Metroland Staff 2025 Holiday Gift Guide
It’s that time of year. Giant inflatable Santas are popping up on lawns. Mornings are bringing frosty grounds across the region. The holiday shopping season is upon us. And with Small Business Saturday just around the corner, we thought we’d bring you our second annual Local Holiday Gift Guide so you could start planning your outings accordingly. Below, members of our staff have put together some personalized recommendations for unique gifts all rooted right here in the Capital Region. So without further ado… shop small and have fun.
Unique Threads
[Jonathan Patrizio]
Looking for some unique Capital Region apparel? Well, look no further than Albany-based Hemstitch Mill - from cool modern designs to vintage looks, there’s something for everyone. Hats, shirts, sweaters, and more repping Albany, Troy, and elsewhere. Personally, I’m always being asked where I got my sweet Albany tulip hat…this is where it’s from! Not sure what that special person in your life might like? Grab a gift card for easy shopping this holiday season.
Visit Hemstitch Mill at www.Hemstitchmill.com
Market Block Books
[Corey Dempsey]
My wife and I have a holiday tradition where on December 23rd, before all of the holiday craziness with family and friends begins, we sit around, drink wine, watch shitty hallmark Christmas movies and read books. Yes, I am very aware that we are adorable. A couple years back we started buying each other a new book for our pre-christmas holiday and Market Block Books is always where we procure our literature. Be smart this holiday season and read some shit.
Market Block Books is located at 290 River St, Troy, NY 12180
Locally Made Candles
[Katie Leach]
While, yes, candles might feel a little obvious (cue Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada sarcastically saying “groundbreaking”) you truly could do something groundbreaking by buying locally made candles instead of the same, tired Yankee Candle scents! Rise and Pine Candle Company based in Schenectady or The Feral Flame out of The Catskills are my top choices for clean, unique scents! You can even order them from the comfort of your own home. Keep an eye on their Instagrams to catch them at in person craft markets!
Rise and Pine: riseandpine.com and @riseandpinecandles on Instagram
The Feral Flame: https://the-feral-flame.square.site and @theferalflame on Instagram
A Head Start on a Popular New Year’s Resolution
[Kristy Klein]
There is no shortage of people out there who pledge to get in shape after the first of the year, so what better way to support these goals than with the gift of a gym membership? Believe it or not, this can be done by avoiding the mainstream, big-box places. I love my gym — Fitness Artist in Clifton Park provides personalized training and group classes led by wellness experts. They even have a registered Albany Med. dietician on staff to help with nutrition goals!
Fitness Artist is located at 1581 US-9, Clifton Park, NY 12065 / https://www.fitness-artist.com/
Dakota Ridge Farm
[Debi Gustafson]
Support your local llama farm! For the person who has everything, gift them a unique experience with llamas. Dakota Ridge Farm offers tours and treks with llamas where you can learn all about these camelids and have the chance to lead your own llama around. They also have a gift shop where you can find llama themed gifts, wool hats & scarves, clothing and more. Gift certificates can be purchased online and used towards experiences or the gift shop.
Dakota Ridge Farm is located at 189 E High St, Ballston Spa, NY 12020 // www.dakotaridgefarm.com
Photo by Debi Gustafson
Embrace the Sweet Tooth
[TJ Foster]
Would it really be the holidays without bringing your teeth to the brink of multiple cavities? I think not. The Candy Cottage in Latham is unabashedly ready to help you reach such a goal, and have a hell of a lot of fun in the process. The mom-and-pop store serves a wide variety of treats including (but not limited to) housemade chocolate and fudge, nostalgic and novelty candy, imported candy and carefully curated gift boxes. They also have a nice selection of non-candy gift options if you’re really keeping an eye on those dentist bills. Highly recommend stopping in when it comes time to fill those stockings this year… or even just pick something up for yourself to enjoy. No judgments here.
The Candy Cottage is located at 1082 New Loudon Road, Latham // www.cottagecandy.com
Be a Volunteer Vixen
[Chris Clemente]
If you want a holiday season that feels truly joyful instead of purely chaotic, head over to Lisa’s Dream Closet. Give those once loved items a fresh start, browse for secondhand finds with real personality, or better yet, volunteer your time and watch your festive mood soar. You might be surprised at how quickly the holiday spirit latches on when you shop local or let your time be the gift this year.
