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With only a few days left in 2010, it's time to look back at a year of dizzying highs and crushing lows, a year when every empty storefront held a pop-up shop and every sidewalk a sample sale line. Folks, it's the annual (four years running!) Racked Recap. This week, we'll be reliving our biggest and brightest (and saddest and darkest) moments, from the best collabs to the worst pop-up shops. Take a deep breath of the sweet, sweet nostalgia.
2010 saw an outrageous number of retail openings. Not all were amazing—but several already have us coming back. There are even a handful we're ready to move right into. Now, a reflection on the buzziest newbies—the Ten Best Store Openings of 2010:
10. Shopping Box: A clever retail opportunity—$7 gets you your very own boutique inside the Shopping Box. Cuteness and convenience—these rent-a-cubbies showcased DIY craftiness, vintage product, even electronics in dedicated boxes o' retail on high traffic Broome Street.
9. Adeline Adeline: When we cycled ourselves over to this girl-friendly bike shop in April, we found it had everything a girl could want—unexpected accessories like lady bug bells (with wings that flutter) plus amazing customer service. For biking beginners, there are even opportunities to set up one-on-one appointments on cycling intel.
8. Brooklyn Denim Company: Nothing says good ol' Americana than a nice, fitted pair of denim jeans. And that's the key to Brooklyn Denim Company—despite opening mid-recession. The shop houses of many brands from jean companies like Levis, Rogan, Schott, and Piwak. And, now they even have their own house line.
7. MiN: Men have skin, too—enter MiN New York. A high-end apothecary on Crosby Street, MiN opened last January. Housing hard-to-find fragrance, skincare, and other toiletries and oddities—how could we not like this place? The beautiful space and excellent service is just a bonus.
6. Roundabout Resale: Chanel, Louboutin pumps, and vintage Alaia was pretty much all we needed to hear about the second Manhattan location of the designer resale shop. Roundabout Resale opened it's second store in early August in Soho. Stocked with Prada, Comme des Garcon, and other designer finds, the consignment shop stocks multiple pieces at relatively reasonable prices. We like designer and we like discounts, so what's not to like?
5. Isabel Marant: The French designer's first store to open in the United States had us at Bonjour. A magical, modern place, the Soho shop is filled with Marant's gorgeous collection of chunky jewelry, woven jackets, and multicolored skirts. We want the whole collection!
4. Creatures of Comfort: The moment we stepped into the interior of this beautiful Nolita boutique at its opening in late September, we were sold. The clothes are something to covet, but so is the decor. It's minimal and effortlessly cool, which mimics the aesthetic of the clothing they stock. Incidentally, that clothing is by some of our favorite lines, like Acne, Tom Scott, MM6 and Repetto.
3. Dr. Martens: Helllloooo Nurse Doc! We had a fever and the only thing the "Dr." could feasibly prescribe us was boots, boots, and more boots. When Dr. Martens opened in Soho in early November we were blown away with all of our options. The comfortable and sturdy collections of boots ranged from floral to funky fluorescent and we loved them all. Reasonably priced to boot, the options were pretty much endless and often unisex. This place will be a favorite for years to come.
2. Bookmarc: The Marc Jacobs bookstore came to Bleecker Street and created so much hype, twitter feeds are still whispering its name. Called Bookmarc, the shop stocks journals, art books, and gifts—many of which are priced under $30. We can't forget to mention that they brought back Biography's Sidewalk Sale, the sidewalk bargains invented by Bookmarc's beloved predecessor, Biography Book Shop.
1. Target: We can't help loving affordable fashion and food. This summer, July 25th (we remember the date exactly) in fact, is when Target opened in Manhattan—at the East River Plaza in Harlem. We were there and we wanted freebies! The huge space and massive variety of offerings—the oh-so-many variations of milk, 19¢ bananas, and (at the time) a series of collaborations with Isabel And Ruben Toledo—had us at hello. Bonus—you don't have to cross a river for this Target; and it's located between a Costco and a Best Buy.
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