50 places to shop locally in NYC for that perfect gift
Clockwise from top left, photo credits: Beacon’s Closet, Astoria Bookshop, Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store, Friends NYC, Coming Soon NY, Michele Varian Shop
We do so much of our shopping online that we sometimes forget the excitement of finding the just-right gift right in front of our eyes. New York City still considers shopping a high art, and some of the best shops on the planet are just around the corner from wherever you are. You’re sure to find a treasure for everyone on your list from the local shops below.
All of these products have been hand-selected by team 6sqft. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these affiliate links. All prices reflect those at the time of publishing.
Jewelry
Born-in-Brooklyn jeweler Catbird has been the hot spot for cool jewels since the shop opened 21 years ago. Now they’re almost a (local) household name, and they ship worldwide. The store is especially famous for its tiny name tag pendants, and these coffee cup charms are as NYC as it gets.
The make-your-own charm jewelry craze continues. City folks don’t need to find a mall to create a custom piece; Brooklyn Charm, with locations in Williamsburg and the Lower East Side, lets creators of all ages make custom jewelry with a mind-boggling collection of charms and add-ons.
SHW (formerly Stillhouse) quietly opened in the East Village in 2011, when American jewelry designer and certified diamond gemologist Urte Tylaite began selling elegant home goods and fine jewelry. Her current focus is on timeless jewelry styles–including wedding and engagement rings–with unexpected details; each piece is made for all genders with the intention of creating future heirlooms.
Verameat is an only-in-New York outpost of East Village cool at a time when such a thing is often elusive. Dreamy, gothy jewelry, funky trinkets, and fabulous fashions must be seen to be believed, and there’s always something new and outrageous.
Fashion for all ages
Assembly New York offers a perfectly curated selection of sophisticated streetwear-oriented fashion on the cutting edge, plus home goods and other goodies. Tribeca cool-girl staple Lagarconne is a mecca for seekers of minimal yet luxurious apparel, handcrafted home goods, and more. 180 the Store and Oroboro both offer chic and understated fashions from well-established international designers, as well as accessories and home goods.
You’ll find one-of-a-kind clothing at Williamsburg-based By Liv Handmade; The “shoppable studio storefront” stocks over 40 independent sustainable designers as well as Liv’s own creations.
Astoria’s Hellenic Aesthetic offers “a piece of Greece in New York City,” with jewelry and home items that embody the ethos of Greece.
For pint-sized New Yorkers, covetable baby and children’s clothes can be found on the Upper East Side at Jacadi and Bonpoint, two of the neighborhood’s international/local opportunities to indulge the little prince/princess on your gift list. Nolita’s Little Moony features cute-as-can-be baby gear designed and handmade by the store’s owner and her family.
Thrift and vintage
L Train Vintage has stores throughout the city; it’s a great place to pore through racks of denim, leather, and other favorites to find just the right-now piece that person on your list has been looking for. Beacon’s Closet offers up-to-the-millisecond looks on its racks and shelves; the city’s fashionistas sell their wares there, so you’re guaranteed to find plenty of what’s hot for a fraction of even fast-fashion prices.
Housing Works Thrift Shop locations around the city provide important funding for Housing Works’ charity mission, and their thrift shops are neighborhood treasures, selling an eclectic collection of clothing, accessories, art, furniture, and homewares at very affordable prices.
Williamsburg’s Awoke Vintage is a classic for stylish secondhand finds. Staten Island‘s Every Thing Goes thrift empire has expanded to include clothing, furniture, and a bookshop cafe.
The Real Real continues to be a popular online choice for pre-loved designer gear at a discount; The brand’s four NYC outposts offer the same array of treasures, with the added perk of instant gratification.
Books and games
McNally Jackson Books is one of the city’s most venerable booksellers. Greenlight Bookstore has been a pillar of independent printed-word wisdom in the Fort Greene neighborhood since 2009, filled with books and gifts and a full calendar of readings and events.
Mott Haven‘s The Lit. Bar is that borough’s first independent bookstore; Park Slope’s Community Bookstore is Brooklyn’s oldest bookstore, period. Stop by Astoria Bookshop, the bustling independent bookseller in the neighborhood since 2013, for everything literary as well as cards, games, puzzles, and gift-ready items of all kinds.
Brooklyn’s Twenty Sided Store features a curated collection of games for every occasion. The native and woman-owned business has been bringing people together through games since 2011, with community events in addition to an always-fresh game selection. In Astoria, don’t forget Gamestoria for the tabletop gamer on your list.
