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The staff at Ansonia is very helpful and pleasant -- whether you're there on a specific mission or just wandering the aisles looking for something that smells good, Ansonia has a solid range of...
The staff at Ansonia is very helpful and pleasant -- whether you're there on a specific mission or just wandering the aisles looking for something that smells good, Ansonia has a solid range of products and the people are nice. I was able to pick up some drugstore staples, some unusual bath items, and a little candle as a housewarming gift for a friend. Like many other local shops, the inventory stretches from floor to ceiling, but somehow in Ansonia this works, creating an almost old-fashioned drugstore atmosphere. A nice little place.
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The Apple Laundry is a small, average laundromat in south Park Slope. There isn't anything really special about it, but for some reason it became my laundry of choice when I lived nearby. It was...
The Apple Laundry is a small, average laundromat in south Park Slope. There isn't anything really special about it, but for some reason it became my laundry of choice when I lived nearby. It was never crowded or disgustingly hot, there were always washers and dryers free, they had convenient vending machines for soap, lots of rolling baskets available, and there were plenty of newspapers and neighborhood ads to read while you waited. Several times I left laundry there unattended and it was always there when I returned. If you live in the neighborhood and are looking for an easy local place to do laundry, give Apple a shot.
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This huge party supply store is nearby, and, to my surprise, has come in very handy in the past. Once I needed wigs and favors for a Halloween dinner party -- they had the perfect obligatory range...
This huge party supply store is nearby, and, to my surprise, has come in very handy in the past. Once I needed wigs and favors for a Halloween dinner party -- they had the perfect obligatory range of 99 cent vampire teeth, silly noses, googly eyes, etc. Oh, and they had a nice range of wigs for $10-15. Another time I needed a fake hand for an art project -- Crystal Party Supply saved the day. They're your standard party supply store -- lots of costume stuff around Halloween, lots of birthday party items the rest of the year -- but they are located right in the middle of a huge Dominican neighborhood, so speaking Spanish is a plus. There are definitely dark and dusty corners of this establishment, and there is perhaps a slightly shady overall vibe to the place, but I've always found what I needed and the staff have been very pleasant.
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e. harcourt makes all her own fragrance blends and then custom scents various products, from lotions to candles to dryer sheets, and sells them out of this lovely little soho-fringe boutique. A...
e. harcourt makes all her own fragrance blends and then custom scents various products, from lotions to candles to dryer sheets, and sells them out of this lovely little soho-fringe boutique. A great range of scents as well as products -- my favorites are the soaps. She is usually there herself behind the counter, pleasant and ready to answer questions, and her products make wonderful variations on ordinary gifts.
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As karaoke bars go, I prefer the private-room variety -- it's easier for me to get up in front of friends and belt 80s superhits than it is to serenade a room full of unforgiving strangers. Gagopa...
As karaoke bars go, I prefer the private-room variety -- it's easier for me to get up in front of friends and belt 80s superhits than it is to serenade a room full of unforgiving strangers. Gagopa is your standard K-town karaoke bar, located on an upper level of the main 32nd St drag (the elevator is an adventure in itself). You get a spacious room, free snacks and they have a nice range of drinks (alcoholic and otherwise) available for purchase (or, of course, in grand private room tradition, you can BYOB). The selection of music is decent, with full catalogs of Asian hits as well as the usual American pop chart staples. A bit on the pricy side -- you can definitely find cheaper karaoke in the East Village -- but clean and centrally located.
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If you're a natural history fan, you cannot miss this shop in Soho -- it's filled to the ceililng with an array of wonders like I've never seen. Beetles, bones, butterflies, geological samples,...
If you're a natural history fan, you cannot miss this shop in Soho -- it's filled to the ceililng with an array of wonders like I've never seen. Beetles, bones, butterflies, geological samples, fossils, freaky taxidermy... they've got everything in various forms, from straight up specimens to framed pieces to items that have been turned into jewelry, keychains, paperweights, etc. A great place for unusual gifts (though there is a danger of going a bit TOO unusual -- how many people want a dead frog that doubles as a coin purse?).
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The Cooper Hewitt is a great museum, yes, but their gift shop is really a great untapped resource of amazing art and design books. They have design-related gifts as well, stuff like bags and...
The Cooper Hewitt is a great museum, yes, but their gift shop is really a great untapped resource of amazing art and design books. They have design-related gifts as well, stuff like bags and office-type stuff, but the books are really the selling point for me. I can always find a great gift here, regardless of whether I stop into the rest of the museum or not.
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The AMNH is amazing -- not only can you pay what you wish (which, as a poor student, I always appreciate), but there is something for everyone. From the cultural histories of the planet's many...
The AMNH is amazing -- not only can you pay what you wish (which, as a poor student, I always appreciate), but there is something for everyone. From the cultural histories of the planet's many different peoples to an amazing record of animal life, the AMNH is never, ever dull. I love to go there and draw -- it's a great place for inspiration as well as a good spot to do research on texture and color. On the weekends it is swarming with children, but they're all having such a great time looking at such amazing things (you hear "wwwwoooooooaaaahhhhhh" over and over) that they never get on my nerves. The dinosaur halls are always packed, but worth a fly-by. Don't miss the cultural halls and the numerous galleries of stuffed animal exhibits (creepy but incredbile). The relatively new Rose Center and Planetarium is worth half a day on it's own, and on weekend nights they do light and laser shows in the dome. All in all, the AMNH is a great place to take kids, go on a date, or wander solo. Something for everyone and it never disappoints.
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Forbidden Planet has a really nice selection of comic books, art books, movie toys and merchandise, action figures, t-shirts and more. The fleet of cute nerds behind the counters know their stuff...
Forbidden Planet has a really nice selection of comic books, art books, movie toys and merchandise, action figures, t-shirts and more. The fleet of cute nerds behind the counters know their stuff and can help you find what you're looking for. While I was in art school, I used to go several times a month and stock up on the old cheap comics that they sell for a quarter in the back, for use in my various homework projects. FP is a lot of fun, and everyone is welcome, from the nerd on a mission to the casual browser. Great location in Union Square makes it a perfect place to wander in and out of while waiting for a movie or dinner reservations.
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For some reasons, my friends all seem to want to celebrate their birthdays at the Maritime Hotel Bar. I'm not really a hotel bar type of person, but I do enjoy going to the Maritime. The bar is...
For some reasons, my friends all seem to want to celebrate their birthdays at the Maritime Hotel Bar. I'm not really a hotel bar type of person, but I do enjoy going to the Maritime. The bar is french bistro meets Hollywood, the lights are just the right level and there is plenty of eye candy. The servers are all a bit on the snooty side at first but then gradually thaw into smiles, the hosts are always amusingly tipsy, and the bartenders make a killer mojito. As I'm not a connoisseur of hotel bars, I can't really say if the Maritime holds its own, but I have fun every time. There is a relatively high atmosphere of pretention and possibility, but at a place like this that's to be expected. There is usually at least one celebrity on the premises or high profile party going on in another part of the hotel, which creates a certain amount of buzz. I dunno, for me, it's a novelty night out in an atmosphere that I don't usually frequent. Oh, and they have an incredible white pizza.
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