The most wonderful time of the year has snuck up on us once again. And as New Yorkers know, it’s easy to get caught up in the festivities and put off your holiday shopping. If you’re scrambling to find gifts for your city-dwelling friends and family — or an aspirational New Yorker — don’t fret. Here are 10 perfect New York gift ideas.
Table of Contents
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East Village
173 Avenue A
$3,195No Fee
1 |
1
Lenox Hill
350 East 65th Street
$2,875No Fee
1 |
1
East Harlem
342 East 110th Street
$2,700No Fee
1 |
1
Nolita
6 Spring Street
$3,375No Fee
1 |
1
Turtle Bay
246 East 46th Street
$3,400No Fee
Studio |
1
Lincoln Square
138 West 72nd Street
$2,700No Fee
1 |
1
Nolita
278 Mott Street
$3,195No Fee
1 |
1
Little Italy
139 Mulberry Street
$3,150No Fee
1 |
1
Nolita
278 Mott Street
$2,895No Fee
Studio |
1
Inwood
65 Cooper Street
$2,500No Fee
1 |
1
Upper West Side
170 West 74th Street
$3,495No Fee
Studio |
1
East Village
45 First Avenue
$3,395No Fee
1 |
1
For the transit lover
There’s nothing more fitting for a populous that’s obsessed (consumed? disgruntled?) with the city’s transportation system than a subway-themed gift. From the New York Transit Museum Store, you can buy everything from MetroCard totes to subway-themed mugs and baby onesies.
You can purchase from the store online, or in-person at three different locations: the NY Transit Museum & Store in Downtown Brooklyn, the New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex & Store inside Grand Central Terminal, or the New York Transit Museum Shop in the Financial District. Check out the museum while you’re at it!
For the book lover
For the readers on your shopping list, go for New York-themed books. As you can imagine, there are countless fiction and non-fiction works on the subject. Local stores like The Strand and the Tenement Museum Shop have massive online and in-person selections of books about NYC. The Strand even offers a New York Collection bundle of used hardcover books on New York City history, culture, and more.
Literature fans will love Manhattan Beach by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jennifer Egan, a historical drama that takes place in 1940s Brooklyn. Or consider Colson Whitehead’s The Collosus of New York, an ultra-relatable collection of essays inspired by the city. For history fans, the acclaimed biography The Power Broker will give readers a thorough (like, 1,344-pages thorough) understanding of infamous city official Robert Moses and how he shaped New York into the metropolis we know today.
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Homecrest
1705 East 17th Street
$2,500No Fee
1 |
1
Brighton Beach
3017 Brighton Eighth Street
$2,399No Fee
1 |
1
Ditmas Park
1215 Ocean Avenue
$2,400No Fee
2 |
1
Crown Heights
874 Bergen Street
$2,650No Fee
1 |
1
Flatbush
515 Ocean Avenue
$2,720No Fee
1 |
1
Bedford-Stuyvesant
952 Bedford Avenue
$2,445No Fee
Studio |
1
Bedford-Stuyvesant
952 Bedford Avenue
$2,584No Fee
1 |
1
East New York
2437 Pitkin Avenue
$2,100No Fee
1 |
1
Prospect Park South
1702 Caton Avenue
$2,800No Fee
2 |
1
Bath Beach
37 Bay 26th Street
$1,850No Fee
1 |
1
Flatbush
300 Linden Boulevard
$1,899No Fee
1 |
1
Greenpoint
204 Kingsland Avenue
$2,900No Fee
1 |
1
For the financially-minded
There’s one New York gift idea that’ll always work when time is running out before the holidays: cash. And given the cost of living in NYC, New Yorkers need plenty of it.
A survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of StreetEasy asked New Yorkers about what they’d like to receive as a gift. When presented with the options of a vacation, money toward rent or a down payment, new electronics, or concert tickets, 2 out of 5 renters opted for the rent money, while 3 out of 10 aspiring buyers preferred money for a down payment. Recent sellers would also rather receive money toward a down payment on their next home than a trip or vacation. In other words, cash is king, especially for New Yorkers — and it’s an easy gift to give.
For the art and culture lover
You’ll never run out of gifts to give to the NYC culture hound in your life. But if you’re having a hard time choosing, here are a few ideas.
Jazz at Lincoln Center tickets or classes
As one of the leading jazz educational institutions and performance centers in the world, Jazz at Lincoln Center is a standout cultural institution in a city full of them. Give tickets to any of their stellar performances, or consider a Swing University class, where students learn about the history of jazz and how to appreciate the genre. Classes are held virtually, and can be purchased singularly or as a package.
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Astoria
31-42 32nd Street
$1,950No Fee
1 |
1
Astoria
42-07 Broadway
$1,950No Fee
Studio |
1
Kew Gardens
83-83 118th Street
$2,125No Fee
1 |
1
Maspeth
60-44 56th Street
$2,300No Fee
2 |
1
South Richmond Hill
121-06 109th Avenue
$2,000No Fee
1 |
1
Far Rockaway
20-40 Seagirt Boulevard
$1,725No Fee
1 |
1
Ridgewood
2020 Grove Street
$2,350No Fee
1 |
1
Flushing
143-51 Roosevelt Avenue
$1,550No Fee
Studio |
1
Astoria
27-10 30th Avenue
$1,945No Fee
Studio |
1
Astoria
25-66 48th Street
$2,450No Fee
2 |
1
Woodside
42-39 65th Street
$2,400No Fee
1 |
1
Jackson Heights
69-01 35th Avenue
$1,650No Fee
Studio |
1
NYC photography
Help your friends decorate their homes with famous New York photographs, like the one of those men lunching precariously on a skyscraper construction beam. If you want to pick up some cheap prints, you can find them at many stands near tourist-heavy spots, like Times Square or Columbus Circle. And if you want to class it up a bit, you can opt for framed prints or unique reproductions by vendors at NYC holiday markets or on sites like Etsy.
