Present-ing the 2024 Downtown Gift Shopping Matrix

Shepherded in, as always, by the dulcet tones of Mariah Carey, the holiday season is now upon us, which means it’s time to tackle those gift wish lists if you haven’t already. To help you out, over on Instagram we put together the Downtown Gift Shopping Matrix, which will point you in the right direction for all your present-purchasing needs.

Composed almost entirely of small businesses, our last matrix of 2024 breaks down the local shopping scene into four quadrants: Traditional, Splurge, Surprising and Savvy. For out-of-the-box options, look to your right: these shops are offering unique clothing pieces, rare wines, curated books, vintage art, handmade items and bold accessories. To your left, you’ll find classics you can’t go wrong with: fine jewelry, luxe floral arrangements, melt-in-your-mouth chocolates, specialty beauty and grooming services, hearty spirits and local provisions. Move up and down along the Savvy/Splurge axis as your heart and budget desires, and we guarantee the gift gears will start turning. 

For more gift-shopping ideas, peruse our Shop Dine Guide, which features 179 pages of restaurants, bars, local resources, retailers, attractions and more. And be sure to check out our bar and coffee shop matrices on IG, with more in the works for 2025!

main image: FXQuadro / iStock