SoHo, New York Shopping; SoHo, New York Stores

Amarcord

If it's true that European fashions are a step or three ahead of their American counterparts, then wouldn't European vintage be superior to the American variety as well? Amarcord proves the postulate correct. The vintage clothing store gathers its striking selection via regular scouting trips to Europe. The result is an unparalleled...

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Amaridian

It's a fair bet that most of wont get to visit Africa in our lifetime, but that doesn't mean we can't get a taste of immense cultural richness of the continent. Enter Amaridian, conceived by a native South African and featuring the best in contemporary African art and craftsmanship. The selection is as diverse as the continent,...

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A.P.C.

With charming, wide-plank flooring underneath and a hip soundtrack in the air A.P.C.'s SoHo shop--the first in the US--is a pleasant introduction to hip basics, French style. A.P.C. takes some of the best traits of French style and distills them for a worldwide audience. While taking dalliances into the trends of the times, whether they be...

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BDDW

While most companies use SoHo to build massive self-aggrandizing temples, BDDW, a small furniture company out of Brooklyn, built out a space that's more organic than ego-centric. It is none the less a place to worship beautiful wood and craftsmanship that counts restraint among its most important tools. The vast space holds a full...

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Blue in Green

The typical Blue in Green customer will not only care a particular pair of jeans are blue but also what sort of indigo dye was used, what type of loom the fabric was woven on and what weight fabric was produced. The denim specialist won't carry the denim brands that American magazines typically cover but instead focuses on the product of...

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Clientele

The sanitary white backdrop of Clientele is appropriate surrounding for the oh-so-not-white sneakers on display. Gawk at the latest hard-to-find releases from Nike and associates.

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Clio

Too many people spend considerable time, effort and money buying nice, stylish shoes and clothing and then completely forget what style means when it comes to outfitting their homes. Clio serves up healthy doses of home stylishness, for prices that will not require you to take out a second mortgage. The store specializes in tableware and...

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De La Espada

De La Espada's process is a simple one really. They take brilliant black walnut and white oak from sustainable forests in the US and turn them into modern furniture pieces using traditional craftsmanship methods at a workshop in Spain. These sleek, substantial pieces honor the superior materials and expert craftsmen that begot them.

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Desiron

There's modern furniture of plastic-cast, ply-curved, oddly-shaped, color-splashed variety, and then there's the stuff of heavy woods, neutral tones, and grand scale. If a fan of the later, look no further than Desiron. This is modern furniture for grown-ups. Tables go on for miles and are made from slabs of walnut, ash or oak. Beds...

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De Vera

Gawking at De Vera's amazing collection seems oddly like browsing artifacts at a museum. The dramatic store, a narrow space with massive paned windows, holds a collection of De Vera's exquisite jewelry designs alongside new and antique craftwork from around the world. De Vera's jewelry designs are worldly, incorporating a variety...

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Evolution

New Yorkers are used to rapid change like neighborhood property values, but Evolution catalogs change of a more gradual nature. The one-of-a-kind shop collects (animal and human) bones, bugs, anatomical models, medical texts and other paraphernalia related to this great big dance called life.

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Flying A

Looking to mix and match new and vintage clothing in your wardrobe? Flying A does most the hard work for you. The clothing store stocks a large collection of reasonably priced clothing for the casual, laid-back set. The new clothing is your typical casual fare. The vintage stock is definitely worth a look. Witness all the elements of a casual...

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Global Table

We think Global Table should become the "Official Tableware Supplier of the Olympics". What other store carries rustic American plates, elegant Japanese sushi dishes, sexy Italian espresso cups, stylish Chinese bamboo placemats and Vietnamese noodle bowls all under the same roof. The store is stacked high and tight with plates,...

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Henrybuilt

Henry probably didn't make your new table, but Scott or another craftsman probably did. Name after founder Scott Hudson's grandfather, Hernybuilt hand builds furniture and kitchen cabinetry in its own workshop. The woodwork has a simple, modern aesthetic, but is by no means cold or aloof. Whether picking a walnut dining room table...

