2021 has sailed right by and the holidays are quickly approaching! It’s more important than ever to shop small and help the businesses that were hit hardest as life returns to “normal.” We’ve made it super easy to shop small this holiday season by compiling this list of great businesses located just a ferry ride away!
?Astoria
LoveDay 31
This tiny and colorful Queens boutique serves up high-quality vintage items. There’s a healthy showing of party dresses, leather boots, heels, jewelry, and bags from the sixties, eighties, and beyond, all at wallet-friendly prices. In addition, you’ll even find new jewelry and bags by local brands.
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LoveDay 41 – 3306 31st Ave, Queens, NY 11106
Astoria Bookshop
Lexi Beach and Connie Rourke opened the quaint, indie, Astoria Bookshop in 2013. The cozy space features a carefully curated yet diverse selection of fiction & nonfiction for readers of all ages. Keep an eye out for their staff picks marked with handwritten oak tags.
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Astoria Bookshop – 31-29 31st St, Astoria, NY 11106
?North Williamsburg
Rush Hour CookiesNCream Cafe
This colorful cookie cafe opened by two friends features the decadent Duchess Cookies which are filled with a multitude of different flavors. They have expanded to two locations in both Brooklyn and Queens and customers rave about the diverse selection and vibrant ambiance. Don’t forget to shoot your shot at their indoor basketball hoop for your chance to win a free cookie with your purchase of 6.
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Rush Hour CookiesNCream Cafe – 234 Kent Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Artists & Fleas
Their flagship location inside a former Williamsburg warehouse has become a vital destination for shoppers looking for unique products. Each weekend they have 45+ individual sellers showcasing their creations. Artists & Fleas is the perfect place to discover what’s new and exciting in fashion, vintage, art, design and more.
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Artists & Fleas – 70 N 7th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Parachute Brooklyn
Co-founders Carly Boonparn & Ambra Markos had a goal to promote sustainability and combat fashion waste, so they opened Parachute Brooklyn which serves as a clothing exchange store for kids. Parachute Brooklyn operates on a buy/sell/trade model with a variety of lightly used modern and vintage clothes dating back as far as the 1950s.
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Parachute Brooklyn – 151 Norman Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222
?Battery Park City
Chambers Street Wines
Chambers Street Wines is a small wine shop known for its wide selection of rare natural & small batch vintages. Chambers has “sampler cases” of wine where you can try a case of six or twelve wines of the same type but from different regions. It would be the perfect stop before an upcoming holiday party.
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Chambers Street Wines – 148 Chambers St A, New York, NY 10007
?Atlantic Ave
Books are Magic
After their local bookstore closed, Emma Straub and Michael Fusco-Straub opened Books Are Magic in Cobble Hill. This independent bookstore features a wide variety of titles, book subscription services, and a magical area catered to kids.
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Books are Magic – 225 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
?St. George
Hart Candles
Matthew Salvatore started Hart candles with his mom, Lisa, and his wife, Kristina. On November 6th, they opened their first brick & mortar shop at the Empire Outlets. They have three collections, including Reflections which features eight scents guaranteed to have you dreaming of the holidays.
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Hart Candles – Empire Outlets
Vanity House Designs
Kurt Alger, a theatrical Costume and Wig designer, started Vanity House Designs during the pandemic to keep himself afloat. The store offers unique gifts, stationery, souvenirs and home decor collections. Originally Vanity Home Designs was just an online enterprise, but they opened their own store at the Empire Outlets in June.
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