Finlay L.
Yelp
I had no idea this place was affiliated with New York Adorned, but it's funny that it is, because one of the reasons it caught my eye was that it reminded me of my piercing place, where I was actually on my way to get a pair of earrings as a gift.
The store was HOT when I went in, as in no air conditioning, and I told myself I would only take a quick look and then leave. But instead the store practically sucked me in; I found that I simply had to look into every case and examine all the cool jewelry and home decor items. That's a good sign, right?
Whoever buys for this store has a great eye, because I want everything they have in my house. My fantasy house, that is, in which my taste is a lot cooler than it really is. Hand painted porcelain skulls, masonic knick-knacks, vintage textiles from Africa, along with lots of handmade designer jewelry for a range of tastes from edgy to more subtle. They also have a good selection of more traditional gift items like soaps and other housewares, very well curated so they seem to go along with the look and feel of the more signature items. The prices fall in a wide range as well; if you're looking for handmade ceramic garland to wow your visitors, that will run you a few thousand, but you can find something cool on a tighter budget, too.
Anything there would have made a great gift, but since I was shopping for my mom I decided on an Etsy-flavored stamped coffee spoon (the woman in front of me in line also got one). The fellow next to me had come in to browse and found that a scrimshawed money clip called out to him. "I never thought of myself as the kind of person who'd buy a money clip," he said, "but I guess it's up to me to bring them back."
Meanwhile, if the Yelp rumors are true and Colby is piercing here sometimes, I can go ahead and recommend his services as well. I'm needle-phobic but I've seen him about 5 times and he's the best!