A Downtown Holiday Gift Guide for Any Budget
It’s the holiday season once more, and this year, we’re about giving back as much as we are giving forward. Local businesses have been hard-hit by the pandemic, and they’d love your support — plus, they’ve got a great selection of gifts for your friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, third cousin’s sister-in-law, you name it.
To facilitate all your local holiday shopping, this year the Downtown Alliance has partnered with YouTube stars Sarah Funk and Luis Yanes for a fun, multilingual video showcase of the best gifts and experiences available to buy in Lower Manhattan this season.
No supply-chain backorders here! The video gift guide is split into five different price points, with ideas starting at $25 and under, and going all the way up to luxury coats and fountain pens for folks looking to drop the big bucks.
Check out the videos from Sarah and Luis below, and take a look at some of the holiday goodies Downtown has to offer.
$25 And Under
1- Eataly NYC Downtown (Westfield WTC)
Eataly’s Italian specialty grocery has you covered with handmade cheeses, fresh pastas, espresso beans and the finest quality seafood. A bottle of its truffle oil makes a perfect gift for the cook in your life.
2- Leo’s Bagels (3 Hanover Square)
“Leo’s” stands for the classic bagel breakfast “Lox, eggs & onions” — recommend trying their specialty as well as other bagel, cream cheese spreads and smoked fish offerings. (3 Hanover Square)
3- Barclay Rex (126 Pearl Street)
This century-old cigar outfit has all the pipes, lighters and cutters to accompany a nice tasty stogie for your old man to roast by the couch (with the windows open). Pick up any hand-rolled custom smoke by making an easy reservation online.
4- SeaGlass Carousel (The Battery)
The mystical underwater experience is the most unique carousel in the city, and a ride on it costs only $5. Riders sit in an iridescent fish that glides through a 360-degree aquatic adventure.
5- Wavertree (Pier 16)
The 1885 ship Wavertree lets visitors see how people worked and lived aboard a sailing cargo vessel, with tours of the main deck, galley, quarter deck and captain’s saloon. A tour is included in the Seaport Museum’s free general admission, but reservations are required.
6-Midtown Comics (64 Fulton Street)
The place for everything for the comics nerd on your list, from the latest mainstream comics and obscure graphic novels to collectibles like Funko Pops and other action figures. Ask the knowledgeable staff for recommendations, or grab a gift card.
7- Optima Beauty Supply (22 John Street)
Optima has a bevy of reasonably priced pore-refining skincare products to select from.
8-Kidville (40 Gold Street)
The boutique at Kidville, the mini-chain that offers playspaces, classes, camps, haircuts and more for kids, stocks local specialty items and popular vendors. Pick up non-toxic nail polish for kids, fairy wings, board books and teddy bears here, all for under $25.
$100 And Under
9-Alamo Drafthouse (28 Liberty Street)
Manhattan’s first outpost of Alamo Drafthouse finally opened this year, just in time to treat the cinephile in your life this holiday season. A gift card for $90 will cover tickets and food for two.
10-Sephora (Westfield WTC)
The holidays are as good a time as any to make skincare a priority and Sephora has countless giftable treats that will make your face glow.
11–Funny Face Bakery (6 Fulton Street)
The destination for lovers of baked goods and pop culture memes, with seasonal cookies shaped like Kevin McAllister, Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell in “Elf,” or deliciously gooey traditional shaped ones. A variety box of 12 cookies for $50 makes a great seasonal treat.
12-Fraunces Tavern (54 Pearl Street)
The historic tavern where George Washington once gathered is a must-see for history buffs. You can share a piece of its history this holiday with a $95 gin and tonic gift basket, featuring Dingle Original Gin, a bottle of tonic, two stem glasses, juniper berries, fresh fruit and a recipe card.
13-Magic Mix (102 Fulton Street)
Gift someone with a happy and healthy de-stressed body via this one-day cleanse, consisting of three nourishing meals, three cold-pressed juices, one shot and two adaptogens. There are also two-day and three-day options if you need a little extra detox — ‘tis the holiday season, after all.
