If you need to buy gifts this holiday season, you might consider spending your dollars on Small Business Saturday.
New Yorkers are encouraged to shop at mom-and-pop stores in their neighborhoods on the biggest shopping weekend of the year — which kicks off with Black Friday at chain stores — in order to support businesses that make up their communities.
► See DNAinfo Partners' Neighborhood Picks in the 2016 Holiday Guide
To jump to your borough here: ► MANHATTAN ► QUEENS ► BROOKLYN ► THE BRONX ► STATEN ISLAND
MANHATTAN
To alleviate some of the stress the shopping season brings, DNAinfo New York has rounded up small business shopping districts in Manhattan so you can keep your spending close to home this year.
► West Street to Church Street, and Barclay Street to Canal Street, TriBeCa
Book lovers can check out The Mysterious Book Shop, a 34-year-old book store that specializes in new and used mystery books. If you're in the market for children's clothes, head to Babesta Threads for the hip baby, toddler and kid in your life. You can top off your shopping excursion with cakes, cookies, cupcakes and other treats from Tribeca Treats.
► East Ninth Street, between Second Avenue and Avenue A, East Village
If you're looking for housewares like tapestries and bedspreads, try Katinka for home goods such as tapestries and bedspreads, Local Clothing for vintage clothes, Meg for women’s wear, and Verameat for jewelry.
► From Crosby Street to Bowery, between Spring and Houston streets, NoLIta
This stretch of shops is packed with clothing, jewelry and homewares options including McNally Jackson Prints, INA, UNIS, Supreme, Aesop, Dinosaur Designs and Rachel Comey. You can also pick up gifts for the cycling enthusiast in your life at Bicycle Habitat.
► Ninth and 10th avenues, between West 18th and West 22nd streets, Chelsea La Bergamote Market stocks imported French products, while Masion 140 down the block is the place to go for home goods. Those shopping for book lovers of all ages can head to 192 Books, and My Little Sunshine specializes in children’s clothing and toys.
► Third Avenue, between 32nd and 36th streets, Murray Hill
Hit Pookie & Sebastian, a women's clothing and housewares boutique, for a holiday outfit. Other stores in the area include Linda’s Bra Salon, John Hill Music and Decor Art Gallery.
► Columbus Avenue, between West 70th and West 80th streets, Upper West Side
Shop for imported pottery from la Terrine, the perfect holiday dress at A Tempo, a warm colorful sweater at Peruvian Collection, and books, toys and stocking stuffers at Book Culture.
► Lexington Avenue, between East 70th and East 82nd streets, Upper East Side
This section of Lexington Avenue has a slew of smaller stores including home store Creel and Gow, Italian chocolatier Filicori Zecchini, consignment shops 2nd Time Around and A Second Chance Designer Resale, and others like Pets on Lex, Mary Arnold Toys, which is the oldest toy shop on the Upper East Side, a gift shop called Venture, a wine store called Bottle & Soul, and a maternity shop, Yummy Mummy.
► 125th Street, between Madison and Morningside avenues, Central Harlem
The bustling 125th Street corridor in Harlem is packed with local shops and restaurants. Across several, long, spacious blocks there are local fabric shops, nail salons and discount shops. There’s also Dr. Jay’s and Ballers, where locals shop for the latest fashions. To eat, the iconic Sylvia’s, Red Rooster and Harlem Shake are nearby, among others. There are also a plethora street vendors offering sweet deals as well. Don’t forget to stop in the gift shop of the iconic Apollo Theater.
► West 181st Street, between Cabrini Boulevard and Broadway, Washington Heights
If you're in holiday prep mode, you can pick up drinks at Cabrini Wine and Liquors, go to Ivette’s Beauty Palace to get your hair done, and then head to Ulloa Photo and Video Center for holiday photo shoots. Round out your big day of holiday errands with at Uptown’s first ramen shop, Tampopo Ramen.
► Broadway and Post Avenue at West 207th Street, Inwood
There are several blocks of shopping in Inwood with Dichter Pharmacy for medications, food and holiday gifts. You can wrap up Saturday with baked treats at Bizcocho de Colores or a bite to eat at Inwood Local Bar.
