Shop 'Til You Drop: Riverhead Edition

The roads are clear of summer’s traffic, so why aren’t you in Riverhead? Whether you’re truckin’ it from the South Fork up to wine country, or vice versa, stop into Riverhead—the gateway to Long Island’s playgrounds—and see what’s on offer.

Fall is the perfect time for a relaxing bike ride. Twin Forks Bicycles works hard to be your first choice for bicycles, clothing, accessories and spin shoes. They service all brands of bicycles and take great pride in their service department. The shop has more than 150 bikes on display and tons of accessories, too. Road bikes, mountain bikes, commuting bikes, children’s bikes—they have it all. 121 East Main Street, Riverhead. 631-591-3082, twinforksbicycles.com

No shopping trip in Riverhead is complete without a stop by the Tanger Outlets. From accessories and jewelry to men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and footwear to housewares and home furnishings—if Tanger doesn’t have it, you probably don’t need it. 200 Tanger Mall Drive, Riverhead. 631-369-2732, tangeroutlet.com

Some might take a short-cut from big-box to old-school along Fishel Avenue and discover the many options that Islandia Pools offers in outdoor living. Founder John J. Wysoczanski wants you to, if you haven’t done so already, “make sure you use good winterizing chemicals, blow out the lines and put anti-freeze in them and check your gizmos to make sure they don’t have water in them because they could freeze and then it will crack your skimmers.” At Islandia Pools, 3-D programs can now show just what your pool looks like in real time using drones that incorporate the images into a video or drawing for one’s iPad. 108 Fishel Avenue, Riverhead, islandiapools.com 631-727-6312   

Families can’t be on Main Street in Riverhead and not stop by the world-famous Long Island Aquarium. This FINtastic destination features one of the largest all-living coral reef displays in this hemisphere, a 120,000-gallon shark tank, year-round sea lion shows, African penguins, marmosets, numerous touch tanks and more than 100 exhibits, including the lavish indoor gardens featuring their Butterflies, Bugs & Birds Exhibit!  Even if you’re not going into the aquarium yourself, stop by the City Treasures Gift Shop for aquarium-themed gifts. Educators with proper identification qualify for a 10% discount at the gift shop. 431 East Main Street, Riverhead. 631-208-9200, longislandaquarium.com

Get your kicks at Sneaker Aquarium, Main Street’s spot for the hottest sneakers to hit the streets. It might just be the easternmost spot in New York for Air Jordans, Air Force Ones, Air Max 90s and 95s, Huaraches and so much more. 41 East Main Street, Riverhead. 631-591-3427

The Riverhead Flower Shop has been serving up superior floral arrangements and assortments since 1980. Their deep-rooted passion for flowers, along with their dedication to service, makes them the ideal choice for any occasion. No matter what kind of flowers or arrangements you’re looking for, you can always expect stellar service and floral solutions. 136 East Main Street, Riverhead. 631-727-2960, riverheadflowershop.com

Treasure hunters can visit Riverhead and not be disappointed. The Salvation Army Family Store and Donation Center is chock full of goodies, from men’s and women’s clothing to electronics, jewelry, home wares and framed art. 319 East Main Street, Riverhead. 631-727-1571

K Treasure’s Thrift Shop is a great place to find treasures you didn’t know you wanted. They also have a sizable selection of books. 435 Osborne Avenue, Riverhead. 631-208-8595.

Music & Arts is your local music store—they sell and rent band and orchestra musical instruments with brands ranging from Yamaha, Jupiter, Bundy, Bach, Selmer, Gemeinhardt, Ventus, Lewis, Strobel, Otto Benjamin and more.  They also have a wide variety of guitars, keyboards, amplifiers and drums from trusted names like Fender, Ibanez, Epiphone, Laurel Canyon, Yamaha, Ampeg, Mapex, and Tama. Along with music books, Music & Arts has a great lesson program that caters to any player from beginning to advanced levels. Lessons are available in piano, voice, guitar and orchestral strings. 30 West Main Street, Riverhead. 631-727-2897, stores.musicarts.com/riverhead