Lisa’s Dream Closet is located at 4 Ludlow Lane, Rensselaer, NY // www.facebook.com/lisasdreamcloset/
Nothing Like a Good Book
[Shelby Hafener]
Picture this: The weather outside is frightful. But you’re inside, warm, happy and wrapped in a blanket. In one hand, a cup of tea (or coffee or cocoa, it’s your imagination). In the other, a new, interesting book you just picked up. And not just any book, but something local. Written or published by someone living in the same city as you. The best place to find these cool, local, unique books? Paper Moon on Brunswick Road in Troy. The cozy but well-stocked indie bookstore is perfect for any taste, with magazines, books, DVDs, VHS, and so many other forms of physical media. Get a book, get cozy, and get readin’.
Follow Paper Moon at papermoontroy.com and @paper_moon_troy
Give the Gift of Theater
[Patrick White]
Cheap, local, new theater. Every production is in a different venue with new actors and nationally known playwrights who frequently have not been produced in the Capital Region yet. Every year since their premiere in December of 2021 they have wound up on someone’s Best of list with one of their 18 Capital Region premieres. $50 for 4 tickets for you to use however you wish. Their September production of Deep Blue Sound won 2 Berkie Awards and Bob Goepfert of The Saratogian said it was “theater that makes you feel good about life.”
Email: HarbingerTheatreAlbany@gmail.com
For the Record
[Tom Miller]
I’ve recently rediscovered the nostalgia and zen of listening to music on vinyl. The Capital Region has several great spots to dig through crates of records, and one of my favorites is Love Vinyl Records in Schenectady. They offer a huge selection of both new and used albums, the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the prices are great. The only challenge? Figuring out how to wrap those damn records without giving away the surprise!
Love Vinyl Records is located at 140 Erie Blvd Unit 1C, Schenectady, NY 12305 // www.lovevinylrecords.com
Photo by Debi Gustafson
Show Some Local Pride!
[Rory Graham]
Whether you’re looking for a cozy sweatshirt, artwork for your walls, well-crafted kids’ toys, or even some funky earrings, Schenectady Trading Co. has all of that and more. Located right near the heart of downtown Schenectady, this shop offers a variety of gifts for the long-time Upstate NY local, a friend new to the neighborhood, or an appreciator of locally-made goods. What’s even better is that you can find plenty of your favorite 518 vendors sold right there: Mohawk Coffee, Saratoga Peanut Butter Company, Bittersweet Candy Co, and Sweet Sprig are just a few of the companies whose wares are featured. Pop on by and check out all there is to find in the Electric City…if you’re like me, you’ll find something for yourself, too.
10 North Center Street in Schenectady // https://www.theschenectadytradingcompany.com/
McGreevy Pro Labs
[Elissa Ebersold]
As a photographer, I’m a big fan of photo prints (shocking I know!) as gifts. In a world where everything is digital, it’s so important to print out some of the most important moments of your life. McGreevy is my go-to for all things photo print. They’re high quality, well-priced, and have a wonderfully friendly staff.
McGreevy Pro Lab is located at 376 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207 // McGreevyProLab.com
Vintage Thy Holiday
[Bob Marshall]
New clothing simply lacks personality. Just think of that itchy, ill-fitting sweater your well-meaning aunt yanked off a department store rack some Decembers ago. We don’t owe our mother’s sister an honor for keeping these mall bookends alive, but we can give them, and other gift givers, the good fortune of being pointed in the right direction, up Delaware Avenue and to the newly-opened big EMOTIONS studio. This wonderfully-curated vintage clothing shop (+ sewing studio) offers something for everybody and every body. From housewares to outer-wears, each piece has a story to tell, a life to continue, and room between its lived fibers for its next owner to leave their mark. And when you go, bring your aunt along and show her the sweaters she should’ve been buying all these years.
big EMOTIONS studio is located at 296 Delaware Ave, Albany, NY 12209 // instagram.com/bigemotions_studio/
Nerdy by Nature
[Andy Scullin]
If you are into horror, oddities, tarot cards and other things that make the normies in your life question why they hang out with you then Nerdy by Nature is your store. Need a shrunken head to use as a paper-weight? Maybe a coroners toe-tag as a book mark? Nerdy has you covered. With their recently expanded line of personally curated merchandise, Nerdy by Nature is a mandatory stop for the horror-nerd on your list.
Nerdy by Nature is at 99 Ferry Street in Troy // www.nerdybynatureco.com