Reader Pick
Florist
Company Flowers & Gifts Too!
This story has been updated.
Asked what makes her flower shop so popular, Marnie Nicholson is matter of fact: “We have pretty plants and we do pretty arrangements, and we love what we do,” says the shopkeeper, who founded her Cherrydale business 24 years ago with her husband, John, who sadly died in January 2022. Her favorite blossoms include peonies, lilac and tweedia—a romantic little number with heart-shaped leaves and delicate blue flowers—but the shop’s full inventory can be quite exotic. They usually have 20 varieties of roses on hand, including some from Ecuador, plus blooms from Holland and California. With more folks spending time at home, green plants have been in demand of late, says Nicholson, who recommends a ZZ plant for its low maintenance and hardiness. As for the “gifts too” part of the shop’s name? Right now it’s coasters with funny sayings that they can’t keep in stock. Handpicked cards are also perennial favorites. –Stephanie Kanowitz
Other top vote-getters:
Galleria Florist, HB Fiori, Stem & Thistle, Twin Towers Florist
Reader Pick
Women’s Boutique
Lemoncello
When Nicole Kahle bought women’s clothing store Lemon Twist, where her mom was a sales associate, five years ago, she decided to give the tried-and-true concept a little more zest. She changed the name to Lemoncello and refreshed the merch, but kept the same basic idea: a neighborhood boutique offering a curated selection of high-quality women’s apparel, plus children’s clothes and gift items. These days, the shop’s best-sellers include Scout bags (especially the print one peppered with iconic D.C. landmarks), jeans that feel like yoga pants (uh, yes, please), and wraps and ponchos for outdoor dining. “A lot of that stuff has been really popular with people wanting to wear [real] clothes again but not dressing up,” Kahle says.
–Stephanie Kanowitz
Other top vote-getter:
Editor Pick
International Immersion
Eden Center
During and after the Vietnam War, an influx of immigrants gave rise to Arlington’s “Little Saigon,” a teeming enclave of Vietnamese shops and restaurants that thrived, for a time, in Clarendon. But with the 1979 arrival of Metro and the escalating real estate prices that followed, many merchants relocated to this vibrant shopping center in the Seven Corners part of Falls Church, where English is not the predominant language and drivers pass through a pagoda-style entry gate flanked by stone lions. Today, Eden Center’s 100+ tenants include beauty parlors, jewelry stores, gift shops, a karaoke bar and a billiards hall, although food is the main draw. Hungry visitors feast on noodles, tofu, banh-mi sandwiches, bubble tea and shrimp chips from the many neon-blazoned mom-and-pop delis, bakeries and takeouts. And the anchor grocery store, Good Fortune, sells everything from chicken feet and live seafood to incense, dragon fruit and rice cookers. Street festivals bring traditional flag ceremonies and lantern parades. –Jenny Sullivan
Reader Pick
Fine Jewelry
Facets Fine Jewelry
Other top vote-getters:
Ascot Diamonds, Boone & Sons, Dominion Jewelers, Washington Diamond
Reader Pick
Gift Shop
Trade Roots
Other top vote-getters:
The Cookery, Covet, Le Village Marché, Lemoncello Boutique, Two the Moon, The Urban Farmhouse
Reader Pick
Consignment Shop
Current Boutique
Other top vote-getters:
Blossom & Buds, Lemon Lane Consignment, New to You
Reader Pick
Frame Shop
KH Art & Framing
Other top vote-getters:
Art and Frame of Falls Church, Art & Framing Club, Framebridge Clarendon, Frameworks, Sterling Picture Framing
Reader Pick
Toy Store
Child’s Play
Other top vote-getters:
Doodlehopper 4 Kids, Kinder Haus Toys, One Two Kangaroo Toys!