14-GoldenBar (Westfield WTC)
This Miami-flavored boutique offers an eclectic assortment of clothes, accessories and homegoods for the glow-up we all deserve. All items are handpicked by CEO Leslie Ames, who has professed her “love” for “little boutiques full of local handmade jewelry and independent labels, not chains where you find yourself wearing the same dress at a party as someone else.”
$250 And Under
15-Vintry Fine Wines (230 Murray Street)
Offering 2,500 hand-picked bottles from all regions and within all price ranges, the Lower Manhattan wine shop has something for everyone. Staff can recommend the perfect bottle gift to anyone.
16- One World Observatory (117 West Street)
Gain a new perspective of our beautiful city from the top of One World Trade Center. Two all-inclusive tickets including vouchers for dining cost $126.
17- Toytoise (Westfield WTC)
Toytoise’s $195 dimmable, LED “BIRD” table lamp features sleek lines and a touch sensor at the base. Give short taps to yield three brightness levels, and long presses trigger gradual illumination. This is a great desk lamp or side table.
18- Wall Street Bath and Spa (88 Fulton Street)
A traditional 15-minute Platza for two ($100, plus $100 for entry for two is a classic Russian spa treatment that involves getting beaten lightly by an olive branch, which sounds scary but is surprisingly invigorating. Your giftee can pair their treatment with a steamy schvitz and dip in a cold pool.
The $175 Togiharu PRO Gyuto is a versatile chef’s knife that can be used for cutting meat, fish and vegetables — making it suitable for preparing any Western cuisine. Lightweight and thin, Japanese chef knives are reputed for quality blades that maintain their sharpness longer than most other chef knives.
20- Goldish (71 Murray Street)
The Ladders to Bliss hand chain at $177 makes for a versatile talisman, worn on the hands or as a necklace and as a lux everyday item suitable for even swimming, stretching or any of life’s adventures.
$500 And Under
21- SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker (93 South Street)
The Paley ($425) is the perfect companion for any occasion.
22- Phillip William Poster Museum (122 Chambers Street)
Philip Williams’s gargantuan in-store collection boasts colorful prints, vintage posters and unique typographical art. You could spend days here.
23- Casa Cipriani (10 South Street)
Treat yourself to a $250–$500 spa experience at Casa Cipriani, that recently reopened in the iconic 1906 Battery Maritime Building. In addition to an all-day pampering, stick around for its five floors of rooms and amenities spread across 110,000 square feet, including 47 uniquely decorated hotel rooms and suites, with lots of balconies offering views of the East River, Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty.
24-City Blossoms (62 Trinity Place)
Whether purchasing to-go bouquets or designing an exquisite floral centerpiece, this family-run operation will ensure a beautiful arrangement. (62 Trinity Pl.)
25-Chikarashi Isso (38 Rector Street)
For the person who has it all, bet they haven’t had a personal dining experience enveloped by chef Michael Jong Lim’s interpretation of kappo-style cuisine.
Price Is No Object
26-SAGA (70 Pine Street)
Treat your significant other (and yourself) to dinner for two ($245 per person, plus drinks) while enjoying SAGA’s panoramic views of the city.
27- Fountain Pen Hospital (10 Warren Street)
The 75-year-old Fountain Pen Hospital is Mecca for fancy fine-writing instruments of all types. Let the experts at the shop help you choose a gift for the writer in your life; $1,500 will get you a classy, limited edition or vintage writing pen.
28- Norwegian Wool (Brookfield Place)
Norwegian Wood’s stylish, Italian-made winter “City Coat” is made of soft, super-fine virgin wool with a water-resistant outer coating that’ll protect it from the elements. Extra-deep pockets will hold all your cold-weather knicknacks, and the sleeves can be tailored to your giftee’s measurements.
Or check out the guide in Spanish, courtesy of El Mundo De Luis.
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