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"NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH" Dear readers, I must admit that Brooklyn was for me
a very much-unexplored territory. Williamsburg?- a few times...Park
Slope?- a few times...Downtown Brooklyn?- one court appearance...&
that's about it! I felt it was long overdue for me to write about the
"Other Borough". For the past year, I've been collecting any
Brooklyn addresses I've seen highlighted in magazines & newspapers.
It only makes sense that Brooklyn has become a boutique Mecca in the
last decade. High rents have driven hipsters out of Manhattan. And these
aforementioned hipsters decided to labor & live in the same area.
Since neighborhoods are not always clearly defined, I felt it would
be easier to arrange my shopping jaunts by subway stops. Also, I rated
1* as OK, 2*'s as very good & 3*'s equaled "I loved it!" |
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"PICK A STOP, PICK A SHOP" ["G" to Fulton St or "A", "C" to Lafayette Ave] * Da Spot 88 Undaground Boutique- 88 So. Portland(between
Fulton & Lafayette St)(718-222-1947)-- Could best be described as
a collective store. It seems like everyone in the shop produces their
own line, except the two cute babies appearing that day. [Their line
is TBA ;) ] Crocheted scarves & accessories can be customized if
one wants. George designs "G4"- leather wrap skirts. Karen
designs "BLUNT TRAUMA"- denim patchwork pieces that can be
custom ordered. & more... ** Carol's Daughter- 1 So. Elliot Place(at DeKalb Ave)(718-596-1862) www.carolsdaughter.com- This holistic corner shop is housed in the same spot where the old Spike Lee retail store (Spike's Joint) once stood. As soon as you enter the shop, you smell scents good enough to drink & eat. This spot is a great alternative to the usual Bath & Bodywork’s chain. Delicious scents as well as body butters, soaps, hair & skin moisturizers of many colors & flavors. [Miss Badu IS a client of this establishment]. * Jacob's Eye- 114 DeKalb Ave(near Ashland Place)-- Small
ethnic-flavored boutique with bamboo walls & Bob Marley playing.
This shop carries cute pieces by brands I've never heard of- some labels
are from Montreal & California. |
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["2" or "3" to Bergen Street] ** Harriet's Alter Ego- 191 Flatbush Ave(between Dean & 5th Ave)(718-783-2074)-- This is another collective store with many lines represented. The designers work in the store in exchange for showing their clothing. Akeem's collection includes screened tees, such as Angela Davis. Orkestrated is the various plastic mod-ish jewelry. This shop will customize tees for regular & larger sizes. They sew on the premises. On the day I was there, I was fortunate enough to have a CELEBRITY SIGHTING! Cutie-pie Mos Def was there with his dimples & husky, sexy voice playing with a small child(daughter? niece?). The salesgirl also stated that Common & Miss Badu are customers as well as other celebs/musicians. |
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* Salvation Army- 239 Flatbush Ave(& Bergen St)-- Small outpost, mostly clothing & accessories * Castor & Pollux- 67 1/2 Sixth Ave(near Flatbush Ave)(718-398-4141)-- This tin-ceilinged shop was named for the mythological figures. The best sellers are items with their store logo, such as tees, hoodies & totes. Limited selection of labels. Overall, the color palette of their apparel looked bland & ho-hum. Their delicate jewelry & colorful bags are worth a look-see. ** RedLipstick- 64 Sixth Ave(between Dean & Bergen)-- This colorful 3-year old shop has hand-knit ponchos by the owner & off-beat pieces from local designers.(Not mass-produced items!) My favorite pieces?- the surreal Schiaparelli-esque cigarette hair clips made from snakeskin with a Swarovski crystal on the tip($52) by Eugenia Kim * Council Thrift Shop- 255 Flatbush Ave(& 6th Ave)-- One needs a sense of adventure to hop, skip & jump around in this overcrowded store. Some piles to sift through, mostly clothes & glassware ** Hootie Couture- 321 Flatbush Ave(near Park Place)-- Energetic owner Allison Hootie is a hoot! An eclectic assortment of vintage. Many of the garments have amusing hang tags such as:"Aunt Betty's custard pie recipe is my secret weapon with the boys." ...When turning the corner of Flatbush Avenue & Park