Museum memberships
A museum membership is a thoughtful gift that will keep on giving…at least until its expires. The Whitney Museum is expansive, hip, and has an outdoor terrace with Hudson River views for $90 per year. The Museum of Modern Art offers annual memberships for as low as $65, with higher tiers for the most dedicated of patrons. If you want to venture out of Manhattan and mix in a little nature with your nurture, think about a membership to the New York Botanical Garden or the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, whose exhibitions change with the seasons.
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Upper East Side
140 East 83rd Street
$635,000
Studio |
1
Flatiron
874 Broadway
$1,395,000
1 |
1
Hamilton Heights
504 West 136th Street
$900,000
2 |
2
Upper West Side
135 West 79th Street
$785,000
1 |
1
Lower East Side
199 Bowery
$1,100,000
1 |
1
Murray Hill
630 First Avenue
$1,185,000
1 |
2
Morningside Heights
527 West 110th Street
$627,000
2 |
2
Financial District
15 William Street
$895,000
Studio |
1.5
Turtle Bay
321 East 48th Street
$445,000
Studio |
1
Washington Heights
834 Riverside Drive
$349,000
2 |
1
Upper West Side
225 Central Park West
$525,000
Studio |
1
Sutton Place
420 East 55th Street
$645,000
1 |
1
Broadway tickets
Even if New Yorkers claim to hate Times Square, any sane person will make an exception for a Broadway show. If you’re looking to wow the lucky recipient, choose a coveted favorite like Hamilton, The Lion King, or Wicked. There are several resale and discount ticket sites and apps you can use to score a deal. If you want something a bit more low-key and less expensive, there are a slew of phenomenal off-Broadway theaters. Try Signature Theatre or Roundabout Theatre Company, which offer more intimate viewing experiences and top-notch performers, many of whom also work on more glitzy Broadway stages.
The New Yorker magazine subscription
Are you truly an NYC resident until you’re 20-plus weeks behind on your New Yorker pile? Give the gift of incredible long-form articles, restaurant recommendations, cultural commentary, and hilarious cartoons — all in one magazine that may take you an entire week to finish (in the best way!).
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East Flatbush
1731 Flatbush Avenue
$1,300,000
Studio |
3
Park Slope
130 8th Avenue
$399,000
Studio |
1
Park Slope
130 8th Avenue
$1,299,000
2 |
2
Bushwick
557 Hart Street
$635,000
1 |
1
Prospect Park South
15 East 19th Street
$1,050,000
2 |
2
Sheepshead Bay
2806 Ford Street
$899,999
4 |
2.5
Clinton Hill
361 Clinton Avenue
$799,000
1 |
1
East New York
497 New Jersey Avenue
$1,099,999
8 |
3
Williamsburg
490 Lorimer Street
$1,399,000
2 |
1.5
Williamsburg
490 Lorimer Street
$850,000
Studio |
1.5
Columbia St Waterfront District
250 Columbia Street
$975,000
2 |
1
Flatlands
1433 East 52nd Street
$450,000
1 |
1
For the sports fan
A love of sports runs deep in NYC’s pulsing, concrete-enshrouded heart, and team loyalties will always be a point of both pride and contention. Any Modell’s location in the city will have an array of local team gear. Or, browse the MLB Store for hats and jerseys from New York’s two baseball clubs. Whatever you’re gifting, though, don’t choose wrong — a Yankees fan will scoff at a Mets hat, and a Mets fan will certainly throw that Yankees jersey in the donation pile.
If you want to go all out, why not surprise and delight with tickets to a game? There are still a few games left in the NFL season, and the NHL season goes to mid-April. Tickets for next year’s MLB season are usually available this time of year, too. Grab home game tickets for the Giants, Jets, Rangers, Islanders, Yankees, or Mets.
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Woodhaven
78-07 101st Avenue
$858,000
4 |
2
Kew Gardens Hills
150-38 Union Tnpk
$488,000
1 |
1
Hunters Point
11-12 44 Drive
$999,000
1 |
1
Sunnyside
41-15 44th Street
$499,000
1 |
1
Rego Park
98-120 Queens Boulevard
$339,000
1 |
1
Astoria
25-40 Shore Boulevard
$749,000
1 |
1
Woodside
59-11 Queens Boulevard
$395,000
1 |
1
Middle Village
76-14 57 Road
$875,000
3 |
2
Woodside
55-03 31st Avenue
$310,000
1 |
1
Springfield Gardens
137-33 Bedell Street
$629,000
3 |
2
Forest Hills
77-35 113rd Street
$329,000
1 |
1
Jackson Heights
78-10 34th Avenue
$550,000
2 |
1
For the New York foodie
New Yorkers love — no, adore — their bagels and lox, and you can fuel their affair with a Russ & Daughters gift basket. The beloved Lower East Side institution first opened its doors in 1914, and has been wooing locals with perfect bagels and fresh fish ever since. Show your friends and family that you know good New York bagels when you see them.
If you have another spot in mind for the foodie on your list, Goldbelly offers a variety of specialties from legendary NYC purveyors like Barney Greengrass, Levain Bakery, John’s of Bleecker Street, Gramercy Tavern, and more. They deliver nationwide, so you can gift a little taste of New York to your loved ones even if they don’t call it home!