Best way to give back with gifts: One World Goods
In a world filled with seemingly endless gift-giving and consumerism, it can be hard to find a business worth spending money on. Enter One Worlds Goods, a pint-size shop located in Pittsford Plaza on Monroe Avenue. Nestled between big conglomerate shops such as TJ Maxx and Trader Joe’s, it’s easily overlooked. But for those who find it, One World Goods presents a unique shopping experience unlike any other in Rochester.
One World Goods is Rochester’s only non-for-profit, fair trade gift shop. This means that all products sold are made by international adult artisans who are fairly compensated for their labor. One World Goods is committed to upholding Fair Trade Principles as defined by the World Fair Trade Organization — including no child or forced labor, good working conditions, non-discrimination and ensuring a fair price for items. By adhering to these principles, One World Goods is able to highlight the culture and stories of their artisans and promote equal opportunity for artists of all genders, backgrounds and identities.
Beyond spotlighting artisans from over 38 countries, One World Goods is committed to sustainability, a practice often disregarded or mislabeled in today’s material-centric society. Many items sold are made from sustainable and recycled material. Next time you’re in need of a gift, skip the chain department stores (and materialism guilt), and stop into One World Goods to find something crafted with passion and care. oneworldgoods.org —MEILI SHEPARD
Best deep stash of music knowledge: Chili Public Library
Call it the “Deliver Me from Nowhere” effect: I can’t stop reading musician biographies. Writer Warren Zanes’ probe into the making of Bruce Springsteen’s “Nebraska” is much better than the recent film that adapted it; the same goes for Elijah Wald’s “Dylan Goes Electric!” and its subsequent Oscar-bait cash-in, “A Complete Unknown.” The words are simply made for the music.
But who can afford a shelf full of glossy new, richly reported books about popular tunes? The answer is all of us who have library cards — and the knowledge that Chili Public Library holds some absolute treasures on its adult nonfiction shelves.
There’s no shortage of defining pop-culture histories in the stacks, like Patti Smith’s memoir “Just Kids” and Kim Gordon’s “Girl in a Band.” But Chili’s collection notably contains the emerging documents of our modern musical landscape as well. Check out Jason Lipshutz’s recent chronicling of Linkin Park, “It Starts With One,” and Chris Payne’s definitive oral history of emo, “Where Are Your Boys Tonight?”, to start.
And then there’s the 33 ⅓ series, better known as those pocket-sized books about important albums. They’re fun to collect, but they’re even better to grab by the half dozen from the library; Chili’s stash contains key titles about LPs by the Pixies, Neil Young, Janelle Monáe, Kendrick Lamar and more. If your laptop still has a CD drive, Chili’s offerings are likewise stunning in that department.
There’s a theoretically infinite archive of musical wisdom to be gleaned from reading the work of the researchers and writers who’ve spent long hours digging for the best stuff. But where to begin? Here’s a foolproof plan: find a song you like, ask yourself, “Where did this come from?” and make a list of what you find. Better yet, ask your local librarian. chililibrary.org —PATRICK HOSKEN
Best hygge hobby store: Lift Bridge Yarns
Lift Bridge Yarns is the kind of shop that feels like it’s been part of Fairport forever — warm, colorful and buzzing with quiet productivity. Nestled in the village inside the old Trolley Station, the storefront offers high-quality yarns, classes and a slate of community events that draw everyone from lifelong knitters to folks who just woke up craving a new hobby.
I cycled through various yarn-related obsessions as a youngster: knitting, crocheting, the occasional cross-stitch — all offering a cozy, productive feeling that is hard to replicate. My skills plateaued at scarves and basic hats, but my grandmother is a knitting connoisseur. Thanks to her (and her continuous requests for just “one quick stop”), I’ve spent many afternoons curiously inspecting fibers at Lift Bridge Yarn.
Winter is only intensifying my urge to reconnect with that inner-grandmother energy, and this shop makes it easy. The shelves are stacked with local and specialty yarns alongside learn-to-crochet kits, tools and patterns. But the heartbeat of the store is the large communal table in the back — a gathering spot for weekly classes, drop-in help sessions and the beloved “sit and stitch.”
The staff is patient and wildly knowledgeable, there to troubleshoot anything from a tangled first project to complex pattern deciphering. Whether you’re learning how to thread a knitting needle or tackling a detailed sweater, someone is always ready to cheer you on. No matter your skill level, Lift Bridge Yarns is the perfect place to get spinning. liftbridgeyarns.com —SYDNEY BURROWS
Best welcome wagon: Visit Rochester at the airport
I love airports because it’s nobody’s home base. Everyone is neutral; no one feels comfortable. You see people at their most vulnerable, no matter how confident they may be in their day-to-day life. But what if there was a small, intentional gesture to make you feel just a little bit more comfortable as you traveled through foreign territory?
Aside from their lush welcome kiosk full of colorful brochures touting the region’s must-dos and must-sees, Visit Rochester offers a brief, but meaningful welcome liaison at the intersection of the security exit and the baggage claim at the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport. The greetings range from “Hope you brought a coat!” and “Southwest baggage claim is to your right,” to “Rideshare pickup is to the right!”
While I understand this type of personalized guide might not work in a larger airport like JFK or O’Hare, the simple act of anticipating travelers’ unease about next steps goes so much further than a sea of signs directing you this way and that. If the Visit Rochester ambassador isn’t at their post, you can always stop by their welcome center to grab a map or flyer for next steps (or the newest copy of CITY, of course.) —RYAN WILLIAMSON
Best Y2K type vibe: the Digicam renaissance
Everything has a peak. The height of the ascension varies but a descent, or at least a plateau, is inevitable; such is life. Less predictable is the resurgence, or the comeback, so to speak. Photography has undergone an evolution — as cameras became more widely available, technology became better, smaller, faster (that sentence is best read as a Daft Punk lyric) and we reached what could be argued as a peak. Everything is so good, it’s too good. Thus, the revival of film photography, likely for its warmth and charm.
The same rings true for the digicam, or, as some may recall, the digital camera. The trend of pocketing a digicamera like the ‘00s again has grown rapidly. The results are arguably worse than what can be achieved on a phone, but have a unique aesthetic. Digicams are a snapshot (pun intended) in time of a particular point in technology, when high dynamic range and pixel peepers were limited. A time where companies had more to worry about than simply image processing and resolution. The images invoke a time where the colors of film were the expectations and the conveniences of functional design were revolutionary. What once was a ubiquitous family camera and then rapidly replaced by the smartphone has resurfaced as a way to distinguish oneself from the over-processed HDR plague. —ROBERTO FELIPE LAGARES
Best local children’s book for adults: “We don’t say goodbye… we say GO BILLS!”
What happens when a Rochester-based storyteller and writer moves to Toronto? He writes a children’s book about the Buffalo Bills, of course — a team that seems to lay claim on heavy fanbases throughout all three cities. In September 2025, Kislingbury Publishing released “We don’t say goodbye… we say GO BILLS!” by Rochester native Dylan Toombs, with original illustrations by Ukrainian artist Karina Nechval.
The glossy 50-page book follows two best friends in Buffalo on a mission to stop one friend’s family from moving away. They call the plan “operation circle the wagons,” and the book is filled with similar nods to Bills mafia and IYKYK Buffalo knowledge. It’s a perfect gift for that tiny Bills mafia-in-training in your life (and parents, who read the bedtime stories anyway). Heck, wrap it up with a four-foot folding table and some Buffalo wings (blue cheese only). Start ‘em young. Oh, and Dylan? You should probably send Josh a copy of the book for that new baby. —LEAH STACY
