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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
Edward Lorenz spends his days as a menswear designer for Opening Ceremony, where he's responsible for the artistic direction of the brands in-house OC label. He moved to New York City at the age of 19 and attended Parsons. Prior to his current gig, he landed spots assisting designers like Ralph Rucci, Band of Outsiders, and Rag & Bone. Even though he specializes in contemporary fashion, that doesn't mean he's not down to score a bargain at East Broadway Mall, a series of stalls and vendors he discovered while searching for an apartment in Chinatown.
I first stumbled upon this mall when I was looking for an apartment on East Broadway. It's hidden underneath the Manhattan Bridge in the most authentic part of Chinatown. By no means is it the prettiest mall most people are accustomed to, but the variety of small businesses that operate there are like the ones you'd find in Beijing. I love going here because of its wide range of stalls and stores that carry anything from obscure iPhone cases, outlandish clothes (and some really funny knockoffs), interesting Chinese toys, fresh flowers and plants, and electronics. If you've got the time to kill going through all the shops, you'll find some great treasures. Think of it as an unfiltered Pearl River Mart.
· Opening Ceremony [Official Site]
· All Shopping Confidential Posts [Racked NY]