Place, you will pass the silly & colorful sign "Little Miss
Muffin 'n' Her Stuffin" *Housebroken- 603 Vanderbilt Ave(& Bergen St)(718-622-0600)-- This shop is like a "split-level" house... Besides home & women's accessories, the owner, Vivian, has another in-house business of : gourmet dog biscuits & "people cookies" (It's for the dogs!) |
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["L" to Bedford Ave] * Greenpoint Used Clothing & Furniture Warehouse- 460 Driggs Ave(between No. 10 & 11th)-- You never know what you'll find in this maze of detritus. |
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*** Beacon's Closet- 88 No. 11th Street(between Berry & Wythe)(718-486-0816)- Buy, sell or trade your heart out at this giant warehouse of cool vintage threads & trendy recent buys. The buyers have a great eye & pick the greatest pieces. Racks are all organized by type of garment & color. Expect to spend a lot of time & not that much money. The choices & the prices put Urban Outfitter's vintage to shame! |
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* Brooklyn Industries- 162 Bedford Ave- Mostly mens tees & some for women & kids, some Williamsburg-themed merchandise & graffiti-look tees. * Salvation Army- 176 Bedford Ave- Chances are that the local hipsters have picked this bone clean. * Fluke Vintage- 186 Bedford Ave- Antique clothing for an antiquated-looking space *** Spacial Etc.- 199 Bedford Ave(at No. 6th St)- Was voted as one of my top 15 Christmas gifty shops! I want almost everything in this shop & you may want it all, too! For example: Pucci-esque printed plastic home accessories, graphic Orla Kiely totes & purses(cheaper prices than NYC!) Homespun Brooklyn Handknit mittens & scarves & mod-ish epoxy jewelry * Lawanna's- 196 Bedford(at No. 6th)(718-302-0006)- Small closet of a store chock full of punky accessories & some clothing. Think checkerboard Vans & spiked leather/pleather bands * Isa- 88-90 No. 6th St- Think pricey women's & men's casual designer basics & sneakers. Such labels as: Rogan, Marc Jacobs & Martin Margiela ** Sam & Seb- 208 Bedford Ave(718-486-8300)- "City-style" store for kids (newborn to size 6) Handknit sweaters & accessories. My faves?- punky lil' tees of Hendrix & Sex Pistols, "create a soho loft" game & an amusing wood pizza with toy slicer & wooden toppings, such as pepperoni |
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* Ugly Luggage- 214 Bedford Ave(between No. 5th & 6th St)(718-384-0724)-- Not much luggage?! Mostly antiques for your groovy modern apartment * Girdle Factory- 218 Bedford Ave(between No. 4th & 5th St)(718-486-9599)-- It's named this, because it's housed in the former home of the Real Form Girdle Company. Vintage clothing & accessories |
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*** Mini MiniMarket- 218 Bedford Ave(718-302-9337)-- Great gift-y shop, fun kitsch store... Tees, accessories, novelties, fragrances * Earwax- 218 Bedford Ave(& No. 5th St)-- New & used CDs & vintage vinyl * Otte- 132 No. 5th St(718-302-3007)-- Trendy girly shop with trendy girly labels ** Amarcord- 223 Bedford Ave(718-963-4001)-- This is the Brooklyn branch of the East Village store. The Italian owner’s source amazing vintage finds from overseas for women & men. Somewhat pricey, but immaculate collection ** Landing- 242 Wythe Ave(& No. 3rd St)(718-218-9449)-- Mostly funky new Brooklyn-based designers. Also sells the Finland line of Ivana Helsinki & the popular Fjord tees. I love the Abigail fun plastic jewelry. Very 60's or 80's? Pick one! ...Relish (Diner)- 225 Wythe Ave- I love its' off-the-beaten-track/ middle of nowhere/ down by the river location!