Ochre. New York, NY

Ochre is a home goods store located in the heart of Soho. The showroom is stunning and romantic. Every piece sold here was made by incredibly talented designers. Ochre sells a a great collection of lighting fixtures, rustic furniture and beautiful tableware. This is a beautiful place to visit for gift shopping and home decoration projects

Barbara Shaum. New York, NY

Anyone that knows me personally knows my love for leather goods. This studio in the heart of the Lower East Side is the biggest gemstone of my trip to New York. The place is small and unmarked, I just happened to be walking by it and noticed some leather sandals on the display window. I walked in and found the most wonderful leather shop I have ever been in. Barbara Shaum has owned her business for decades and she still runs it successfully.

They handcraft every order of shoes, boots, sandals and bags right in the studio. I felt very lucky to be able to go inside this treasure. The studio is only open from Wednesdays to Saturdays from 1pm to 6pm. I was overwhelmed with Barbara’s passion and commitment to keeping it handcrafted and traditional.

If you are interested in shoe making, crafts or leather goods you should stop by to visit Barbara. The shop is located on 60 East Fourth Street in New York.

Artesana Interiors. New York, NY

Artesana Interiors is a store that offers tiles, furnishings and antiques in New York City. Every tile and furniture displayed is exotic and sophisticated, most of the items are made and brought from Morocco. You can feel that every piece in the store was carefully chosen and handcrafted. I am in love with their giant tile collection. Tiles can be a great source of inspiration and here are my four favorite designs. These tiles show a great combination of colors and beautiful patterns.

Artesana Interiors is located 36 West 21st St. They have an incredibly inspiring showroom, you’ll feel you are walking into an artisans market.

Partners And Spade. New York, NY

Partners and Spade is a studio that gathers a collection of the similar vintage products and then sells them. The space is set up to display all the sets and you can buy one of the pieces or get the whole collection. The  cool thing about it is that if you choose to buy just one piece, you know that other people will have part of the whole set as well. It’s like just buying one piece of a puzzle. They are only open on the weekends or you can call ahead to make an appointment during the week. Visit their website here.

Jonathan Adler. New York, NY

Jonathan Adler is one of the most joyful homegoods designers in America. He brings brightness and happiness to any home. I visited his store in Soho and I was in shoceked with all the color and graphics in his collection. Jonathan Alder is a modern designer with a fun spirit which you can feel when you walk into his store or visit his website.

Brocade Home. Soho, New York

Brocade is a store I stumbled upon in New York, they specialize in products with beautiful latices patterns. They not only sell wall paper but also furniture, accessories and bedding. Everything revolves around these patterns, they have a small collection of colors which makes their line stand out even more.  Their store is in Soho on 59 Greene St.

I love fill patterns that create a mood in a room, this is the perfect example of one. This is romantic, sophisticated and simple. The greatest thing about their black and white patterns is that they go with anything you already have at home. Their patterns can dress up a room in a matter of seconds.

Azuki. New York, NY.

Azuki is a great sushi  restaurant in New York. We all know that the city is known for expensive dining and drinking but Azuki is not like that. My friends come to Azuki on Thursdays because of one of the greatest specials I’ve heard in a sushi restaurant. When you buy $15 worth of food you get unlimited wine or sake. I bought 3 rolls and was completely full and the wine was really good, we had great time. They have a wide variety of rolls and sashimi to choose from.

I was so excited to be in the city on a Thursday because I was finally able to try the infamous Azuki. Azuki is located on Park Avenue between 19th and 20th St.

Rugby. New York, NY.

After dinner I was on my way to  meet my friends and I just had to stop by the Rugby store. This store is conveniently located near Jnion Square, where I spent most of my day, as you can see in my previous postings. Rugby is a brand made by Ralph Lauren and it’s inspired by Ivy league schools and rugby uniforms.

Their clothing line is consistent with colors, patterns and graphics every season. They have woman’s clothing that are preppy with a rebel twist. The store always makes you feel as if you are walking into a rugby fraternity house. It has all types of in-store displays and decorations. You might even be overwhelmed with the amount of visuals thrown at you but I like their light hearten line for men and women. Rugby lets you be preppy and edge at the same time. Visit their website here.

Havana Central. New York, NY.

After a long day in the city I went for dinner at Havana Central in Union Square. They got really good Cuban food and specials every day of the week. My favorite specials are on Tuesdays and Thursdays when they have $1 Empanadas and $5 Mojitos.  My dinner consisted of a few appetizers, I couldn’t decide for one so I had to go for the Chicken Tamales, the beef Empanada and the Grilled Corn.

For anyone that hasn’t eaten Cuban food, it is Caribbean oriented. Rice and Beans are a staple of Cuban cuisine but they got a lot more than that, they have wonderful meats, spices and desserts. Most Cuban restaurants offer grilled corn and everyone in the world deserves to try it. The corn is grilled and then rolled on cheese and spices, it’s amazing!

Havana has three locations in New York City, visit their website here to learn more about their specials at each location.

Kidding Around. New York, NY.

Kidding Around is a fantastic toy store in NYC. I never heard of it before but I was really happy I found it. The store is located on 60 West 15th street and is filled with the most classic toys around. They gather the best wooden toys, stuffed animals, dolls and mobiles around.

I feel like a child walking in the store, there is so much to look at and play with! This is not a big store but there is something to be said about the independant store owners and the benefits of going to your local shops. They not only sell toys but they sell their history with it, you feel like part of the family here. I love toy stores and this one is one of my favorites!