The 60+ Best Gifts For People Who Really, Really Love NYC
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1950s NYC Vintage ScarfThere are some gorgeous old NYC items on Etsy, and one of our favorites is this 1950s scarf, which features Coney Island, the Statue of Liberty, the UN, the Empire State Building, and more. (Etsy, $29. And you may find more searching, here's another for $25) Etsy and eBay are great places to find vintage NYC treasures, of all prices, and all decades. Here are a few more:Above is a felt pennant from the 1960s. ($6.75)Want to find the nearest streets to most avenues (circa 1953)? Look no further than this Handy Andy's Street Director brochure. ($19.95)A 1986 New York Marathon... sweater? Sure. ($475)A 1960s subway map and guide from the New York Transit Authority. ($54.95)And over on eBay, check out this 1970s Subway Sun poster.
$79.99Etsy also has a ton of ton of handmade NYC items, from the ridiculous (see #5!) to the beautiful.This store sells wood-cut puzzles and maps of NYC boroughs. A map of Queens will cost you $59+, and a Brooklyn puzzle will set you back $94.This is a glass mosaic to represent one of the most dreaded places in all of Manhattan: Penn Station. ($385)There's nothing more beautiful than NYC in Autumn, and this doormat definitely represents NYC in Autumn: it's got fallen leaves and a NYC Sewer cover. ($52)These NYC cookies are too pretty to eat, but you probably will anyway. ($42)The Air from New York City alleges to be just that: a can filled with the spirit of the city.
$9.99Everything at the NYPL Store The New York Public Library's store is filled with items for anyone on your list. Here are a few of our favorites:A miniature Rose Main Reading Room Chair! ($30)Library Lion bookends! ($150)A card catalog replica, featuring 30 notecards. ($19.95)New York City Vintage Map Wool Throw ($210)NYC charm bracelet ($45)The gift of a membership
$25+Also Everything At The NYC City StoreThe NYC Store has items from the NYPD, FDNY, the subway system, and even the DSNY. You could probably spend hours searching around all they have to offer.A dish towel that will let everyone know your tiny NYC kitchen has been given an A rating from the DoH... for the small fee of $14. A Statue of Liberty dog toy ($15)A fire extinguisher with the Chrysler Building on it for a lot of money? Sure why not. ($149)NYC Mounted Police Horseshoe, authentic! ($12.50)They've also got authentic reproductions of subway tile art
the one pictured is the Union Square Ceramic Tile, $34<p><strong>Memberships & Gift Cards</strong></p><p>There are simply too many amazing places in NYC offering membership and gift cards, so think about the recipient and pick the perfect one for them. Below, some of our favorites:</p><ul><li>Museum of the Moving image is one of our favorite museums in NYC, and the membership promises to be one of the most fun ones a museum offers. They've got a ton of programming on and off the screen, as well as a solid permanent collection. Membership <a href="http://www.movingimage.us/support/membership-2016">starts at $75</a>.</li><li>You can gift someone a membership at BAM <a href="http://www.bam.org/join">starting at $85</a>, which will get them savings on movie tickets, advance access to special screenings, invites to Member Mingles, and more.</li><li>The NY Botanical Garden and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden both offer memberships, starting at <a href="http://www.nybg.org/support_the_garden/membership/join.php">$85</a> and <a href="http://www.bbg.org/support/join">$50</a> respectively. We love them both, so pick the one closest to your recipient.</li><li>Housing Works offers <a href="https://co.clickandpledge.com/advanced/default.aspx?wid=62930#">a number of memberships</a>, which will get you a percentage off on purchases, a tote bag, invites, and more.</li><li>AMNH offers <em>a lot</em> of different membership options, depending on what you're interested in and how much you want to spend. You can <a href="http://www.amnh.org/join-support/become-a-member/">learn more about them here</a>.</li><li>The <a href="https://newmuseum.thankyou4caring.org/pages/general-membership-form-holiday-2015-promo?tab=1">New Museum membership</a> is a wonderful way to skip the line on some of the most popular exhibits in town, receive free regular admission, and get access to invite-only events. ($80+)</li><li>Metrograph and Alamo Drafthouse, the two greatest movie theaters to open in NYC this year, both have gift card offerings. <a href="http://metrograph.com/giftcards">Metrograph's</a> start at $50 and can be used for movie tickets, food, beverages and cocktails, books from the book shop, and concessions from our candy shop. You'll have to go there to pick one up, though. At Alamo, they start at $30 and could be bought as <a href="https://drafthouse.cashstar.com/gift-card/buy/">an eGiftCard</a>, or the <a href="https://drafthouse.cashstar.com/gift-card/plastic/">old school cards</a>. They offer online purchases, but if you go to the theater they'll have them there, too.</li><li>This is also a great time to support your local bookstore. Most of them will have gift cards if you don't know which book your recipient wants. You can probably even buy them online, like at <a href="http://www.strandbooks.com/gift-card">the Strand</a>.</li></ul>
The New York Botanical Garden. (Christopher Lee / Gothamist)From Your Favorite NYC EstablishmentsCaffe Reggio has been open on MacDougal Street since 1927, and remains a favorite. Their Cappuccino Cup makes for an excellent gift. It's "produced in small quantities by one of the most renowned makers of ceramics in Italy, Richard Ginori," and the design is the same used in the cafe. It has remained the same for generations. ( $80)This Russ & Daughters tote bag features the same design and wording on an old sign that hung in the establishment when it was expanding. ($25) Speaking of Russ & Daughters, they also offer up gift certificates and gift packages, like this New York Nostalgia one, featuring their famous hand-sliced smoked salmon, House-Cured Pickled Herring Fillets in cream sauce with pickled onions, old-fashioned Marble Halvah, and much more. AND it's delivered in a tote bag. ($135)Nothing says you care like pastrami by the pound. Katz's will hook you up, starting at $35.Zabar's also has a lot of food gifts, but if you really love someone you'll send them NYC bagels. Starting at $9.98.Shopping for a cheese lover? Look no further than Arthur Avenue, where you can get one of the finest cheese baskets for $75.Owning the Big Gay Ice Cream cookbook means having access to the best ice cream in NYC on a 24/7 basis.
