Three Cool Holiday Shopping Pop Ups

 

Upper West Side: Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store 

view from the street of holiday shopping pop up the Blue Ribbon General Store with stocking and hats tied to streamers dangling in front of the window and shoppers in the background

Ann Lopatin, aka Annie Lo, has a good eye and an even better sense of fun, both of which are everywhere in evidence in this spacious Upper West Side version of her beloved Brooklyn "Urban General Store". In true holiday shopping pop up style, the space here–in the old Pricewise Discount on Broadway between 88th and 89th–is a little rough around the edges, decor-wise, but you'd be hard-pressed NOT to find an unexpected gift or three for people up and down your list. From stocking stuffers (a fish stapler! peppermint taffy! envirosax!) to toys and games (roadtrip bingo! bucky balls!) to just flat-out way-cool awesomeness (pack of 12 Lucha Libre wrestler dolls! Eiffel Tower cheese grater!), the stock at the Blue Ribbon General Store pop up will change almost daily, as Annie sells out and replenishes, sells out and replenishes. Open now through December 24, on Broadway between 88th and 89th Streets. Go early and often.    

Inside the Blue Ribbon General Store packed full of tables with clocks, artwork, books and fun gifts

A wooden shelf with wood baskets full of small stocking stuffer gifts at the holiday pop Blue Ribbon General Store

A giant martini glass in the foreground and tables filled with holiday shoppping goodies

 

Midtown: Cool Hunting for Gap

A glass an metal lamp dangles from the ceiling while three women shop at the cool hunting holiday shopping pop up

Cool Hunting has long been one of our most reliable go-to websites for gift ideas (and for all other hot-new-design ideas). This year, in addition to the Cool Hunting as-usual exhaustive online gift guide, Cool Hunting has opened an impeccably curated holiday shopping pop up, courtesy of, all people, the Gap. The Cool Hunting pop-up is (appropriately, given its high-rent Fifth Avenue address) more finished than most–dig those bark-covered walls and crazy chandeliers–but the real draw here is the outstanding selection, of jewelry and books and foodstuffs and kitchenware and electronics and bags and skate decks and… well, it's pretty hard to believe how many "want" items we found crammed into this tiny space. Don't miss it. Cool Hunting for Gap is open now through January 2, on Fifth Avenue between 53rd and 54th Streets. 

A dark wood wall adorded with painted skateboards, books, trophies, and other fun holiday shopping gifts

A young women looking at the gifts available at the Cool Hunting holiday shopping pop up

A black and white painting set behind a bike and wood shelves full of books, ceramics and other fun holiday shopping gifts

 

 

Lower East Side: American Design Club Presents Black Market 

A young girl walking by the Black Market holiday shopping pop up with black trim, metal staircase leading up and a gnome graffiti wall next to it

First, please note that this terrific little two-tiered holiday shopping pop up just south of Houston is only open through Monday, December 6. So the time to get over there and check out all of the supremely cool goodies is now. Or, um, anytime this weekend. The focus of the Black Market pop up is the independent designer (think: Etsy-ish), via the great American Design Club, and we loved everything about this place, from its often one-of-a-kind offerings (including prototypes!) to its reasonable prices to its festive vibe and the fact that, at least when we were there, several of the designers were hanging around and more than willing to chat about their creations. Yes, there's a bit of a tag sale feel to some of the displays, especially on the lower level, but what the Black Market pop up it lacks in slickness it more than makes up for in the originality of its wares. Open now through Monday December 6, at the Cuturefix Gallery on Clinton Street between Houston and Stanton. 

A man shopping for headphones and a woman looking at gifts on a wooden shelf at the Black Market holiday shopping pop up

Plastic molded cups in the shape of paint brushes, plates and bowls on a table at the Black Market

Tables and walls adorned with books, artwork, stuffed animals, jewelry, fabrics, and more at the Black Market holiday shopping pop up

Posted in NYC Events | Tagged