Staples, Target, FootLocker, and Children’s Place are among the national retailers with stores in Upper Manhattan. There are also local shops selling everything from streetwear to pet supplies to floral arrangements. And of course, like just about every other neighborhood, Upper Manhattan has its share of unique emporia you won’t find anywhere else.
The Met Cloisters Shop
John D. Rockefeller Jr. was a major funder of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s acquisition of the Cloisters, but you don’t need a Rockefeller fortune to bring home some of the museum’s medieval elegance. The Cloisters museum shop’s assortment of jewelry, tableware, pillows, puzzles, books, and other items inspired by its collection makes it an ideal place to stock up on gifts—including for yourself. And we’re certain that its unicorn jack-in-the-box will delight adults as well as kids.
credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art
La Plaza de las Americas
This market outside local landmark United Palace describes itself as a “micro-business incubator.” Mondays through Saturdays, several dozen vendors will be selling everything from food to toys, plants to T-shirts. On Thursdays from June through November it’s also a greenmarket. And if it’s a year-round source for fresh regional food you’re looking for, head to Inwood Greenmarket on Saturdays, where you can buy goodies such as artisanal breads, farm-raised trout, water-buffalo meat, farmstead kimchee, and of course, loads of fruit and veg.
Inwood Greenmarket. credit: LocalHarvest
Moscow on the Hudson
When it’s beet salad, blinis, or Bulgarian brined cheese you’re craving, head to this compact but well-stocked supermarket specializing in foods from Russia, Ukraine, and other Eastern European countries. In addition to pantry items, fresh-baked cakes and breads, and other culinary treats, Moscow on the Hudson has a small selection of gifts, from tea-glass holders to traditional nesting dolls.
Moscow on the Hudson credit: Foursquare
Word Up Community Bookshop
For Word Up, the “Community” in its name is just as important as the “Bookshop.” Yet, it sells new and used English- and Spanish-language books encompassing not just best-sellers but also lesser-known titles by Black, Indigenous, Latino, LGBTQ, and local authors. But this collective also hosts book clubs, writers’ groups, art and meditation classes, and after-school programs, among other events.
Word Up credit: Columbia Neighbors