QUEENS
To alleviate some of the stress the shopping season brings, DNAinfo New York has rounded up small business shopping districts in Queens so you can keep your spending close to home this year.
► Queens Boulevard and Greenpoint Avenue, Sunnyside
Stop by Bliss Plaza at Queens Boulevard and 46th Street from 12 to 1 p.m. to kick off Small Business Saturday with the Sunnyside Shines BID, which will be handing out holiday shopping “passports,” with deals at 19 neighborhood businesses. Shoppers who get their passports stamped at three of the participating shops by Dec. 23 will be entered to win cash prizes. Stores in this area include Metro Sports, Sunnyside Florist, Kyichu Tibetan Handicrafts and Wespaw Pets.
► 37th Avenue, Jackson Heights
Over a 10 block stretch you’ll find Lockwood, Pauglina and Inner Peace — all stores stocked with home goods, candles, baby and kid items and much, much more. There are plenty of locally-made gifts as well.
► Austin Street, between Ascan Avenue and 69th Road, Forest Hills
Check out men’s fashions at Dmitry Ties and Anthony Men’s Shop, shop for unique jewelry and home decor products at Soleil and browse designer handbags at Bagriculture. The Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce will be distributing flyers with discounts offered by local stores, and will also promote local shops during its Celebrate Winter festival scheduled for Monday, Nov. 28.
BROOKLYN
To alleviate some of the stress the shopping season brings, DNAinfo New York has rounded up small business shopping districts in Brooklyn so you can keep your spending close to home this year.
► Grand Street Business Improvement District, Grand Street, Williamsburg and East Williamsburg
Pick up gifts for the kids at Kingdom Toys and Gifts, specialty coffees at Porto Rico Importing Co., hip garb at Raggedy Threads and an assorted outdoor gear at Stingray Divers which specializes in paintball and scuba gear. Post selfies of yourself on Instagram with the hashtags #LifeisGrand or #ShopSmall on Small business Saturday and you could win a $50 gift certificate.
► Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg
Stock up on handcrafted jewelry at Catbird, vintage threads at Awoke Vintage, chic clothing from designer In God We Trust, and posh undergarments at Brooklyn Fox Lingerie, among dozens of other small businesses along Bedford.
► Jefferson, Morgan Stops East Williamsburg and Bushwick
Find one-of-a-kind vintage goods at any one of the handful of shops like Beacon’s Closet, Le Point Value Thrift, L Train Vintage and Urban Jungle, crafting supplies at Brooklyn Yarn Cafe, treats for your pets at Bushwick Bark, or mystic and magical gifts at Catland.
► Knickerbocker Avenue, Bushwick
Find gifts for the whole family from specialty meats and cheeses at Foster Sundry, Italian baked goods at Circo’s Pastry Shop, vintage wares at Chess and the Sphinx, records and comics at Vinyl Fantasy and shoes and clothing at Jimmy Jazz.
► Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint
Select choice vintage wares at Fox and Fawn or nearby Beacon’s Closet, house plants and flowers at Greenpoint Floral Co., or outdoor gear and other staples at Cato’s Army and Navy.
► Court Street, between Atlantic Avenue and West Ninth Street, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens
Get your holiday party invitations printed at Papel New York, pick up books at BookCourt, or shop for the audiophile in your life at Black Gold Records. Pink Pepper Boutique and Yesterday’s News are also notable stores in the area.
► Smith Street, between Atlantic Avenue and Second Place, Boreum Hill
Stock up on cheese at Stinky Bklyn and then head to Smith & Vine to pair wine with it. You can also hit up Paper Source, Modern Anthology, and Mongo.
► Fulton Street, between Ashland Place and Classon Avenue, Fort Greene and Clinton Hill
Shop for bookworms at Greenlight Bookstore, snag some new wheels at Fulton Bikes, or buy unique African threads at Moshood Creations. And when you need a break from shopping, stop in for a snack and a warm drink at places like the Greene Grape Annex or the Good Batch.
► Myrtle Avenue, between Flatbush Ave. Ext. and Kent Ave., Fort Greene and Clinton Hill
Dress up with stylish menswear from Leisure Life NYC or jewelry and accessories from Jill Lindsay, buy a bottle or two of vino from places like Gnarly Vines, Tipsy or Corkscrew Wines, or shop for eco-friendly home goods at Green in Bklyn.
