, Durham Co-op Market, Bulldega Urban Market
Best Retirement Community
Carol Woods
750 Weaver Dairy Road, Chapel Hill
carolwoods.org
Finalists: Croasdaile Village, The Forest at Duke, Carolina Meadows
Best Roofing Company
Baker Roofing Company
517 Mercury Street, Raleigh
bakerroofing.com/raleigh-roofing-company/
Finalists: Walker Brown Roofing, Aluminum Company of N.C., Alpine Roofing
Best Running Store
Bull City Running Co.
202 NC 54 #109, Durham
bullcityrunning.com
Finalists: Runologie, Fleet Feet, 9th Street Active Feet
Best Salvage/Re-use Business
The Scrap Exchange
2050 Chapel Hill Road, Durham
scrapexchange.org
Finalists: Habitat for Humanity, TROSA Thrift Store, Tilthy Rich Compost
Among the many weird wonders to be found inside The Scrap Exchange—random buttons, sunglasses in varying states of brokenness, glass beakers, paints, papers, decades-old electronics, etc.—is a healthy assortment of books and other publications, both new and old, including a collection of National Geographic magazines, some dating back a hundred years or so. I’ve never bought any; I probably should, given that I’ve wasted hours on end reading eighty-year-old articles on a bygone world and looking on with fascination at the dated ads while my wife shops for God knows what. It’s a vivid window into a past that was every bit as complex and nuanced as our present, and an hour of browsing alone is worth the trip to Lakewood. [JCB]
Best Store to Buy Eyeglasses
Upchurch Optical Center
5108 Roxboro Road, Durham
upchurchoptical.com
Finalists: MyEyeDr., Specs Eye Care, The Spectacle
Best Summer Camp in Durham County
Durham Academy Summer Programs
3130 Pickett Road, Durham
da.org
Finalists: Schoolhouse of Wonder, Museum of Life and Science, Girls Rock N.C., Triton Stables
Best Summer Camp in Orange/Chatham County
Chapel Hill Quest Martial Arts
6118-J Farrington Road, Chapel Hill
chquestcenter.com
Finalists: Morehead Planetarium, The ArtsCenter, 1870 Farm
Best Summer Camp in Wake County
Marbles Kids Museum
marbleskidsmuseum.org/summercamps
Finalists: Raleigh Little Theatre, PineCone Bluegrass Camps, Triangle Rowing Club
Best Tattoo Studio
Authentic Tattoo Company
416 West South Street, Raleigh
authentictattoocompany.com
Finalists: Dogstar Tattoo Company, Blue Flame Tattoo, Glenn’s Tattoo Service
Best Toy Store
Ali Cat
200 North Greensboro Street, Carrboro
facebook.com/AliCatToys/
Finalists: Learning Express, The Children’s Store, Playhouse Toy Store, Science Safari
Best Vintage/Antique Store
Father and Son Antiques
107 West Hargett Street, Raleigh
facebook.com/Father-and-Son-133275510048293/
Finalists: Dolly’s Vintage, TROSA Thrift Store, Raleigh Vintage
Best Veterinary Practice in Durham County
Southpoint Animal Hospital
5601 Fayetteville Road, Durham
southpointpets.com
Finalists: Willow Oak Veterinary Hospital, Broadway Veterinary Hospital, Colony Park Animal Hospital
Best Veterinary Practice in Orange/Chatham County
Hillsborough Veterinary Clinic
301 Meadowlands Drive, Hillsborough
hillsboroughvetclinic.com
Finalists: Carrboro Plaza Veterinary Clinic, The Animal Hospital of Carrboro, Cole Park Veterinary Hospital
Best Veterinary Practice in Wake County
Bayleaf Veterinary Hospital
10009 Six Forks Road, Raleigh
bayleafvetraleigh.com
Finalists: Hayes Barton Animal Hospital, Care First Animal Hospital, Quail Corners Animal Hospital, CityVet
Best Wine Shop in Durham County
Wine Authorities
2501 University Drive, Durham
wineauthorities.com
Finalists: Bottle 501, Hope Valley Wine & Beverage, Durham Co-op Market
Best Wine Shop in Orange/Chatham Counties
Southern Season
201 South Estes Drive, Chapel Hill
southernseason.com
Finalists: Glasshalfull, Hillsborough Wine Company, Chapel Hill Wine Company
Best Wine Shop in Wake County
Wine Authorities
211 East Franklin Street, Raleigh
wineauthorities.com
Finalists: Raleigh Wine Shop, Seaboard Wine, Ridgewood Wine & Beer
Best Women’s Boutique in Durham County
Liberation Threads
405 East Chapel Hill Street Suite A, Durham
liberationthreads.com
Finalists: Smitten, Vert & Vogue, Magpie Boutique
Best Women’s Boutique in Orange/Chatham Counties
Sofia’s Boutique
200 North Greensboro Street # B3, Carrboro
sofiasboutique.us
Finalists: Uniquities, Clothes Mentor, Women’s Birth & Wellness Center, Monkee’s
Best Women’s Boutique in Wake County
Possibilities
1247 Kildaire Farm Road, Cary
possibilitiesboutique.com
Finalists: Edge of Urge, The Art of Style, StyleFinder Boutique
Best Yarn Store
Hillsborough Yarn Shop
114 South Churton Street, Hillsborough
hillsboroughyarn.com
Finalists: Cozy, Warm ’n Fuzzy, Yarns Etc.
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