Yes, Amazon is putting down roots in New York City, but that doesn’t mean it qualifies as a place to shop local. Better to keep your holiday business in Brooklyn, if you can, where we’re surrounded by makers, designers and creative shopkeepers. To guide your holiday shopping, we’ve curated a diverse selection of gift ideas (with links to buy). All these items were made, designed or stocked here by local merchants.
You can also shop Brooklyn at the site IntoBrooklyn, consult the retail guide at Explore Brooklyn, or check out the gift guide of one of our Brooklyn colleagues. Found any other great Brooklyn products people should know about? Please share in comments. Happy holidays!
For Your Green-thumbed Mom
Hanging plants may be all the rage, but the hanging apparatus often leaves something to be desired. Not so with this 30-inch leather beaut, handmade by a husband-and-wife team. Holds a four-inch pot. $60 at Polt, 390 Van Brunt St.
For Your Sneakerhead Teen
Reebok recently released a collab with Pyer Moss’s founder, the Brooklyn streetwear darling Kerby Jean-Raymond. One standout: This boxy, 100% cotton “As USA as U” men’s tee. $90 at Reebok.com.
For Literary Types
The New York Times called the Russian-born Brooklynite’s first novel, published in July, “artful and autumnal”: “He writes incisively about … how it is easier to fight for your principles than live up to them.” A Terrible Country by Keith Gessen, $26 at Books Are Magic, 225 Smith St.
For Your Caffeine-addict Brother
Brooklyn coffee roasters Anu Menon and Suyog Mody select four outstanding single-origin whole-bean coffees, each with a different flavor profile (balanced, bold, classic, and fruity). Countries of origin may vary. Four 4-oz. packages in one gift box. World Explorers Coffee Sampler, $32 from Driftaway Coffee at Uncommon Goods.
For Women Who Love Jewelry
These simple handmade earrings measure 2.5 inches in diameter and are handmade in Brooklyn. Disk Hoops Brass by Lila Rice, $198 at Swords-Smith, 98 S. 4th St., Williamsburg.
For Fidgeters Who Are So Over Fidget Spinners
Wobbals, pronounced wob-bles, are exactly what they sound like. Half of each ball is solid brass; the other half solid wood. Set of three, $60 at Richard Clarkson Studio.
For Typeface Enthusiasts
Brooklyn artist Paul Smotrys makes these “Empire’ freestanding aluminum letters and numbers to order. Four inches tall, $10 each at Gauge NYC via Etsy.
For Fashion-forward Women
Perhaps the perfect ankle boot: black nappa leather, pointed (but not too) toe, walkable cylinder-shaped mid-heel in classic red. Designed by Brooklyn-based Silvia Avanzi and made in Italy. Gray Matters Monika Boot in Nero Ruggine, $595.
For Your Uncle With Lower-back Problems
Backed in linen and handmade in Flatbush from genuine African mud cloth, these cream-and-black “Nina” pillow covers have an unexpectedly modern vibe, $30 from Stitched by Grace at Coterie Brooklyn.
For Your Favorite Bathroom
Deep-six the plastic bathroom cups for these stoneware versions, dimpled for a good grip. Hand-thrown in Brooklyn by Andrea Juda and Kristin Mueller. Dimple Tumbler, $20, from Slip Clayware via Etsy.
For Your Trump-hating Brother
This lefty answer to the MAGA hat was designed by Williamsburg artist/writer/activist Celine Semaan and made in USA. The “No” baseball cap, “unlike the other red hats we have seen too many of,” $40 at the Slow Factory.
For Your Aunt Who Needs a Stress Reliever
Everything she’ll need to knit a super cute Fair Isle-style wool hat, packaged in a gift box. Lucerne Knitting Kit, $40, from Brooklyn Tweed.
For Your Sister Who Wants You to Bring the Hors d’Oeuvres
You’ll get three to four artisanal cheeses, three accompaniments, and crackers. Petite cheese platter, $75, from Belle Cheese at City Point’s DeKalb Market Hall, 445 Albee Square West. Place your order at the store in Downtown Brooklyn or email info@bellecheese.com.
For a Whimsy-loving Sort
Founded by South African-born designer Jann Cheifitz, Lucky Fish makes these organic, lavender-scented sculpted soaps in Sunset Park’s Industry City. Hand soap, $16, from Lucky Fish.
For the Spouse Who Keeps Throwing Dry Cleaning on the Sofa and Leaving It There
Manufactured in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, this eye-catching hook is glamorous enough to affix to the outside of your closet. Lucite and brass eight-inch projection hook, $70 by Lux Holdups via Etsy.
For the Minimalist
A 3mm white diamond clings to a solid 14k yellow-gold chain, adjustable from 15 to 17 inches, by a platinum ring drilled into the stone. Diamond Pinprick Necklace, $388, from Catbird, 219 Bedford Ave., Williamsburg.
For Your Friend Who Has Everything
Korea-born Brooklyn artist KangHee Kim uses mirrored images of bricks and custom-shaped pieces to create two different puzzles that can be completed separately or together. Puzzle in Puzzle, $20, from Areaware, 267 Irving Ave.