(I have not eaten here yet)... Speaking of diners, two great food joints nearby are: Tacu Tacu at 134 No. 6th St(between Bedford & Berry) & SEA on No. 6th(between Berry & Wythe) *** Lint- 318 Bedford Ave(between So. 1st & 2nd St)(718-387-9508)-- It's worth the short trek to the other end of Bedford. Lint is similar to a smaller Beacon's Closet. They have male & female vintage(50'-80's) & original clothing. (They will buy your things). Good prices! * Special- 309 Bedford Ave(917-349-2238)-- This newbie to the "strip" opened early October. The flying butterflies will grab your attention as you cross the street. Interesting atmospheric shop that sells exotic plants, flowers, & fish as well as some designer & vintage clothing. |
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["L" to Lorimer St or "G" to Metropolitan] ** Xela- 53 Hope St(between Marcy Ave & Havemeyer)(718-599-6564)-- Now that there's no Domsey's, there's always "Hope"...street. Check out this middle-of-nowhere thrift shop if you're a fan of Sal's Boutique(Salvation Army). Thrifty prices, too! I saw a range of prices from about $4 to $25! Patience! |
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["F" or "G" to Bergen Street] * Halcyon- 227 Smith St(718-260-9299)-- Popular bar/gallery & mod furnishings shop that sells CDs & vinyl in the back * Habit- 231 Smith St- Nice comfy clothes & accessories. My fave item?- bright perforated leather cuffs & wallets by Tracey Tanner * Watts On Smith- 248 Smith St(718-596-2359)-- Finally, something for the dudes! This joint opened early Nov.'03. It specializes in "contemporary & vintage apparel & accessories for men". They carry such brands as: Ben Sherman, Fred Perry & Jack Spade. * A Thrift Emporium- Treasures- 249 Smith St-- Mostly clothes & glassware *** Mai Mai/Handmade- 251 Smith St-- Mai Mai carries great "gift-ed" items all from South Africa, such as: colorful telephone wire sculptures, woven baskets & cuffs, ceramics, carved wood animals, beaded dolls, & groovy hooked-rug purses that are 70's-inspired in color... Sharing the same address, Handmade stocks ornate scarves & pillows, ceramics, scents & jewelry done by local designers. *** Flirt- 252 Smith St-- Don't be fooled by the sweetie-pie name. This boutique stocks unique brands & original pieces I have not seen elsewhere. For example, great adjustable snap-wrap skirts by Flirt & a colorful & beautiful felted wool line called Tolonen (scarves, bags & clothes) * Refinery- 254 Smith St-- These early "settlers" on this popular retail strip carry woven textural totes. ** Astro-Turf- 290 Smith St-- Vintage home accessories & decorative things |
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* Frida's Closet- 296 Smith St-- Supersmall boutique/closet celebrating Ms. Kahlo with tees, separates & jewelry ** Zipper- 333 Smith St-- Two floors of gifty items, such as books, toys, lotions & some novelties * Environment 337- 337 Smith St-- Home items... I love the rubber vase & French Bull groovy flowered melamine plates & trays... Also, they have some children's items |
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*** Swallow- 361 Smith St-- Follow the wind chimes to this tranquil atmospheric shop. The grandeur gets slightly negated by unseen sales help who are peeping at us on cameras(when I visited). This artisan's boutique specializes in handblown glassware on majestic shelves, Japanese ceramics & jewelry. Glass insects glisten under glass domes. The shop is interestingly-creepy & not cheap-y. ...Go one block north to... ** Olive's Very Vintage- 434 Court St(at 2nd Place)-- Great selection of vintage... For example: Pucci cotton shirt($125) & Leonard silk gown($183) FYI kids!