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Housing Works Used Books Cafe

A used book store where all the books are donated and the proceeds go to charity, Housing Works Used Books Café is more posh than most for-profit book stores we've seen. Beautifully paneled in rich wood, the store carries thousands upon thousands of used books ranging from gently used new fiction to true antiquities. The titles are very...

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IF Boutique

There's something delightfully old-school about IF. The SoHo stalwart carries an unparalleled collection of avant-garde clothing for men and women, from our favorite Japanese and Belgium designers. And that's pretty much it. No PR and not too many press mentions. No online shopping, heck not even a website.

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In God We Trust

A good way to inspire creativity is to surround yourself with creative objects. In God We Trust owner and designer Shana Tabor does just that by bringing in handmade, undeniably creative clothing lines from a series tiny labels. To this Tabor adds her line of charm jewelry and clothing. The whole store as well as the clothing and accessories...

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Jean Shop

There's something to be said for going to the source. With designers coming out of the woodworks to present their interpretation of distressed jeans to sell to consumers for an ungodly sum, Jean Shop offers a more hands-on approach. Walk in, pick from a few of the shop's own jeans for men and women, made from premium Japanese denim....

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Kidrobot

To call Kidrobot just a toy store would be like calling Barneys just a department store. The cool, quirky store was a pioneer in selling designer toys. These vinyl, plush and plastic toys are designed by (primarily Asian) artists and often manufactured in very limited editions. They're intricate, creative and often rather strange toys the...

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Kiki de Montparnasse

Imagine that, someone actually managed to create a sex shop that's actually sexy (and not gross or creepy). Kiki de Montparnasse does have some rather sleek "instruments of pleasure" but they're really more of a sex lifestyle store. For starters they have their own line of lingerie and loungewear, massage and body oils and...

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Kiosk

In the age of container mega-ships and overnight cargo that any interesting product from one corner of the world is not available everywhere else is surprising. But that's just the case for any number of products from mundane household items to handmade, decorative objects and it has become Kiosk's adopted mission to seek out and sell...

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Kirna Zabete

Finally, a store that completely looks the part of a big city boutique. A massive loft space, super-modern furnishings, a Lucite roof, candy red stair rails--Kirna Zabete is a epitome of a hip city boutique. Oh yes, the merchandise? It lives up to its high-concept surroundings. Avant-garde designs abound--a vibrant collection of girly...

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Legacy

Looking at fashions of yesteryear there's no shortage of pieces and trends to be embarrassed about. Think polyester dresses with orange flower prints, hot pink leg warmers and military style suits with shoulder pads. In Legacy, you'll see a fashion past to be proud of. Mod designs are printed on high-end jackets and slinky silk...

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Matter

In it's Manhattan incarnation (the original shopping being Brooklyn bred), Matter has grown up without forgetting where it came from. Exemplary design is the tie that binds the stores offerings. On one side sits a row of display cases holding beautiful, intricate jewelry from designers you've haven't heard of yet. On the other is...

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Modern Stone Age

In this modern world of wooden floors and furniture and stainless steel everything else, stone has gotten a raw deal. Freed from the injustice of a kitchen counter only existence, Modern Stone Age makes a strong case for the use of stone throughout our homes. There are small items like lamps, vases, fountains, picture frames and even slate...

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MoMa Store

It makes sense that best modern museum in the country has the best museum store as well. The MoMa Store has taken the idea of a museum store to another level, augmenting the usual books and design objects found at every other museum store with exclusive to MoMa design work, a rotating selection of design items focusing on a particular locality...

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Moss

More museum of industrial design than design store, Moss displays its collection of exquisite modernist home accessories like artwork. The long, bright, sanitary space has several rows of products for customers to snake through, each accompanied by a note listing the designer and country of origin. Among the items are toasters, toothbrush...

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Odin

For the type of man that's not content to wear whatever T-shirt and jean that's around, the type that wants every aspect of their wardrobe to be distinctive without appearing like they're trying too hard, Odin is a must-stop. Clothing is casual and edgy. Button-down shirts come in interesting fabric blends, hip cuts, or elegant...

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Opening Ceremony

When we think clothing boutique and New York a store like Opening Ceremony is what we have in mind. The store is hip and worldy, avant-garde but approachable, artful and industrial. The large, long space, complete with a loft area contains a collection of hip, chic clothing the likes of which you're not going to see very often. The...

