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| umbrella cane from Rain or Shine |
I’m
not sure when it happened - That moment when the giant retail stores took over
the world with the concept of the “One-Stop-Shop”. But after several decades of
ever expanding big-box stores that sell everything from
groceries to swimsuits under one roof, it’s refreshing to encounter a specialty store.
groceries to swimsuits under one roof, it’s refreshing to encounter a specialty store.
Visiting
a store that sells one thing only gives you the opportunity to really focus on
what you want and need in the item you’re buying, and also provides you with a
wider, more interesting selection. And New York City still has a few of these
shops, all of which are worth a special trip.
Instead
of grabbing that cheap umbrella from a street vendor at the first sign of rain
drops, why not be a little more stylish and carry a chic umbrella that elevates
your whole outfit? Nestled in the shadow of Grand Central Station in New York
City, is Rain or Shine, a shop that specializes in umbrellas. Beautiful,
colorful, fanciful umbrellas from all over the world. They carry umbrellas from
designers like Francesco Maglia,
Fox, and
Jean Paul Gaultier.
These
umbrellas aren’t cheap – their price range from $30 to $250. But one big bonus
is that for just a few bucks they will also repair your umbrella if it breaks. Rain or shine also sells beautiful walking
sticks and canes as well as parasols.
Father’s
Day is coming… wouldn’t Dad look dapper with a new umbrella?
Rain or Shine is
at 45 East 45th Street (between Madison & Vanderbilt)
New York, NY 10017I
http://www.rainorshine.biz/
New York, NY 10017I
http://www.rainorshine.biz/
Fishs Eddy
Give
your breakfast or dinner table a little personality by mixing and matching
classic old-fashioned dinnerware from Fishs Eddy. Filled with piles of plates,
glassware, flatware, serve-ware and linens, this corner store always gives me
the feeling of going back to an earlier time-when comfort food was
comforting. They started out selling used restaurant dinner plates and have since expanded to a wide variety of decorative items (Imagine enjoying your morning coffee at home in a heavy, hearty diner-style mug). Most items are sold individually, so you can buy as few or as many as you like.
comforting. They started out selling used restaurant dinner plates and have since expanded to a wide variety of decorative items (Imagine enjoying your morning coffee at home in a heavy, hearty diner-style mug). Most items are sold individually, so you can buy as few or as many as you like.
There
are also sets that feature a variety of New York themes – “Bridge & Tunnel”,
“Brooklyn”, even “restaurant sanitary inspection grades” (a joke only a New
Yorker would get), and also off-beat items like math book themed cups and
ceramic serving plates that look like ruled notebook pages.
At
the back of the store, there’s a room labeled “Cheap China” where you can find
discounted pieces like $2.00 glass saucers, inexpensive every-day glassware,
and teapots.
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| The back-store at Fishs Eddy |
Other
nice discoveries include a generous selection of old fashioned glass mason
jars, vacuum sealed bottles for oils and dressings, glass salt and pepper
shakers, beautiful dish cloths with antique designs, and even a few small pieces
of rustic furniture.
Fishs Eddy is at 889 Broadway
(19th Street), New York, NY 10003 / www.fishseddy.com
For
the serious cooks, this store’s specialty
is kitchen tools. Heavy cast-iron pots from Le Creuset, juicers, wooden spoons,
cutting boards, pepper grinders, mixers, strainers, poachers, high-end chefs'
knives and way more than I could list here. There’s even a whole back room dedicated
to baking accessories -- rolling pins, cake decorating tools, mixing bowls, silicone
baking molds, and a great array of cookie cutters.
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| Knuckle Pounder Meat Tenderizer from Whisk |
A
nice surprise to me is their collection of Moroccan cookware (Just to get you
in the mood, there’s a cookbook with recipes for couscous).
You
can unleash your inner-chef, or make this a gift stop. Pick up a few items to
wrap now and give away when those birthdays, holidays and showers find their
way onto your calendar.
Whisk is at 933
Broadway (near 22nd street), New York, NY 10010 /www.whisknyc.com/
Contributor: J. Davis Kone, NYC