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Best Skateboard Shop

Rec Shop

Supporting the Dallas skate scene since 2004, the Rec Shop prides itself on being a mom-and-pop skateboard shop offering skateboard supplies at affordable prices. Both longboards and old school boards can be found at its Lower Greenville location. The shop doesn't just specialize in skating supplies but also offers graffiti art supply from brands such as Montana, Alien, Ironlak and Sabotaz. It's one of the few shops in the U.S. to carry these spray-paint brands under the same roof. If your graffiti and skateboard loving self isn't tantalized enough to check out this place, keep in mind Rec Shop also carries 12-inch vinyls to support "all real DJs" with a selection that covers hip-hop, drum 'n' bass, house and break beats.

Best Vape Shop

Wizard's Vapor Bar and Smoke Shop

The vaping craze is still going strong at Wizard's Vapor Bar and Smoke Shop where new products arrive on a daily basis. Juices, tanks, chargers and dozens of brands of e-cigs — Wizard's sells just about everything a person needs to enjoy a vaping experience at a reasonable price. It also offers a large space for customers to vape together and a knowledgeable staff willing to explain how vaping works. Oh, and Wizards also provides adequate parking for customers.

Readers' Pick:

Good Vapes

Best Comic Book Shop in Big D

Red Pegasus Comics

There are plenty of great comic book shops in the Dallas area, but Red Pegasus Games and Comics has a special aura about it. Housed in Oak Cliff next to the Bishop Arts area, it's a welcoming place for longtime and new comic book readers. They regularly have artist and writer networking meet-ups. Co-owners Gabriel Mendez and Kenneth Denson are friendly to every person who walks in the door. It's a simple concept, but actually giving a crap about your customers goes a long way. It's the kind of place you want to keep coming back to. In only a couple of years, it has been a major positive for Oak Cliff, filling a much-needed demand for those who live south of I-30.

  • 208 W. 8th St., Dallas, Map

Best Comic Book Shop in Little D

Freaks and Geeks

Looking to satisfy your superhero or graphic novel fix until the next Marvel or DC blockbuster hits the movie houses? Then look no further than Freaks and Geeks in Denton. In their shop in a small three-bedroom house, co-owners Alec Featherstone and Beth Baalman offer a collection of more than 35,000 comic books to surf, 15,000 video games and more than 1,000 toys to please even the most snobbish collector. Comic prices depend on the book's rarity but range anywhere from a couple of bucks to more than $1,000. "Our biggest dream with opening this up was to make it a place where people felt comfortable coming and staying for a while," Featherstone told the local newspaper when the shop opened in January 2015.

Best Motorcycle Shop

Strokers

Strokers Ice House

Located on 2.5 acres, Strokers has been repairing some of the meanest, baddest bikes in Dallas and Fort Worth for 30 years. It's a place where a biker can grab a bite to eat, cool off with a cold brew or listen to live music while their bike is being serviced. On any given weekend, more than 500 bikes will pass through Stroker's doors. Owner Rick Fairless opened the shop not long after retiring as the top sales rep for the Glidden Paint Co. and never looked back. "I can truly say that I am the luckiest boy in the world," he says. "I am living my dream every day."

Best Tobacco Store

Cigar Art

Operating a well-done tobacco store depends on subtle cues. These days, stores can double as vape stores, head shops or small-scale bars. But Cigar Art, located in Bishop Arts District, does all the little things right. The lounge in front is plush but not ostentatious, the humidor is large but not intimidating, and the staff is knowledgeable without being douchey. A good tobacco store encourages people to stick around and smoke, and this BYOB spot is surprisingly roomy and comfortable. People actually lounge in this lounge. The place has a great selection and some real cred — cigar makers rolling product in the store have a minimum of 12 years experience in a Cuban factory.

Best Boot Shop

Wild Bill's Western Store

Wild Bill's Western Store
Michael Barera

Just a few blocks from the book depository where Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK, Wild Bill's Western Store offers a selection of saddles, boots and belts in the historic West End of downtown Dallas. It's a place that once catered to actors from the old TV show Dallas and rock stars such as Mick Jagger, Elton John and Eric Clapton. Wild Bill's boot selection is impressive, from freshwater Hornback alligator boots to diamondback rattlesnake and hippopotamus skinned ones, too. Some boots showcase designs of guitars and others crosses. From hand-tooled Indian skulls to tooled snake and roses, all different types of custom-made boots are available. Moccasins, too. Wild Bill's is the best and one of the oldest boot shops this side of the Trinity.

Best Hotel

The Joule

The Joule Hotel

The Joule isn't just a comfortable place for out-of-towners to rest their weary heads. It's fast become a culture hub of downtown Dallas and a favorite haunt of locals (meaning you know it's good). With a basement-level speakeasy, Midnight Rambler, which serves cocktails with exotic ingredients, and a lobby-level restaurant, CBD Provisions, which sources sustainable ingredients with a focus on local farms, brewers and vinters, the Joule is the best hotel in these parts. The hotel is a patron of the arts with an impressive collection, and sources some of its decorative works from local artists. It's the official hotel sponsor of the Dallas Art Fair and plays host to art galleries, dealers and artists from around the world. With the yearly Dallas Art Fair fete taking place under the watchful gaze of the Joule's massive eyeball sculpture in its garden across the street, this hotel is the one to watch for the best events in the city.

Readers' Pick:

Omni Dallas Hotel

Best Pet Store

The Upper Paw

If you have, say, an English Foxhound with a very finicky stomach, there is no better place in Dallas to find comfort than Deep Ellum's Upper Paw. The local shop stocks dozen of specialty foods for all types of dogs and has a complete selection of harnesses and other dog gear to keep Fido outfitted. Just don't eat the cookies stocked near the front of the store, however good they look. They're for your four-legged pal, not you.

Readers' Pick:

Petsmart

Best Pet Kevorkian

Loving Paws

It's time to say goodbye to your dog or cat. You don't want to, but you knew it would happen. So you can take your furry pal to the vet, the place you know the critter hates, or you can go to lovingpawshousecalls.com and ask for a house call. Dr. Rebecca Westbrook will show up with kind words, a professional demeanor and total competency. Her lethal cocktails are delivered in a way that ensures your pet's final moments, spent at home, are painless. The fee is reasonable, especially since you've bought yourself a lifetime of guilt-free happiness, knowing you sent your animal off in the best possible way.

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