Antique Wonderland

Soflea has added a second location for antique shopping fun. Antiques at Railway Commons is located at the corner of Burnet Avenue and Catherine Street, at 400 Burnet Avenue, Syracuse, NY. They are open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM every day!

Soflea is a play on her name – Sophia Tashkovski, who has a specific eye when it comes to her found object finds. Her shop contains an array of vintage denim clothing and patterned shirts, bar carts, glassware, pottery, brass goods and so much more in the category of chic bric-a-brac treasures, Oh, and Adirondack-style furniture and Americana accessories that would look great as camp decor or in a rustic family room.

Her prices are very reasonable, I think. I bought this little sheepskin rug (below). Pablo loves it!

There are several other vendors in the store. Their areas are delineated by bookshelves and larger pieces of furniture, Each vendor uses different price tags so that the cashier can document sales.

An art gallery is housed upstairs, as well, run by Peter Svoboda. His former location was in Shoppingtown Mall in Dewitt.

You will love this place!

Sophie is my sister, so that is how I found out about it. But this old building has always been in my dreams. It is called Railway Commons because there is an old railway station platform on the Erie Blvd side of the building, elevated to run parallel with 690West. Life-size plaster figures have been posed to greet highway cars for as long as I can remember and I have secretly always wished to stand on that platform. I mean, it is a part of Syracuse history!

Wish granted, as I was fortunate enough to receive a tour of the facility. When I walked out on the platform, my legs were shaking and for a minute I swear I had time -traveled, which, as you know, is a recurring theme in my mind. This is not part of the deal, just so you know – so please don’t visit and expect to go up there, although there is another rooftop space that soon will be available to rent out for parties. It has a grill and other stuff – very NYC vibe-ish, and that was super cool too.

I know. You’re welcome. <3

Time Traveling in da Nook

Last year when I attended the Madison-Bouckville Antique Fest, I spent two additional hours looking for my car. I don’t know how I became so mixed up that day. Too much to see, really.

This year I stuck to one area. I parked in the location called Butternut Hill and just walked around and through those tents – for three hours! The whole thing is a time vortex. In the search for the old stuff of yesteryear, you can conceivably lose all track of time.

You still have three more days to take that drive on Route 20. From Syracuse, New York, head to Manlius, which will take you through Cazenovia and Morrisville to Madison.

I paid $5.00 to park but there is a possibility of finding free parking. And it is free to attend. Dealers are on both sides of the road (over 2,000!) set up in tents and there are also several antique shops along the route. There’s lots to see and plenty of food vendors too.

Before you go, set your intention to the universe in regard to what you are hoping to find. Then let yourself be guided to it. I purchased a bag of found object items to use in my artwork. I also enjoyed seeing old money, glass containers, and plenty of nostalgia. In addition, I stumbled upon lots of things my mother likes – porcelain figurines, crochet goods, teddy bears and baubles.

The best part was conversing with the vendors, all lovely people from here, there and every where. One man brought his antique store goods in from Louisiana. Another was from Fulton, NY. One lady from Pennsylvania told me that vendors pick the same or similar locations year after year. The Butternut Hill spot had excellent facilities for dining, showering and other aspects, she said.

Even if you don’t particularly like shopping, this festival is good exercise. It’s open 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM through Sunday. You can hike around for miles while time traveling. Now doesn’t that sound like a magical way to spend your day?

For more information go to www.madison-bouckville.com.

ISO Fish Fry – Brian’s Landing

I had a work-related late lunch with my friend Dee at Brian’s Landing last Friday. I’ve been wanting to go for a while now. I follow them on Facebook and give a love to just about everything they post.

Presentation: The haddock is Panko breaded and comes with a cute bun, french fries, slaw and a pickle with tartar sauce and a lemon on the side. Everything on one large plate. My friend ordered a burger. My fish dinner looked so good that she decided to order one to go for later. It was $18.00.

Taste: There was not an option to have the fish broiled, unfortunately. It wasn’t my favorite – kinda dry and the breading was like what you put on fried chicken. I did not like the coleslaw. French fries were very salty but super tasty. I didn’t love it.

Restaurant Experience: I do love this restaurant. They have live music in the evenings in the bar area. We ate in the dining room. They also have a new porch/deck area. The waitress was friendly and super quick. It was quiet in there at 3:00 PM. No wait, no need for reservations.

Location: Brian’s Landing is located at 6523 E.Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville, New York.

Hours 

& Contact

Regular Hours

Tues – Thu: 4pm – 9pm

Thurs – Sat: 11:30am – 9pm

Sun: 10am – 4pm

Mon: Closed

Email

info@BriansLanding.com

6523 E Seneca Turnpike Jamesville, NY 13078

 (315) 299-5242

Parking: There is a parking lot in the back – some of the spaces are on a slope. From the back, you must climb a flight of stairs. There is a front door too (no stairs) but it faces the street so no parking there.