Where this Working Mom Finds Great Antiques Uptown

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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 Koch Antiques

Courtney Harwood is the SVP of Marketing for Keep, a new social commerce site that lets users discover products through other passionate people. As a working mother, she's all about saving time by spending her money in cyberspace. But when she gets a few moments to herself, she checks out this antique shop on West 84th Street for home décor ideas.

From across the street, John Koch Antiques might not grab your eye, but peep in the window and you'll see a unique collection of classic vintage and antique finds. Koch and his team, who buy from auctions and estates, don't spend too much time decorating their amazing little shop because the items move in and out so fast—there's just no point. I am often intimidated by stuffy, pricey Upper East Side antique stores but Kevin, who mans the fort, is both welcoming and knowledgeable.

This shop is one of the best-kept secrets of city interior decorators and set designers. Every time I stop in, there's something new and fabulous to discover. I've decorated my Upper West Side apartment with everything from a '60s campaign chest they helped me have lacquered and a Tom Baril Flatiron photograph to a simple chunk of amethyst I use as a book end, not to mention vintage lowball Giants glasses for my football-crazed husband.

· John Koch Antiques [Official Site]
· Keep [Official Site]
· All Shopping Confidential Posts [Racked NY]

John Koch Antiques

201 W 84th Street New York NY 10024