With the holiday season in full swing here in NYC, it’s time to start checking off items from your shopping list! Here at Secret NYC, we love supporting local businesses and one-of-a-kind stores and restaurants that you can only find in the greatest city in the world!
Whether you’re looking for a gift for a New Yorker that has it all, or you want to surprise someone with a NYC-themed gift, we have some ideas for you! We present to you…our 2023 holiday gift guide!
1. Craft Cocktail Set – Via Carota
One of our favorite West Village Italian restaurants, Via Carota, is selling gorgeous gift sets this year that are perfect for holiday gatherings with friends and family! Their cocktails come beautifully bottled at $39 a piece, or in sets of two for $99. You can choose between the Martini Family (Signature Martini and Espresso Martini) set, Negroni Family (Classic Negroni and White Negroni) set, and Bourbon Family (Signature Manhattan and Old Fashioned) set. Shop them all here!
2. NYC Rat Glass Ornament – Lockwood
Our familiar furry friend with a slice of pepperoni is one of our favorite NYC gag gifts this year, brought to us by our friends at Lockwood! With now over 6 brick-and-mortar stores throughout NYC, this place sells unique decor, stationery, clothing, kid’s gifts, and affordable lifestyle goods, focusing on local NYC makers and up-and-coming brands! Check out the pizza rat ornament and other hand-picked gifts here.
3. Brass MetroCard Token Necklace – NY Transit Museum
We can’t help ourselves from throwing a little MTA gift into the fray, and our friends at NY Transit Museum make it so easy! This brass MetroCard token necklace caught our eye in particular as the perfect accessory, but their online and in-person shop has all of your transportation-inspired gifts…from socks and toy trains to home decor and books! Check out their shop here for a gift for the commuter in your life!
4. An Array of Sweetness – Tin Building
Delve into dessert with the Array of Sweetness box from our friends at Tin Building in Seaport! Gift the New Yorker in your life this box that comes with irresistible layering of flavors and textures! Included in the package is a zingy raspberry-ginger milk chocolate bark, Hampton popcorn’s chocolate caramel crunch, Venchi chocolate cigar, and much more! Check out the box, plus other compilations from Tin Building eateries here.
5. Cookie Tin – Levain Bakery
This festive award-winning bakery is sharing many holiday offerings this year! Starting with their precious treats, a $15 Limited Edition Holiday Cookie Tin is a great stocking stuffer… or maybe even go for their $20 custom-made felt ornaments (one featuring a hand-made felt Levain cookie inside its iconic blue bag, and a second featuring a tree atop an NYC taxi cab). Whether you go for sweets or some decor, Levain Bakery has got you covered! Order yours here.
6. Brooklyn Bridge Mini Blocks – Museum of the City of New York
Challenge yourself to build NYC’s iconic Brooklyn Bridge with this mini blocks set! Perfect for children of any age, you can purchase this 3D replica set at the Museum of the City of New York for only $9.95! This museum celebrating all things NYC has the perfect shop…complete with other goodies too like apparel, kids gifts, and more! Check out their shop here and purchase in-person tickets to the museum here!
7. Pasta Sampler, Sauce & Olive Oil Gift Set – Rubirosa
Although very much known for their TIE DYE™ Pizza (vodka, tomato, pesto swirl, fresh mozzarella), local NYC restaurant Rubirosa is offering an unbeatable pasta gift that any carb lover should get their hands on! An amazing twist on a holiday popcorn tin, their version comes with three unique pasta shapes and a variety of Rubirosa sauces and olive oil. Check out the sampler and their other tasty products here.
8. NYON “Liberty Island” Art Print – New York or Nowhere
Showing love to a staple NYC clothing brand, New York or Nowhere is one of our favorites and stands for much of the same love we here at Secret NYC ooze for the city! The lifestyle brand’s products range from primarily apparel (like collaborations with the New York Knicks) to gorgeous handmade prints like the one above! Shop all their products here or stop by in store at 250 Lafayette Street in SoHo.
9. Matcha Starter Kit – Sorate
For the health-conscious person in your life, buy this Matcha Starter Kit from SoHo’s Sorate! This ethically sourced Japanese tea from the farms of Kyoto tastes immaculate, and comes in a kit with a glass bottle shaker and wooden spoon! Purchase this tasty matcha kit here or stop by their flagship at 103 Sullivan Street.