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Pearl River

Why go to Chinatown, when Chinatown comes to you? Pearl River, in its cavernous SoHo space, is a huge collection of all things Chinese. The multi-leveled store carries cookware, home accessories, furniture, paper goods, shoes, clothing, specialty food items, and much, much more. Throwing a party? The store has lots of party supplies and...

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Peter Hermann

Reader Suggested: Peter Hermann has been selling Mandarina Duck for the last 21 years. This store is still one of the best shops to find a wide selection of their products in the US. Peter Hermann is also a great place to find other harder to find brands like Orla Kiely from London, Jamin Puech from Paris, Renaud Pellegrino from Paris,...

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Posteritati

Hanging movie posters on the wall can be rather, how shall we say, dorm-esque. Sure there's the gangster rapper Scarface exemption, but otherwise it's hard to be over the age of 25 and decorate your house with movie posters. Posteritati makes it okay again. The store offers original, rare and foreign movie posters that say...

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Property

At Property, the love for modern furniture runs deep. The boxiest of tables sits next to the curviest of chairs, the most playful coffee tables commiserates with the most serious of sofas. The most whimsical of chandelier hangs over the simplest of beds. The tie that binds all these pieces is they're modern, or rather different...

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Seasons International

In New York, there are 84,000 places to eat Japanese food, a few dozen places to buy Japanese clothes, maybe 2 or 3 place to buy Japanese toys and thanks to Seasons International at least one place to buy Japanese antiques and home crafts. The full breadth of Japanese craftsmanship is available in the humble space, antique furniture to paper...

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Selima Optique

Selima Optique is every bit as sassy and sophisticated as it sounds. The stars of the show are Selima's own line of frames. Their signature is a large plastic, two-tone number that screams starlet. But they also do gleaming, classic aviators and classic metal frames. Alongside are an impressive collection of frames and sunglasses from...

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Seven

Seven has an uncanny ability to find designers that march to the beat of their own drum. From Belgium and Japan, Germany and New York, they find creations that pay little attention to the trends and looks of the season. Some pieces scream: white nylons with a green stripe or a sweater dress knit to resemble a giant box of fries. Other pieces...

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Silver Lining Opticians

Reader Suggested: The shop offers a selection of over 6,000 vintage frames and 500 one-of-a-kind pieces, such as Christian Dior, Balenciaga, Persol, Carrera, and Ray-Ban from a compilation built for seven years by co-owner, Jordan Silver. Silver Lining Opticians also carries a handful of small, international niche lines; all hand-crafted...

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Taschen

Begun as a humble comic book store, Taschen has become an unrivaled publisher and seller or art and design books. Taschen's lavishly illustrated titles display a blatant disregard for how much the final product will cost and that's what makes them such worthy indulgences.

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What Comes Around Goes Around

You've the rest, now see the best. What Comes Around Goes Around is vintage clothing shop executed to perfection. The huge Western themed shop carries a comprehensive collection of vintage that changes depending on what's in-style and in-season. Men get classic denim jeans and jackets, Western boots, cords, perfectly worn vintage...

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Zakka

Zakka is a one of a kind shop and gallery, collecting design books from many different design disciplines. Furthermore it keeps an office Japan and thus is in tune with what's happening in Japanese design and subculture. The result is a unique, worldly space where one can learn about myriad popular and obscure design subjects. Pick up a...

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Amarcord

Amaridian

A.P.C.

BDDW

Blue in Green

Clientele

Clio

De La Espada

Desiron

De Vera

Evolution

Flying A

Global Table

Henrybuilt

Housing Works Used Books Cafe

IF Boutique

In God We Trust

Jean Shop

Kidrobot

Kiki de Montparnasse

Kiosk

Kirna Zabete

Legacy

Matter

Modern Stone Age

MoMa Store

Moss

Odin

Opening Ceremony

Pearl River

Peter Hermann

Posteritati

Property

Seasons International

Selima Optique

Seven

Silver Lining Opticians

Taschen

What Comes Around Goes Around

Zakka

Elsewhere

Sites

Blogs