-- Besides D.U.M.B.O. & FCUK, there's a new acronym you'll hear about on the streets! BOCOCA (This stands for BOerum Hill- Cobble Hill- Carroll Gardens) Many of my pit stops fell in these areas. There's also a website listing much more on the food & drink tip at www.bococa.com ["A", "C" or "G" to Hoyt-Schermerhorn] * Layla- 86 Hoyt St(& Atlantic Ave)(718-222-1933)-- Beautiful exotic home fabrics from such places as: India, Turkey & Lebanon. Some colorful modern clothing by such designers as: Alpana Bawa... Beaded slippers & 22 karat Indian jewelry * Enamoo- 109 Smith St(between Atlantic & Pacific)(718-624-0175)-- My vote for the oddest combination of merchandise(besides Williamsburg's new "Special" shop)... Vintage odds & ends, greenery & comfy wearables(tees & hoodies) with slogans ** Legacy- 362 Atlantic Ave(718-403-0090)-- 95% eclectic designer vintage picks(clothing & accessories) & 5% funky Smashing Grandpa brand tees. Many fine vintage labels, such as: Bergdorf's & Geoffrey Beene. A vaguely aggressive & vaguely overdone mature saleswoman. Prices are mostly under $200. Cool will-not-see-it-anywhere stuff. |
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** Kimera- 366 Atlantic Ave(718-422-1147)-- Off-the-rack & custom-made silk & velvet clothing... Pillows... Re-constructed vintage fabric bags by Hedy are interesting. They also carry the felted wool clothing & accessories line, Tolonen. |
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** Bark(back of store)/ * Breukelen(front of store)- 369 Atlantic Ave(718-625-8997)-- A tree grows in Breukelen(old Dutch-speak)? In the back is mostly home, jewelry, toiletries(Molton Brown- yummy!), luxurious throws, Hollywould brand ballet slippers... & up front is: home items, such as glass & wood pieces, Diptyque candles, etc. * Scarlet Ginger- 376 Atlantic Ave(718-852-8205)- Remodeled/reworked vintage clothing, vintage jewelry & local Brooklyn designer pieces * Jelly- 389 Atlantic Ave(718-858-8214) & ** Butter- 407 Atlantic Ave(718-260-9033)-- These two sibling-owned shops have been heavily chatted up by Time Out New York & Lucky magazines. Butter is more apparel-driven while Jelly is more accessories. They're both akin to typical No-Lita boutiques & cool for their areas, but... after leaving Jelly I felt like- what did I just see? I felt like the selection was so limited. There wasn't much eye or arm candy. Maybe I was just blacking out from exhaustion.(Well, it IS a trend at my day job!) Honestly, the sparse selection at Jelly(& Butter) left a bad taste in my mouth.(Sorry, I couldn't resist :)... And as for the touting & tooting of the trumpets for these two shops(as well as: Bark, Breukelen, Castor & Pollux)-- they were all "OK" shops. Not the second coming! Suspiciously, I wonder who's sleeping together in the retail & publishing worlds- to spur such adulation in print?... * Salvation Army- 436 Atlantic Ave & * Care Partners Charity Thrift Shop- 475 Atlantic Ave-- Both were closed by the time I reached them. But if you're in this area on a Saturday, try them & see. ...After taking a spin on Atlantic Avenue, I'm told the Flying Saucer at 494 Atlantic Avenue(718-522-1383)-- is a good comfy hangout to catch your breath, rest your gams & dine. |
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Admittedly, some places started to blend into one another at this point. Maybe, because your fashion columnist was deliriously exhausted. I saw the same trendy popular items in these stores as you'd see in luxe Manhattan boutiques. For example: Diptyque candles? seen at Breukelen on Atlantic Avenue. In Manhattan's better retailers, if you close your eyes & throw a rock, most likely you'll hit one of these pricey wax desirables. They're everywhere! So what's the diff?-- IF Brooklyn is your 'hood, then no need to travel into the city to pick one up. And... prices! Perhaps Brooklyn prices would be lower than the not-so-fair city of Manhattan. One item I did notice & price were Orla Kiely bags. I'd been wanting one of these pricey graphic Scandinavian-looking bags for over a year. Price comparing made me happy with my Brooklyn purchase of a green, creme, black pear print canvas tote. At "Spacial Etc." on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, the price?- $95... But, at "Flying A" in Soho, the price for this bag?- $135! Those bastards! I guess we know what the "A" stands for! |