10. DIY Menorah Hanukkah – Shoppe Balloo
baby and children’s apparel store, Shoppe Balloo was opened in the West Village back in May 2022 by an NYC mother looking for a neighborhood mainstay catered to the style and energy of New York children and their families. Ever since, they’ve become one of our favorite children’s boutiques, selling apparel, children’s gifts, nursery goods, and so much more! We particularly love this DIY Hanukkah Menorah which kids can customize, but there’s so much more to discover too. Check out their brick and mortar at 353 Bleecker St this holiday season!
11. CityPickle Membership & Gift Cards – CityPickle
There’s no denying the fact that 2023 was the year of pickleball…and if you participated in NYC’s hottest new sport this year…there’s a place to play all holiday season long! CityPickle is a brand new year round indoor/outdoor pickleball facility that just opened a few months back and you can give the gift of a membership! Members receive early access to court rentals and programming, special discounts on reservations, merchandise, food and beverages, exclusive events and more! Learn more here.
12. NY Yankees Adjustable Baseball Cap – MOMA Design Store
Rep one of NYC’s most iconic sports teams with this exclusive cap you can only get at the MoMA Design Store! The recognizable New York Yankees hat comes in 6 different colors, as well as the MoMA logo stitched into the side as well. It’s giving…sports fan and creative artsy all in one! Check it out plus other MoMA Design store exclusive gifts here.
13. Advent Calendar – Nespresso
It’s no secret how hustle bustle NYC is…and we New Yorkers sure love our caffeine! Give the gift of Nespresso this year with this special advent calendar counting down the days until Christmas! You can enjoy an unforgettable Nespresso coffee each day, ending with a limited edition coffee mug behind the 24th door! Buy it here or visit one of Nespresso’s 3 flagships across NYC.
14. MarieBelle and Del Maguey VIDA Puebla Mezcal Chocolate Cocktail Box – MarieBelle
Maybe you’re looking for a romantic NYC-based present for your significant other or family member?! NYC’s premier chocolatier MarieBelle has teamed up with Del Maguey Puebla Mezcal to create the perfect cocktail and chocolate box! Each package comes with bottle of mezcal, as well as a box of 9 bon bons representing 7 unique cocktail recipes and infused with Del Maguey VIDA Puebla Mezcal. You can order this sweet treat here.
15. Gift Card – THE WELL
Give the gift of relaxation this holiday season with THE WELL, a global holistic wellness brand with a 13,000 square foot location in Union Square! Their gift cards are perfect for any kind of outing they want to have. From treatments like facials and massages to beauty and wellness products at the retail shop, there’s so many ways to recharge your giftee for the new year! Snag a gift card and see THE WELL’s offerings here.
16. Litty Gift Set – Chop Suey Club
Consisting of four of Chop Suey Club’s best selling items, the Litty Gift Set includes a Small Persimmon Jar, Thank You Tray, Clubware Lighter, and Golden Brass Dice. All packed in a cute gift box, this set is ideal for home decor lovers or those who appreciate trendy knick knacks. Check out this set along with other great gifts here.
17. Hot Honey – Harissa Hot Honey
After sadly closing their Harlem-based Dominican-Tunisian fusion restaurant Barcha due to Covid, husband and wife team Gloribelle Perez-Mrabet and Walid Mrabet decided to share their Harissa Hot Honey with consumers locally and nationally. Made with the finest locally-sourced honey infused with the aromatic spices of artisanal harissa, the honey can be added to dishes, tea, and even cocktails! Spice up your life here.
18. Holiday Kits – Hudson Valley Fisheries
For the foodie in your life nothing’s better than delicious seafood, and Hudson Valley Fisheries isn’t holding back. This season they’re offering two New York Steelhead Trout kits–a Smoked Trout Board, which includes classic, pastrami, and vodka dill Cold-Smoked Lox, Hot-Smoked Lox, cheese, crackers, and pickled onions, and the Surf and Turf kit, including Fresh Pin-boned Fillets, horseradish sauce, Venison Steak, and a spice seasoning. Grab yours here.