NYC Downtown Gems ....

And so my little trip to the Big Apple has concluded... I stayed in the best location right smack in the middle of fabulous Soho and spent the week exploring Soho, Nolita, Noho, East and West Village haunts. With no specific plan, armed with a map and a willing boyfriend we took side streets and wandered and wandered stumbling upon some amazing stores. All these neighbourhoods downtown have secret little gems of shops that will really inspire you. Each one unique in what they are doing.I love that really specialist places can exist here. These were a few of the most inspiring.


The Evolution Store

120 Spring Street, Soho
website:The Evolution Store

Right beside my apartment I found this store with a skeleton outside and a window display beckoning me to enter this weird and wonderful world. A cave of animal treasures this store would be ideal for natural history lovers. They had everything from jewellery made from insects (beetle wing earrings),anatomical models, skulls, taxidermy animals, shells and fossils and they even mount their own insects there (none endangered Species)in their entomology department. Now I am not a bit fan of creepy crawlies or stuffed animals but you can't but find a place as specialist as this inspiring. Seriously worth checking out.


storefront and taxidermy

framed butterflies and insect lollies yum yum!



















Search and Destroy

25 St. Marks Place, East Village
Website: all in Japanese unreadable!

This is a great punk/ rock n roll style vintage shop with cute Japanese staff selling customised studded docs and motorcycle jackets, bondage gear, military gear, band tees and loads of accessories. Quite pricey with some studded jackets in the mid hundreds. Hanging around this area are lots of pockets of rebellious looking teens with multi - coloured hair and piercings.The decor of this store again makes it unique with scary clown faced mannequins and mannequins tied in bondage style hanging from the ceiling. Also seen were mannequins with sawn off body parts and faked to look mutilated. Kinda gross but again really creatively inspiring! Promise I will do a pretty place next......
















GaGa's favourite studded jacket is from
Search & Destroy!













Pilgrim NYC
70 Orchard Street, Lower East Side Website: Pilgrim NYC

Co-owned by Richard Ives and Brian Bennet this store is part boutique and part art gallery. They have a collection of amazing high end vintage from designers such as Lanvin, Oleg Cassini and and Cacharel among others as well as their own Pilgrim line designed by Richard. This is all against a back drop of beautiful pottery and art with some abstract paintings by Brian the co-owner. They are renowned for their high end vintage pieces all from top secret Parisian vendors. On my trip they had an amazing vintage Chanel window with loads of beautiful jewellery and handbags.






























And Finally you just have to visit this one......

Patricia Field
302 Bowery Website: Patricia Field

This is one I had listed as wanting to visit but accidentally stumbled upon it on my travels. Always a bonus! The infamous store of the infamous Sex and The City stylist Patricia Field is just incredible. Encompassing two floors you are hit with a birage of leopard print, bondage gear, feather boas, mesh necklaces, multicoloured fur tail clips, and rhinestone hat creations. It is a mecca for the fashion lover. Carrying mainly Patricia's own off beat whacky label and also TomTom. Prices are not scary here. Downstairs is menswear aswell as hair and make-up. You can meet anyone in there on a Saturday afternoon from a 6 foot transvestite to a downtown hipster or even a celeb.