► North Flatbush, from Atlantic Avenue to Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Heights and Park Slope
The North Flatbush BID organizers this strip of shops that includes Kith, New York Chess and Game Shop, Hooti Couture, Bklyn Larder and Pup Slope.
► Parkside Empire, Flatbush Avenue from Empire Boulevard to Parkside Avenue, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens Community Board 9 is hosting its “Shop Local CB9” campaign again this year to get people doing their holiday shopping close to home. A few of the stores featured in this stretch of shops include Play Kids, Phat Albert’s Warehouse, Drink Wine and Spirits, Bike Life, Feraille Botanica and Pillow Talk Lingerie.
► Washington Avenue, between Atlantic Avenue and Eastern Parkway, Prospect Heights and Crown Heights
Outfit your dog at Pooch Purrfect or do some indoor gardening courtesy of Natty Garden. This stretch of Washington Avenue also includes Brooklyn Flavors, Riverdel vegan cheese shop, Planet Cute, The Winey Neighbor, Nu Wave Kultural Kreations, BCakeNY, and Chrysanthemums.
► Fifth Avenue, between Dean Street and 18th Street, Park Slope The Park Slope Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District goes big on Small Business Saturday with a tree lighting, live music and other activities. Shop for women’s clothes at Bird, Diana Kane, and Flirt or browse home decor products at Items of Interest or Duman Home.
► Seventh Avenue, between Flatbush Avenue and 15th Street, Park Slope
Check out women’s fashions at Kiwi, Blok Hill, and Otto, the store where New York City First Lady Chirlane McCray does a lot of her shopping. Shop for used and new CDs at Music Matters and home decor items at Lucky Rubber Ducky, the new store that’s an expansion of longtime local shop Tarzian West.
► Marcus Garvey Boulevard, Bedford-Stuyvesant
Stop by Bohaus Coffee & Flowers, one of the latest additions to the Marcus Garvey commercial corridor, for bouquets, or add to your wardrobe with some vintage pieces from designer boutique Shirley + Alice. Check out original artwork at Richard Beavers Gallery or relax at And Yoga Studios.
► Tompkins Avenue, Bedford-Stuyvesant
Shop for unique gifts at Calabar Imports, which features an eclectic mix of clothing, accessories, jewelry, and home decor. Other shops along the avenue include Sincerely Tommy, The Bush Doctor Juice Bar, The Meat Market and Tumbleweed.
► Nostrand Avenue, Bedford-Stuyvesant
There's something for everyone on your list to find on Nostrand Avenue, whether it's curated, vintage goods at Installation Brooklyn, craft supplies at Slip Stitch Needlecraft, or gifts and home goods at peace & RIOT. Check out other participating shops, including Ms. Dahlia's Cafe, Sabine's Hallway and The Corners.
THE BRONX
To alleviate some of the stress the shopping season brings, DNAinfo New York has rounded up small business shopping districts in The Bronx so you can keep your spending close to home this year.
► Bruckner Boulevard, Port Morris
Stop in to South Bronx designer Jerome LaMaar's 9J studio, pick up flowers from Verde Flowers, or shop for your home at Alexander Antique Shop.
STATEN ISLAND
To alleviate some of the stress the shopping season brings, DNAinfo New York has rounded up small business shopping districts in Staten Island so you can keep your spending close to home this year.
► Forest and Castleton avenues, West Brighton
Show off your borough pride with Richmond Hood Co., a clothing and skate shop that has its own line of Staten Island-centric clothes, along with stores like Gifted, The Country Mouse, Suzanne’s Fashion Corner, Ltd., Wicked Stitches and Golden Chest Consignment.
This column was compiled by DNAinfo reporters Irene Plagianos, Emily Frost, Maya Rajamani, Carolina Pichardo, Allegra Hobbs, Dartunorro Clark, Danielle Tcholakian, Shaye Weaver, Noah Hurowitz, Katie Honan, Jeanmarie Evelly, Ewa Kern-Jedrychoswka, Alexandra Leon, Leslie Albrecht, Gwynne Hogan, Rachel Holliday Smith, Eddie Small, Nicholas Rizzi and Camille Bautista.