$17A Real Deal Eames Lounge Chair And Ottoman ($4,935)Did you know that Charles Eames was introduced to the world in the 1940s at MoMA? It's true. Also true, "when they were conceptualizing the chair, Charles explained that they wanted it to have the 'warm, receptive look of a well-used first baseman's mitt.'" People loved it then, and it's one of the most coveted chairs still. But it's gonna cost you to own one. (MoMA store). Luckily, there are perfectly fine Knock-Off Eames Lounge Chairs And Ottomans (starting at around $500+), and most people will never know the difference.
The best reviews are for this one, $999.<p>There are some fantastic NYC-centric books out there, and here are just a few our favorites:</p><ul><li>One of the greatest New Yorkers and photographers, <a href="http://gothamist.com/tags/MerylMeisler">Meryl Meisler</a>, has two wonderful books for anyone on your list who can't get enough of disco era New York: <em>Purgatory & Paradise: Sassy 70s Suburbia & the City</em> (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Purgatory-Paradise-Sassy-Suburbia-City/dp/0991014138">Amazon</a>) and <em>A Tale of Two Cities: Disco Era Bushwick</em> (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tale-Two-Cities-Disco-Bushwick/dp/0991014111">Amazon</a>). You can also buy signed copies at <a href="http://shop.mcny.org/catalogsearch/result/?q=meryl+meisler">the MCNY</a> and <a href="http://www.strandbooks.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.results&includeOutOfStock=0&searchString=meryl+meisler">the Strand</a>. ($40+)</li><li><em>The Encyclopedia of New York City</em> is a massive informational book that belongs on all New Yorkers' bookshelves. (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-New-York-City-Second/dp/0300114656/ref=mt_hardcover?_encoding=UTF8&me=">$40</a>)</li><li>We've been <a href="http://gothamist.com/2014/04/15/the_craziest_plans_for_nyc_that_nev.php">long-obsessed</a> with plans for NYC that never actually happened, and <em>Never Built New York</em> puts them all into one book. (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Never-Built-York-Greg-Goldin/dp/1938922751">$40</a>)</li><li><em>The Works: Anatomy Of A City</em> will answer all of your questions about how the city works, day to day, from where your garbage goes to why your radiators make so much noise. (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Works-Anatomy-City-Kate-Ascher/dp/0143112708">$16</a>) </li><li>Brooklyn Pops Up "celebrates the diverse borough of Brooklyn with pop-ups by the world's best illustrators and paper engineers," including Maurice Sendak! (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brooklyn-Pops-Up-Public-Library/dp/0689840195/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481233723&sr=8-1&keywords=brooklyn+pops+up">$10</a>)</li><li>Tar Beach is a wonderful option for a young reader on your list. It's a few decades old, but the part-fiction, part-autobiographical tale is just as magical today. (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tar-Beach-Faith-Ringgold/dp/0517885441">$8</a>)</li><li><a href="http://gothamist.com/2016/09/16/1980s_nyc_photos_robert_herman.php">Robert Herman began documenting the city</a> and its people in the 1970s, and his vivid images look unlike others we've seen from previous decadesâdilapidated sun-soaked subway cars, disaffected youth attached to pinball machines, and a young woman who looks less like a New Yorker and more like an extra from Dazed & Confused. We highly recommend buying his book for your own, or your friend's coffee table. (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/New-Yorkers-Robert-Herman/dp/061573491X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481834423&sr=8-1&keywords=robert+herman">$45</a>)</li></ul>
DVDs You can't go wrong with The Sweet Smell of Success, a classic about a "ruthless journalist and an unscrupulous press agent who'll do anything to achieve success." Their journey will take you to old Times Square and inside the 21 Club. ($26)Why not make it a DVD bundle and include another classic: Rear Window. ($9)For a pre-bundled set of classics, get the Shaft box set. The original will take the viewer back to early 1970s Harlem, Greenwich Village, and Times Square. ($10)For something out of the '80s, we turn to Madonna. Set in NYC, Desperately Seeking Susan is just one of her many interesting forays into the cinematic world. ($19.95)The Desk Set is a nearly perfect rom com from the 1950s starring Katharine Hepburn as a dedicated library reference clerk and Spencer Tracy as the new tech guy come to computerize her out of a job. ($10)Ken Burns's The Roosevelts is worth multiple views and is an indispensable addition to anyone's DVD library. It's also great for watching with parents over the holidays.
