Sir Thrifty, located in the social and culinary hub the Citadel, submerges shoppers in a mental bath of pure nostalgia. The packed store is a veritable shrine to pop culture of the latter days of the 20th Century, featuring toys from every era of your youth. You can rifle through Teen Titan comic books, He-Man action figures, VHS tapes of Beetlejuice, plastic sports figurines, and mint–condition copies of just about every Playboy magazine Hugh Hefner ever published. There is a cornucopia of fashionable vintage clothing and even a petit corner bookstore dedicated to local book publisher Jitney Books. If you have any pop culture treasures sitting in your closet or storage unit, proprietor Nassie Shahoulian, whose outsized personality is on display via his faux Garbage Pail Kid image on the store's business card, will happily scour through and make an offer.

Flamingo Flea is the brainchild of Fort Lauderdale local Carley Sumner, who has hosted nearly 100 flea markets throughout South Florida over the past five years, working with almost 1,500 different vendors along the way. Some of the flea's popular regular spots are Tarpon River Brewing in Fort Lauderdale and Crazy Uncle Mike's in Boca Raton. What makes the Flamingo Flea experience memorable is its Bohemian vibes, vendor mix — vintage garb, homemade cosmetics, and freshly baked cookies often among them — pet friendliness, and live music. Sumner's flea markets have not only become a place to shop but also to build friends and community, something that's not easy to do in our oft-transient region. A must for pet lovers is its bi-annual Puppy Brunch, with Fido-focused vendors and nonprofits in attendance.

Situated beneath the luxurious hotel Mr. C in Coconut Grove, the Bazaar Project looks like a funky cafe with an upscale old-school Coconut Grove charm. The oddest thing about this stylish little enclave is that everything in the café is actually for sale. There's something special about trying out the merch before dragging it home, whether it's the metal café chairs or the Versace wallpaper that drapes the walls. The homewares and furniture will stop you in your tracks, much like the personal style of founder, Yeliz Titiz, who has a flair for fashion and sources interesting design items from around the world.

Just like its merchandise, this antique store has loads of history. Established in 1998, it changed owners at the turn of the millennium when former Mayor of Palmetto Bay Shelly Stanzcyk, who started out as an antiques dealer, took charge. Nestled in a strip mall in Palmetto Bay, Antique Mall Y'all features more than 100 consignors and dealers hawking just about anything reusable, like precious porcelain wares, jewelry you'll pass on to your spawn, quirky tchotchkes, and vintage chandeliers. With merchandise constantly in flux, every visit promises a new win for collectors or casual browsers. Come prepared to hunt, because Antique Mall Y'all has the energy of a jumble shop but with some real gems.

What's better than a dozen flowers to let your snugglebutt know that you are thinking about them on a special occasion? How about ten or 15 dozen? Maybe 200 stems requiring a dozen medium size vases that you happen to have on hand? Or better yet, fill a six-gallon Home Depot galvanized pail with bright green pom-pom buttons to brighten up your outdoor party. The Flower Place focuses on moving inventory between wedding gigs at seriously discounted prices, letting customers shop directly out of their walk-in cold storage room. They might even throw in a $5 mystery box for you if you're lucky. Just be sure to give yourself enough time at home to break down your plunder or invite a couple of friends over with pruning shears.

At Galloway Farm Nursery, four well-fed cats greet customers near the checkout counter while parrots squawk in the distance and orange and white koi laze in a nearby pond. Forty-three years ago, Pat Kyle and Jim Lawrence founded this garden center on two-and-a-half acres in Southwest Miami. Since then, it's become more than a place to buy ferns; it's a full nature experience. People can lounge inside an air-conditioned orchid room or sit under the tiki hut while taking in an expanse of flowering and fruit trees. Kyle, 83, also known as the "plant lady from Pinecrest," says the nursery has "everything," including organic Neem-oil based sprays, milkweed and lantana plants to attract butterflies, and even ladybugs used for natural pest control. As Miami's concrete jungle heats up, Galloway suggests we help cool things down by getting our "green on."

Founded in 2022, this dynamic boutique landscaping company provides custom, one-of-a-kind designs. And while the same can be said of other local vendors, what sets the Botany Guild apart is that they are bona-fide botanical nerds. Possessed of specialized knowledge and a genuine passion for the flora of South Florida, these biophilic landscape pros are committed to sourcing diverse native species from the lushest local nurseries to suit the peculiarities of Miami's climate.

Books & Books has won this award plenty of times already — and with six locations and counting, who can blame us? But this year, they deserve it for a very good reason. Owner Mitchell Kaplan has led the fight against Gov. Ron DeSantis' racist, queerphobic book-banning spree by distributing banned books, planning actions, and speaking out against Tallahassee's regressive lawmaking. He's set his independent bookstore chain at the forefront of this necessary protest and educational effort to protect our constitutional right to free press and speech. Meanwhile, Kaplan also cofounded and hosts Miami Book Fair International, stocks his stores with the best curated literature and local authors, and is the landing spot for all writers and readers traveling through the 305. Books & Books is simply the best for balancing our fragile democracy on its stacks of banned books.

The death of print has been long lamented, but Bookleggers Library resuscitated the printed page in South Florida. Starting out as a roaming used bookstore that valued trade over commerce, Bookleggers fashions itself "a no-kill shelter for books." It was founded on the mission to build community through free and easy access to books and it delivers. It now has a brick-and-mortar location at the Bakehouse Art Complex. After a visit, you'll walk away with a free book — and Bookleggers still encourages book trading and asks an insanely reasonable $2 for any additional book. Even more impressive are its innovative initiatives to spread books all over the city via a book trailer, a book bike, and book boxes, and their semi-permanent installations scattered throughout Miami. It's hard to explain exactly what Bookleggers is — a used bookstore, a library, an archive — but it certainly is one of Miami's cultural treasures.

This Fort Lauderdale bookstore is packed with literary treasures from floor to ceiling. Owner William Chrisant fills his store with as many first-editions as possible, and though everything feels chaotically strewn about the space, there is a method to the madness. Tell Chrisant what you're looking for, and he'll be able to point you in the right direction. Near the entrance, there are shelves of weathered books that can be taken home on the honor system for only a dollar. Also, don't forget to say "hi" to Peter, the store's cat who greets everyone as soon as they walk in — that's if he's not mid-nap. He's also the star of the store's Instagram account, @oldfloridabookshop.