About this list
237 shops in 10 regions (201 good fits; 36 were ruled out in research and marked Not a fit) across New York State outside the NYC area. Every shop was checked on 22 Oct 2026 for its contacts and for signs it is open and still selling, from its own site, listings and press; closed shops were taken off. Shops marked “Check it's open first” showed no recent sign of life. A blank phone or email means none was found in public; nothing was guessed.
Top picks are the best-fit, confirmed-open shops in each region (7 per region; 5 in Mohawk Valley and Thousand Islands). “Next up” suggests the three lowest-numbered top picks you have not contacted yet, starting with the region closest to Rochester.
Miles are straight-line miles from downtown Rochester to the shop's town; the drive is usually about a fifth longer. “Under 1 hour” means under 45 straight-line miles. The 36 shops ruled out in research (marked Not a fit) are left out of the “shops reached” count. “Sells pottery” means the shop's own description mentions pottery, ceramics, clay, mugs or planters.