Kidult Brick store is Nirvana in Brooklyn for Lego enthusiasts, with shelves filled with a wide selection of LEGO sets, accessories, and mini-figures from various themes.
Tasty treats
Premium chocolatier L.A. Burdick is known for its covetable candy critters like chocolate mice and penguins, in addition to a full array of goodies in all shapes and sizes. Order up an adorable infestation or stop by their Soho shop to gaze at the whole delicious menagerie.
Economy Candy may be NYC’s best destination for sweet nostalgia. In business since 1937, the sweet shop carries just about every treat you remember loving as a kid, and plenty of today’s fun favorites.
As a quirky new entry in the candy category, Halloween-themed candy store Eugene J. Candy Co. may be the offbeat candy HQ for the October holiday, but a year-round exclusive selection of strange sweets can be found in the Brooklyn store.
Home goods and self-care
Recently redesigned, the MoMA Design Store in Soho carries art items related to the famous museum’s exhibits, of course, but it’s also a destination for iconic modern home goods. NYC cult-favorite Union Square home goods and dinnerware store Fishs Eddy just opened a Brooklyn location in Dumbo, featuring vintage and one-of-a-kind finds and signature Fishs Eddy items.
Tucked away in Chinatown among the colorful storefronts, sights, sounds, and scents, Senti Senti (formerly oo35MM) specializes in the latest Asian beauty products. The century-old Wing on Wo & Co. is Chinatown’s oldest continuously operating store, offering delicate Chinese porcelain.
Coming Soon is a fabulous and funky Lower East Side home goods studio that’s hard to leave empty-handed.
When NYC design-world treasure Michele Varian moved her shop from Soho to a mint-hued storefront on Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill, the move made sense: The design-minded neighborhood welcomed her with open arms. Expect to find a perfectly curated trove of unforgettable housewares, ceramics, furniture, and jewelry.
Peace and Riot in Bed-Stuy has the kind of selection of cool housewares, kitchen goods, textiles, and accessories you might expect to find in this exceptionally diverse neighborhood, along with a bit of the unexpected. In Astoria, Incasa Decor offers gorgeous home goods like sustainable glassware and kitchen essentials.
Since 1997, Manhattan scent lab Enfleurage has been New York’s quintessential shop for natural aromatics and essential oils. Stop in to sample botanical perfumes, skincare, haircare, and specialty items like roll-ons, raw incense, and handcrafted candles.
On the other side of the river, Nose Best is a “candle-making speakeasy” in Bushwick, for scented gifts that are anything but generic.
Unique and unusual gifts
Shops like Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store and Leroy’s Place (Park Slope), Newtown HQ (Astoria), Woods Grove (Cobble Hill), Friends NYC and Quality Goods (Bushwick) are well-known neighborhood resources for unique, handmade, and unusual goodies and fun stocking-stuffers.
Park Deli in Crown Heights is a skateboard, fresh-cut flower, and dry goods counter-service boutique very much in keeping with the borough’s rep for all things cool and hard-to-define.
Su’juk is one of those fabulous finds that’s “part hair salon, part life-style boutique,” with an ever-changing selection of vintage fashion finds as well as home decor, bespoke furniture, and gifts sourced from all over the world, with an emphasis on Turkey and Morocco.
The Lower East Side may not be as rock ‘n’ roll as it used to be, but you can still find a few spots like Grit N Glory that do tattoos with their retail. A little further south, the quirky Uniqulee store in Chinatown is aptly named, offering discoveries like vintage sewing machines.
The one-of-a-kind Manhattan Saddlery, located in a historic space on 24th Street, is the only equestrian tack shop in New York City, and they’ve been outfitting riders, horses, and lovers of all things equestrian since 1912. In addition to being an authority on equestrian fashion and tack, Manhattan Saddlery happily embraces our role as the hub for “all things horse” in New York City.
Mexican folk art store La Sirena in the East Village is a living gallery of culture and tradition. Every piece tells a story, from hand-carved alebrijes to embroidered textiles, clay figures, tin art, milagros, and paper-maché treasures.
If taxidermy is on your list, you’ll want to start at The Evolution Store; they’ve been “inspiring the curious collector” since 1993. The shop curates a world-class, exclusive selection of natural history collectibles, guided by friendly and knowledgeable staff.
Holographic Studios is New York City’s only holographic gallery and a world leader in making holograms. Visit their East Village location to see hundreds of holograms, including celebrity portraits, CGI holograms, and hologram novelties, or book a tour, class, or workshop. In addition to holography production services, you can come in to see, buy, or make a hologram.
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