We put out two gift guides each year around the winter holidays, which serve as our annual ode to shopping in the Queen City. But shopping is an activity only made more pleasant by nice weather, so arguably we are just coming up on the prime retail season for Buffalo. People (hopefully) leave the malls and throng to the neighborhoods of Allentown, Hertel Avenue, and Elmwood Village, some window shopping, others on a buying mission. (You can tell the difference: There’s an unmistakeable purpose in the serious shopper’s gait.)

Elmwood Bidwell Farmer's Market (photo by Rose Mattrey)

The nice weather doesn’t just encourage browsing for clothes and shoes, antiques and accessories. It also brings more people to the tanning salons, hair salons, and spas, encourages pedicures and highlights, tattoos and trips to the gym. It may be time to visit a winery, get a massage, buy some camping equipment, tune up your bicycle, by some beach reads, get some new tunes for your car stereo, get more grilling equipment, start buying and eating more healthy food, visit farmer’s markets by day, barbecue, and escape to the movies at night.

Get out there, Buffalonians, and even if you’re never tempted to shop ’til you drop, you will still probably need to stock up on swimsuits, sandals, sunglasses, and all that summer stuff.

Just look to the list below, and let our readers tell you where to go.

—k. o’day

Finalists are listed in no particular order. Winners to be announced April 26, 6-9pm, at Town Ballroom.

...and the nominees are: Introduction • Food & Drink Shops & Services • Nightlife Nominees • The Fine Arts People Power • Our Fair City The 2010 Best of Buffalo Winners List