Help me focus my shopping efforts?

February 19, 2007 7:33 AM

Can you please offer your personal recommendations for shopping Indian/Turkish/Tibetan/Moroccan "stuff" in New York City?

Spending this weekend in New York, but mostly following the "group" agenda, so I don't have a lot of time to wander on my own. I'm interested in recommendations for shops that carry beautiful, worldly, "global bazaar"-type stuff (hopefully without spending the earth!). Housewares, decorative personal and home accessories, other "stuff". I adore jewelry, and make my own, so shopping for inspiration or for supplies is always fun. Food markets are good, too, because I know some typically carry kitchen items. I've been to Do Kham, and I love to browse the main floor of ABC Carpet and Home for inspiration (but the prices! oh dear!). Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

posted by ersatzkat to Shopping (4 answers total)

While looking up the address for a Tibetan gift shop on Carmine Street near my work, I stumbled across this list. Down near the bottom, you'll find shops, bookstores and restaurants.
posted by JaredSeth at 9:06 AM on February 19, 2007

Contained on the list JaredSeth linked to is a listing for Tsampa, a Tibetan restaurant on E. 9th Street. Though this has little to do with your question (and I apologize for that), I cannot help but emphatically recommend that you eat at least one meal there. The food is sensationally good, the prices are great, the atmosphere is top notch, and I'd even bet that the friendly waitstaff (all Tibetan, as far as I know) could make some specific recommendations about Tibetan shops in the area. Call it a research trip.
posted by saladin at 9:29 AM on February 19, 2007

For Indian stuff, take the 6 train to 28th street and head to the intersection of 28th and Lexington. There you will find a concentration of little Indian stores with every conceivable brand of subcontinental wonderful in stock.

Or you could take the 7 train to 74th street in Jackson Heights, but you said your time was limited.

And the 7 train bites the big hairy fat one.
posted by jason's_planet at 10:04 AM on February 19, 2007

For Indian stuff you could also check out the Jersey City's little india. Take the PATH train to Journal Square, walk a few blocks north on JFK Avenue, and take a left onto Newark Ave (fight your urge to hit up the White Castle on the corner). You will find dozens of Indian shops (food and decor) and restaurants on the next two blocks of Newark Ave.
posted by ripple at 8:05 PM on February 19, 2007