When eager Syracuse shoppers plan a spending spree, most immediately head to the Carousel Mall. But just 10 minutes away in Dewitt, ShoppingTown Mall has the standard amenities, like brand-name stores and a food court, and boasts other impressive features. The Regal Cinemas isn’t the only source of entertainment in this mall. Here are four establishments that offer interesting merchandise and unique atmospheres.

Who let the dogs out?
Step beyond the bright red neon sign of Pet World, and you’ll feel like you walked into a zoo. But here, shoppers can take animals home. Pet food, toys, cages and miniature furniture are scattered throughout the store, but the main attraction is straight ahead when customers walk in: the puppies.
They peer through the glass with wide eyes and wagging tails. Behind them sit rows of glowing tanks with fish of all different colors and patterns.
Along the wall, rabbits, guinea pigs and other small furry critters scurry around in their cages. Each cage has a panel with detailed information for prospective owners.
Bird lovers can step into the bird room where parakeets, finches, cockatiels and canaries chirp and flutter about. The path back to the entrance is a maze of animal accessories. Don’t miss the aisle of geckos, iguanas and other scaly creatures. Lizards need love, too.

Work of art
CNY Artists, a small shop near the food court, has the feel of a vintage garage sale. Art pieces made by local artists and craftsmen are sprinkled throughout the store.
Oil paintings depicting picturesque landscapes, portraits and impressionist works hang from the walls. Display cases are stocked chock full with colorful earrings, necklaces and piles of handmade mugs.
Consumers can stumble across an antique chessboard, knitted South Park hats or even a portrait of revolutionary Che Guevara with bright red roses sprouting from his head. A large panoramic photograph of Syracuse, which adorns the top of the wall, wraps around the room.
A small passageway leads to the ample back half of the store, reminiscent of an art studio. Quilts hang amid towering shelves filled with even more paintings, mannequins and perched stuffed animals.
Shoppers who veer off the mall’s beaten path into this quaint shop may end up walking out with a fascinating item.

Forever young
During an afternoon of acting like a 12-year-old, the combination of laser tag, arcade games and mini-bowling is hard to beat. Navigate through the haze of bright flashing lights inside Fun Junction to shoot some arcade basketball hoops or blast a few bad guys in ‘Time Crisis.’
The walls surrounding the entrance are large copper vaults imprinted with the painfully clichd phrase: ‘the ultimate laser adventure.’ The enormous structures make the mall’s gaming hotspot stand out against rows of conventional storefronts. Inside, you’ll spot hordes of kids grasping fistfuls of tickets and prizes.
Students can challenge friends to epic battles of competitive superiority, with typical gamers’ weapons of choice – plastic guns, simulated muscle cars and Skee balls.
For $8 for a game, anyone can run around the course shooting wildly, but it takes a true competitor to barrel over unsuspecting youngsters for the winning score.

Feel the burn
This long corridor of CNY Gym Centre, filled with gyms and studios, spans an entire side of the mall. On a rainy spring afternoon, students can choose from a wide array of sports, activities and exercise classes.
They can take swings at batting cages, play rounds of golf, learn swordplay through fencing lessons at the Syracuse Musketeers Fencing Center or glide around Black Mamba Skate Park.
Kids scamper back and forth across the hallway, darting from gymnastics classes to karate at Syracuse Kung Fu in the spacious center. A birthday party venue complete with bouncy castles, jungle gyms and a ball pit also attracts energetic mall-goers.
Students can sign up for kickboxing or Zumba classes in the Dancing Kats studios. The center offers monthly memberships and bustles with visitors of all ages.
If it’s a particularly nasty day in Syracuse, odds are there’s an athletic activity for everyone at this massive sports complex. It just so happens to be in a mall.
rjmarvin@syr.edu