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New York City has more stores than anyone could physically tackle, but somehow we always keep returning to the usual suspects. To break out of the rut, we've asked some local shopping and fashion gurus to provide their hidden retail gems—those unique stores around our fantastic city that we might not all know about. Cue the Beatles: We're about to get a little help from our friends.
Image via Yelp
As the editor of New York's gay guide Next magazine, Benjamin Soloman keeps New Yorkers posted on all LGBT-friendly events. Next launched in 1991 and has since provided humorous advice on entertainment, politics, and the best places to find outfits for a night at SPLASH or Barracuda. But work aside, he's always down to fill his apartment with little knickknacks from Mxyplyzyk on Greenwich Avenue. Don't believe us? He'll tell you himself.
I've always loved tchotchke houseware shops like Mxyplyzyk in the West Village. For some reason they remind me of my childhood, probably because everything in those places has a sense of humor. They are my go-tos for original gifts. While not always the most practical of items, they certainly make the shopping experience more fun! And who says you don't need a Jaws shower curtain or a monster shaped bottle that skirts ketchup out its nose. The only thing more fun then shopping there must be creating the goods.· Mxyplyzyk [Official Site]
· Next Magazine [Official Site]
· All Shopping Confidential Posts [Racked NY]