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["2" or "3" to Bergen Street] * Almost New Vintage Clothing- 68 St. Marks Ave(near 6th Ave & Flatbush Ave)(718-398-8048)- It's like a big walk-in closet chock full of 20's & 40's to contemporary suits, coats & separates for women & men. * Umkarna- 69 Fifth Ave(between St. Marks & Prospect Place)(718-398-5888)-
The owners travel & handpick handmade items made by women across
the globe. There are many colorful ** Harold & Mod Vintage- 82 Fifth Ave(between St. Marks Place & Warren Street)(718-857-4497)- This cute vintage shop with an amusing name has only been open since late September. The friendly owner, Crystal, likes to stock housewares, clothing & accessories from the late 70's/early 80's which was the time of her youth. Ah Youth! |
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* Brooklyn Industries- 152 Fifth Ave(718-789-3447)- An outpost of the Williamsburg store ** Patrias- 167 Fifth Ave(718-857-9091)- Nice selection of Latin American folk art. Great gifty store! * Slang Betty- 172 Fifth Ave(718-638-1725)- A mixed bag: accessories, clothing, and jewelry, body lotions & goop * Reverse- 176 Fifth Ave(718-638-2252)- Vintage clothing & home things(buy, sell, trade) |
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*** Cog & Pearl- 190 Fifth Ave(718-623-8200)- Their motto: "handmade stuff to give or keep." If it wasn't too late, I would have listed this gem in my Christmas top 15 gift-y shops! Luved this store! Jewelry, ceramics, accessories, fragrances, some clothing... grouped by designers. They carry my much beloved Kiln Enamel brand. *** Beacon's Closet- 220 Fifth Ave(718-230-1630)- Smaller offshoot of the popular buy-sell-trade Billy-burg shop. This place was swamped with cool people & merchandise when I stopped by. ** Scaredy Kat- 229 Fifth Ave(718-623-1839)- They do custom cards & invites created from your image or theirs. They stock off-beat: stationery, cards, toys, novelty items(such as record album bowls) & some jewelry & body stuff. * Eidolon- 233 Fifth Ave(718-638-8194- A co-op filled with clothing & accessories from local designers. They carry the much beloved felted wool line, Tolonen(clothes & accessories) |
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** Nancy Nancy- 244A Fifth Ave(718-789-5262)- Nifty cards, gifts, novelties * Kimera- 274 Fifth Ave(718-965-1313)- Smaller branch of Atlantic Ave shop *** Albert & Piccolo- 276L Fifth Ave(718-369-9282)- I loved this whimsical lil' store. Nice selection of accessories, home items & DIY-ish clothing * Somethin' Else- 294 Fifth Ave- Records & vintage clothing * Salvation Army- 515 Fifth Ave(& 13th St)- Never know what you'll find at "Sal's Boutique" ["F" to Seventh Ave] *** Loom- 115 Seventh Ave(718-789-0061)- I loved this store! It would have been one of my top 15 Christmas gift stores if I had gone here sooner. This colorful store was jammed with fellow admirers of all the goodies... Mod printed pillows, great-smelling candles & body lotions, bags by Jack Gomme, Patch & Angela Adams, toys, jewelry, vintage fabric pins... The works! ** Waltzing Matilda- 447 First St(near Seventh Ave)(718-965-9088)-- Accessories upstairs & vintage clothing downstairs. This place reminds me of someone's cramped attic. ** P.S.321 Flea Market- 180 Seventh Ave(at First St)-- A local institution of vintage loot |
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....I must say that overall I'm envious that I don't live in Brooklyn. Sorry Queens. There were some wonderful shops, neighborhoods & owners/salespeople(particularly-- Seryn at Flirt-Smith St & Staceyjoy at RedLipstick-6th Ave). Say hi for me!... Sorry kids, I did not get to visit D.U.M.B.O., Bay Ridge or Red Hook for potential haunts. (I was thwarted by the early December snow. Good thing I started these jaunts in October!) Maybe a future not-so-lengthy column?... I'll keep you posted. Faith |