$45Subway Routes Bubble UmbrellaEvery New Yorker needs at least one umbrella. We recommend a classic black, and something a little more fancy and durable. The clear bubble umbrella is the best, since you hold it over you for extra protection while still being able to see in front of you.
$30NYC Transit Token PendantThe Transit Museum also has a "historic pendant crafted from an authentic dime-sized Y-cut subway token circulated between 1953 and 1970." It's set in sterling silver, and is perfect for the transit nerd you love. This would have also been great for those trying to cheat the system by using tokens over and over again.
$110Genuine Brooklyn Egg Cream KitEgg Creams are part of NYC's history, and while they are best served straight out of a place like Gem Spa, if you need an Egg Cream in a pinch, you're gonna need your Egg Cream Kit on you. Luckily, those exist, and this one comes with Fox's U-Bet Chocolate Syrup and two authentic fountain glasses from Junior's of Brooklyn.
$39Tony Rosenthal Miniature 21" Alamo (aka Astor Place Cube) Sculpture ($30,000!??!?!?)Someone thinks they can sell a 21" replica of the Alamo (aka the Astor Place Cube) for THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. If you are the sucker willing to purchase this thing for that much, you probably won't have a lot of competition in this eBay auction.
eBayKatz's Chocolate Egg Cream CandleThis Katz's candle allegedly comes in a real piece of Katz's glassware for extra authenticity, but you'll have to BYO-When Harry Met Sally jokes. Or don't! Yeah, don't.
$28Central Park PillowThis pillow is hand-embroidered and features a colorful design of Central Park and its many offerings. Bonus: UncommonGoods will donate 10% of sales to the Institute for Urban Parks, the educational arm of Central Park Conservancy.
$168Stocking StuffersHey, it's the classic New York takeout cup that you never have to throw away, because it's ceramic. ($12)Two of the most gorgeous buildings in NYC are perfect for topping bottles of delicious wine, if you're one of those people who doesn't just kill the bottle in one sitting. ($26)West Elm has a lotta love for Brooklyn, where they born, so you'll find some NYC-centric items amongst their mid-century furnishings. Like these Brooklyn Neighborhoods Tea Towels! Why not. ($12)The Wing (a social club for women in New York) just launched an online shop, where you can get this New York Women's Racket Club hat, perhaps a nod to the men-only clubs that have been a part of the city. ($25)The Moleskine City Notebook (NYC Edition, obvs) is a wonderful gift every year, whether your recipient lives in NYC or not.
$19.95NY Times Front Page PuzzleThis is a very good time to be giving money to publications like the NY Times. Did you know they have their own little online shop? You can even get a New York Times Front Page Jigsaw Puzzle customized to whatever date's front page you want.
$44.95<p>The NY-Historical Society has a gift shop featuring many nods to the Jazz Age, including this tote homage to the Stork Club, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/06/05/inside_new_yorks_new_yorkiest_joint.php">New York's New Yorkiest Joint</a>, and home to many secret hand signals used back in the day by staff. (<a href="https://shop.nyhistory.org/collections/gifts/products/stork-club-tote?variant=25896326536">$35</a>, use the code JAZZ16 for a discount)</p>
Adorable NYC-made KiteOkay this one doesn't represent NYC visually, but it is made in NYC and it is HASHTAG WHIMSICAL. Also it looks great floating above our waterways. "Each kite comes with signature Baltic birch kite handle, wrapped with braided dacron flying line and made in NYC."
$40Brooklyn House For Cats ($39)Bodega cats are NYC's unofficial mascots, and if you want to make your cat seem more like one, you'll need this cardboard bodega house. It's basically just a box, so your cat will definitely love it.
AmazonQueens Winter HatLockwood has a bunch of winter hats, but their Queens one has got the colors that pop. They've also got a sweet retro style, AND are on sale right now.
$27.95