Shop Local Boutiques-Explore New York City

New York City also known as The Empire City: derived from George Washington in the alleged quote "Surely this is the seat of the empire!" is known for its fabulous food, shopping, and endless things to do. Within the five boroughs, there are hundreds of exceptional vintage specialty and boutique shops to explore. Here are NYC’s top ten unique shops and boutiques.

Amarcord Vintage Fashion

Shop, Store

Amarcord Vintage Fashion is one of New York’s premiere destinations for high-end vintage clothing. With locations in SoHo and Williamsburg, Amarcord Vintage Fashion brings classic vintage pieces back to life by choosing currently trending items from its storage showroom to put in the stores. In addition to collectible brands such as Gucci, Fendi, Pucci, Prada, Versace, Missoni, Valentino, Ferré, Krizia, Roberta di Camerino, other upscale labels including MaxMara, Romeo Gigli, Trussardi, Basile, Byblos, Complice, and funky designers like Fiorucci and Touche, are also featured in Amarcord’s Soho boutique and on the Company’s various online venues.

This ensures that whatever a customer walks out of the store with will be a classic item that fits into modern context. Amarcord Vintage Fashion boasts upscale clothing pieces from Alexander McQueen, Dior, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Versace. Its magnificent display looks nothing like a typical vintage store and is pleasant to stroll thorough if you cannot bring yourself to purchase a pricey item.

Location:

WILLIAMSBURG BOUTIQUE

223 BEDFORD AVENUE

(between N 4th St. & N 5th St.)

BROOKLYN, NY 11211

(718) 963-4001

Hours: 

12PM - 7PM

Tuesday - Sunday

Story

Shop, Store

Story, located in Chelsea, is a shop that changes its inventory every four to eight weeks so that each cycle focuses on a new theme, trend, or issue. Story’s concept is to take the “point of view of a magazine, change like a gallery, and sell things like a store.”  A different type of store where for example, you could take a yoga class and discover the best water bottle from a small business in Brooklyn. They called it STORY, and unlike most stores, they changed every couple months to bring to life a new editorial theme. One month they were obsessed with all things Color and the next, they completely changed their merchandise, design and events programming to tell a Love STORY. Some other examples of past stories include Remember When, Wellness, and Home for the Holidays. Over the span of seven years, STORY changed over 40 times, worked with over 5000 different small businesses, hosted more than 500 events from book panels to trunkshow by Iris Apfel, and laughed more times than anyone can count.

This idea makes for one of the most fun shopping experiences out there. This store is the perfect place to find a holiday or birthday gift. Story has also recently merged with the MACY's stores as a support to local businesses. When stopping by, plan to spend least an hour to stroll through and look at each room.

Location:

STORY at

Macy's Herald Square

151 West 34th Street

New York, NY 10001

212-695-4400

Hours: 

11AM - 9PM

Monday - Sunday

The Vintage Twin

Shop, Store

Co-founders and twin sisters, Morgan and Samantha Elias started TVT where all great brands are born, in mom’s basement. They sold out of their vintage tee collection on the first day and it was pretty clear that they were onto something. The Vintage Twin was officially born in August, 2009.The Vintage Twin, located in SoHo, is disguised as another ordinary upscale store in the area. In reality, it is a pop-up vintage shop run by a set of twins with a meaningful message. Twins Morgan and Samantha Elias search for vintage ‘treasures’ that have been thrown or given away. The handpicked items are professionally cleaned and reworked to create one-of-a-kind items to be sold in the store or online. If everyone bought ONE used item instead of a new item this year it would be the equivalent of taking 500,000 cars off the road. This chic company is unique because 10% of its proceeds go to charity, it lessens the demand for mass-produced goods, and no two people can walk out with the same item.

