Aaron’s Alley

I absolutely love Aaron’s Alley. You can find so many awesome things here. I love the clothes, the incense, the stones and crystals, and all the other amazing things you can find here — and they also sell tickets for local shows too!
The environment is awesome. Love it here… I always feel welcome. Definitely the best stop in Rochester for all of your fantastic Bohemian/​Hippie needs!

If you are looking for hippie wear this store is for you. I have only been here to get tickets but it’s a neo hippies paradise full if incense and tie dye.

This is one of the best places to shop in Rochester for all your bohemian needs. There is no better place for Grateful Dead merchandise but it doesn’t stop at dead head stuff. They offer an assortment of locally made jewelry and other crafts of high quality. If you want to support local talent this is the place to shop.

Like some of the other reviewers, I remember the «old» Aaron’s Alley from when I was a kid. Went in this past week for some incense and sage, and just to poke about. I’m a DIY kind of clothes girl, but they had some very interesting dresses that were reasonably priced. The vintage clothes section in the back was new, and some things definitely caught my eye. The Incense selection is way better than many other shops around, and since it’s a reasonable walk from my apartment and the sticks are also reasonably priced, I’ve definitely switched loyalties. They were out of bundles of White Sage, and when I asked about it, the girl behind the counter told me of another store that probably had some — I found that really helpful.
They also carry work from local artisans — Wire wraps and clothes, etc. As an artist, it’s always great to see established shops supporting the local artisans. As far as I know, no other «hippie shop» in Rochester does this — all of the merchandise is usually mass-​produced in China or India or wherever and sold at atrocious prices. I don’t mind paying extra for something I know my neighbor made.
The one thing I didn’t like, and maybe it’s just me, but they watch you like hawks when you’re shopping. That always makes me feel very uncomfortable because I feel that, if I trust a place enough to shop there, they should trust me in kind. Despite this, the girl that checked me out was very friendly — she did greet me upon entering the store, and as I said before, she wasn’t shy about helping me complete my mission for Sage. See you again real soon, guys — Thanks a bundle!

I remember going to Aaron’s Alley since I was a kid living in Rochester over 15 years ago. My mother’s friends were friends with the owner Aaron. I remember it being a great hippie store with great clothing, accessories and other gift items. This weekend was the first time I had visited the new location since they had moved. I was disappointed to walk into the store with 3 people working, and not one person acknowledging me or my 2 friends. We walked throughout the entire store, and didn’t see one item we liked. In fact, I remember them carrying much more items and a better selection especially quality wise. I saw a vintage clothing section that carried a large amount of coats and leather jackets which I thought was great. But other than that, I didn’t see much to rant and rave around. The store was a lot smaller and clustered in a way that it was hard to really navigate the store. Nothing like it use to be. Probably won’t be visiting here next time I’m in down.

This is probably one of my favorite hippie shops in Rochester. The owner, Aaron, is a very nice guy and very outgoing. This is a great place to get some one-​of-​a-​kind clothing and the perfect place to shop for vintage clothing. The kind of vintage clothing that you really can’t find at Goodwill! I’ve bought a few and a couple others that turned out to be my ultimate treasures. Every time I am in town, I love to stop over Monroe Ave just to walk into Aaron’s Alley to see what could be the latest treasure find for me.

Now at almost 30 I can say I have been shopping here intermittently (due to moving from state to state) since I was 15. They always have the coolest gear, it smells great and the staff is super friendly! If you need some show clothing, everyday wear or even concert tickets for the area, this is the place to go! Miss you Aaron, but I love the west coast! I hope to visit again, sooner than later! (You do need a website though!)

Let me tell you a story.
Flogging Molly was coming to town, and hell if I was going to pay
for the tickets. The venue’s site listed a second source for tickets, however– a place called Aaron’s Alley. I Googled up the store’s website
but there was no info at the time. .. except for an address and a photograph of a man with a beard and hair past his shoulders, wearing a tie-​died shirt, who we could only assume was the store’s namesake. Perhaps he founded it some time ago. Anyway, with these two pieces of information, my friends and I set out to buy our tickets, not knowing whether the place would literally just be Aaron, standing in an alley, selling contraband from his trench coat.
After reaching Monroe Ave and striking out on foot, we found the address listed on the website– 629. It was not an actual alley. It was an airbrushing shop. Also, it was not called Aaron’s Alley.
The next place over was a paraphernalia retailer filled with a small congregation of people with long hair and tie-​dye, which, as far as we figured, must have meant that they knew the man of the same description whom I had seen on the website. «Are you guys selling Flogging Molly tickets here?» one of us asked. They patiently pointed us in the direction of Aaron’s Alley’s new location. We walked across the street and went inside, wondering if we had found the right place. It was cluttered with ponchos and hemp jewelery. As we wandered into the heavily-​incensed, dimly-​lit shop, a voice said, «FLOGGING MOLLY???»
We turned, and there was Aaron, exactly as he had been pictured, standing behind a counter on a raised section of the shop floor, staring down at us. «Uhh. .. yeah. .. do you have any left…?» We approached the counter, from behind which he produced a small metal lock-​box. On one side it was filled with cash, and on the other, assorted tickets. He had twenty left. We bought what we needed and he put the cash into the box and closed it.