AIR MAIL

Whenever I visit NYC, I am guaranteed great coffee and hospitality when I visit Air Mail. I don’t know why it’s hard to find quality artisan coffee in NYC, but Air Mail does coffee justice. They use quality beans and know the right grind to make the crème strength I’m used to having in the Bay Area. My biggest find is the Rose Tea Misto. They added this beautiful light floral drink with milk and rose petals to the menu two weeks ago after Bartos perfected it! It is beyond unforgettable. Ella was also amazing as she replicated the same drink as we talked about our connection to jazz. I can still smell and taste its tranquility. I highly recommend it if you are looking to treat a mom, friend or a +1. It works for any occasion. The hospitality matches the aesthetic of the cafe, store and newsstand. The people are kind, curious, creative, friendly and professional. They are as genuine and exquisite as the novelty gifts that range from affordable to luxury. I especially love the literature throughout the store including all the banned books. It’s not surprising that this place exudes the same feelings you get from reading former Vanity Fair editor, Graydon Carter’s memoir. This place is special. It’s become my happy place and had to stop by before leaving NYC to give Rory a hug. For anyone that lives or finds themselves in the West Village, they are lucky to have such a warm and welcoming place like Air Mail. I miss it already and can’t wait for my next visit.

It’s a beautiful small shop / cafe with a variety of gifts for every price-point. I was telling the staff it’s nice to see a gift shop that isn’t centered around “slop”. Everyone is so sweet and knowledgeable. Highly recommend if you have some time to kill in the village, even if you’re only buying something for yourself.

My husband and I stopped by here on a Sunday afternoon in early September on our way to lunch down the street. We were very impressed with the unique and lovely products curated in this store. The products are certainly not cheap, but well presented and unique. The store overall is gorgeous as is the patio/courtyard area. In addition to the cool products they sell, they also have a coffee bar as well as baked goods from Bread Story which are amazing. The best feature of this place though was the attitude of the staff. The Manager of the store was lovely beyond a level of any normal expectations. I hope the owner is compensating these people very well as they are doing the right stuff. I can’t wait to go back to this store and bring others with me!

Great place for unique findings and gifts, have a good cup of coffee and read some books or get your self a nice glass of wine and chips. Recommend

The first thing you will notice about this small shop is how beautifully curated it is. Everything has been art-directed before being placed on a shelf. The second thing you will learn is that Greyton Carter, the long-time Editor-in-Chief of Vanity Fair, founded the shop, which makes enormous sense. Air Mail is not just a shop but also a media brand, which, according to their site, focuses on "subjects both foreign and domestic—ranging from politics and the environment to art and literature, style and fashion, and high-end crime and beyond—by some of the world's finest journalists". As you start to wander around, you can't help but notice that all of the items in the shop are either beautifully designed, nostalgic travel memorabilia, or intellectual fodder. At the entrance to the shop is a magazine rack lacking any of the names you know (except maybe Monocole, which is ironically similar in its mission), and no, Vanity Fair was not visible. There are fashion and travel magazines, political publications, and a few yachting magazines. The adjacent seating area is very carefully designed and inviting, but be mindful that everything is for sale, including the chair, the coffee table, and the wool blanket draped over the chair, so ask before you plop down. The shop has several sections, including travel accessories, bath items, health and wellness, a coffee bar, and a book shop. You will likely want to own everything in the shop, so bring your Platinum Amex. The shop projects this lifestyle without being pretentious—upscale and fabulous is a better phrase. We walked in only to have a peek and ended up ordering a coffee and chatting with Sonny, the charismatic manager, who was happy to share the back story of any item in the shop. I suspect you will have a similar experience. The shop is an homage to travel and perhaps to a time when travel was glamorous, and people got dressed up to get on a plane and were allowed to keep their shoes on.

Such a warm and welcoming store!! The ambience is delightful and the customer service is a beautiful experience in itself. This is my go to spot for the yummiest coffee, the friendliest staff and amazing music. You have to swing by 🤗 their curated selection of items is so thoughtful and adorable!!!

It’s a well-curated gift shop featuring books and magazines, where you can also enjoy wine and coffee. I love this place.

Love this store, full of great selection of gifts and the staff is super welcoming!