Location:

543 Broadway

NY NY 10012

(844) 746-7888

Hours: 

12PM - 7PM

Monday - Sunday

Cloak and Dagger

Shop, Store

Brookelynn Starnes is the creative force driving NYC's intellectually provocative Cloak & Dagger label. Cloak & Dagger was launched in 2006; due to the designer's frustrations with the direction the fashion industry was taking. Cloak & Dagger's inventive juxtopositioning of intimate detailing, self designed patterns and luxury fabrics is a clear byproduct of the "eagle eye" Starnes developed in her many years styling for the top houses in fashion (among them Valentino, Prada and Zac Posen) and for some of Hollywood's most forward starlets. The clear sense of tailoring and style she developed along the way, with its romantic and vintage aesthetics, immediately caught the eye of editors and buyers, and virtually overnight the line became a critical and commercial darling. Cloak & Dagger has been featured in top publications since its inception: Vogue, Elle, The Wall Street Journal and New York Magazine. Barneys NY snapped up the complete 2nd season and has been a loyalist ever since. 

brand, while continuing to enjoy success stateside, is now truly an international presence, carried by the top stores in Japan, the Middle East and Europe. In the summer of 2009 Cloak & Dagger also opened its first freestanding store, in NYC's trendy East Village. While the collection is still available in boutiques

Location:

334 E 9th St,

New York, NY 10003

Hours: 

12PM - 7PM

Monday - Sunday

Bird

Building, Store

Bird began the boutique movement in Brooklyn in 1999 and has been featured in major press forums from New York Magazine to The New York Times since its opening. Before they mend a garment – it is important to meet the customer, ideally in person, to get to know the owner and make a mend that is sensitive to them. This physical examination provides a lot of tactile information about the damage and what is possible with repair. They then discuss how the damage to their garment has been caused, the history of the garment, how they wore their garment and why they want to get it mended. Together they will discuss options for repair, color and yarn choices to jointly agree what the repair will look like.

Bird has three locations, all of which are in Brooklyn. Bird maintained strict sustainability standards while building, which led to LEED-CI Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The shops carry menswear and women’s wear clothing and accessories from famous designers such as Alex Mill and Acne Studios. The spacious store is a rare find among NYC boutiques and has a sleek, cool feeling despite the exposed brick walls.

Location:

203 Grand St, 

Brooklyn, NY 11211

 (718) 388-1655

Hours:

12PM - 7PM

Monday - Sunday

Warm

Shop

Warm is a shop run by a couple who aim to bring their customers’ attention to uncommon designers. Warm is for the urban hippies who long for a warm, comforting place to go when the cold winter comes along. The year-round selection of swimsuits and beach clothing will make you feel like you are on a tropical beach even when there is a blizzard outside. The clothes, accessories, home décor, and children’s clothing will give you a ‘French girl in Southern California’ look. Warm NY declares themselves a shop for urban hippies, but it’s really just for anyone whose interests include nature, travel, warm weather, and quality curated goods. The store’s selection is clearly influenced by owners Beattie and Rob Magnotta’s childhoods spent by the beach and in the mountains, and includes items like breezy chiffon dresses, ruffled tops, and blouses, all printed in punchy, tropical prints. They’re pieces that are guaranteed to feel warm, even when the weather isn’t. 

Location:

171 Main St, 

Amagansett, NY 11930

(212) 925-1200

Hours:

10AM - 6PM

Monday - Sunday

Front Street 

Shop, Store

This vintage/lifestyle store is located in DUMBO Brooklyn. The Front Street General Store has a rustic and eclectic vibe and the items that they carry reflect that. Most of the clothing are vintage/deadstock items pulled from various parts of the world, mainly from Japan and France. The price ranges here fluctuate as they’ll carry vintage Levis, vintage Yohji Yamamoto, and vintage Commes Des Garcons.

They also carry accessories such as jewelry, socks, hats, and gloves. In addition, candles, scents and household items are also sold here. It’s a small store with a lot of options and is definitely worth a visit. 

Location:

143 Front St,

Brooklyn, NY 11201

Hours: 

11:30AM - 7:30PM

Monday - Saturday

11AM- 6:30PM 

Sunday

Space Ninety 8- Urban Outfitters

Shop

Space Ninety 8, located in Brooklyn, is a trendy, well-kept secret spin-off of Urban Outfitters. It is a unique shop where you can browse through hand-picked vintage pieces, lounge around on comfy couches, check some records, or eat upstairs at the restaurant and rooftop bar. 

The five-story shared space is the perfect Sunday afternoon activity and can only be found in Williamsburg. Space Ninety 8 will leave you feeling inspired and looking stylish.

Location:

98 N 6th St, 

Brooklyn, NY 11249

(718) 599-0209

Hours:

11AM - 7PM

Monday - Saturday

11AM- 6PM 

Sunday

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