Do you realize how many women-owned businesses in NYC you’re probably encountering on a regular basis? (Hint: a lot!)
From bookstores to clothing boutiques, restaurants to speakeasies, female-fronted outposts keep our metropolis thriving. Though, of course, we recommend paying a visit in March during Women’s History Month, you’d be remiss to skip out on these spots during the remaining 11 months of the year.
Check out a few of our go-to stores, eateries, and beyond.
1. Chillhouse, Soho
Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton opened this cafe-spa in the SoHo offering manicures, facials, massages, and wellness drinks. They’ve become a major success for their stunning “Chill Tips” (press on nails) that come in a wide variety of color and designs.
📍 75 Varick St, New York
2. Golde, Online
Co-founded by Trinity Mouzon Wofford, Golde was created in a one-bedroom Brooklyn apartment back in 2017. Wofford’s company focuses on superfood essentials, selling wellness and beauty products.
3. McNally Jackson, Various locations
The beloved independent bookstore McNally Jackson has been operating under Sarah McNally for nearly 20 years and remains an iconic bookstore across multiple NYC locations. Plus, they just opened a new flagship shop at Rockefeller Center!
📍 Various Locations
4. Busayo, Brownsville
Owned by native Nigerian, Busayo Olupona, this clothing store explores Nigerian traditions with rich textiles and beautiful designs in its Brooklyn storefront.
📍 2001 Strauss St, Brooklyn
5. Love Adorned, Soho
For years Lori Leven has been bringing artisanal home decor and vintage jewelry to NYC. Her company prioritizes craftsmanship, utility, and incredible taste!
📍 269 Elizabeth St, New York
6. Painted Swan, Carroll Gardens
From kitchen essentials to bathroom soaps, leather totes and framed photos, Painted Swan in Carroll Gardens is the ultimate home decor destination for sweet trinkets with a country touch. Chalk paint classes are on tap, as well as doggie photo shoots for your four-legged friends.
📍407 Court Street, Brooklyn
7. Coming Soon, Lower East Side
Owners Helena Barquet and Fabiana Faria have perfectly curated their home decor and gift shop. It has been adorning the intersection of Chinatown and the Lower East Side since 2013 and offers unique and eclectic pieces that are sure to spruce up your home.
📍 53 Canal St, New York
8. Life Wellness Center, Bed–Stuy
Co-founded by Khadija A. Tudor, Life Wellness Center is a therapeutic massage practice and wellness market that offers transformative services from acupuncture to chiropractic treatments.
📍 376 Tompkins Ave, Brooklyn
9. Catbird, Williamsburg & SoHo
With one location in Williamsburg and the other in the heart of NYC’s ‘Little Paris,’ this women-owned jewelry company, led by Rony Vardi, is an expert on all things tiny and shiny! Framing jewelry as poetry, the store uses 95% recycled gold, 95% recycled diamonds and ethically sourced stones. Catbird is most known for their Forever Bracelets (also referred to as getting zapped), that are specially welded around your wrist for the “ultimate friendship bracelet” or staple piece!
📍 108 N 7th St, Brooklyn & 253 Centre St, New York
10. t.a., Meatpacking District (Temporarily closed)
Telsha Anderson-Boone decided to open her clothing store not only during the pandemic, but while studying brand management at NYU. The concept store, catered towards the women-identifying community, features both established and up-and-coming designers and brands.
📍 332 W 13th St, New York
11. Talea Beer Co., Williamsburg
Ran by owners and homebrewers LeAnn Darland and Tara Hankinson, Talea Beer Co. was founded in 2018 to bring “an approachable, inclusive perspective and voice” to a primarily male-dominated industry. Their flagship brewery and taproom opened in March 2021 in Williamsburg.
📍 87 Richardson St, Brooklyn
12. The Frankie Shop, Lower East Side
Bringing you women’s fashion that represents luxury and class, founder Gaelle Drevet, has both a NYC and Paris location. The shop was made to inspire the everyday city girl with effortless fashion. “Every woman should be able to wear the garments that they inspire designers to make – no matter how high the rent gets,” exclaims their website.
📍 100 Stanton St, New York
13. Strand Book Store, Various locations
Nancy Bass Wyden is third-generation owner NYC’s iconic Strand Book Store. Nancy carries on the legacy of her family’s business that turns 96 years old this year.
📍 Various locations
14. Maryam Nassir Zadeh, Lower East Side
Located on the LES, this boutique owned by Maryam Nassir Zadeh sells upscale women’s clothing. You’re sure to leave more stylish than when you entered.
📍 123 Norfolk St, New York
15. Fishs Eddy, Flatiron
Julie Gaines founded Fishs Eddys in the 80s and has been selling dishes ever since! The store is known and loved for its massive inventory full of kooky kitchenware and patterned pieces.
📍 889 Broadway, New York
16. DAWANG, Greenwich Village
Daisy Wang launched this contemporary streetwear design brand in 2018 after “realizing that nobody was making the type of elevated Asian streetwear that she wanted to consume.” With her inspiring ambition and creativity, Wang has made a name for herself by combining “chinoiserie apparel and Chinese fabrics with Western tailoring techniques and trends” to make designs unlike anything on the market.
📍 300 Bleecker St, New York
17. Gone To The Dogs, Park Slope
This Brooklyn pet store has partnered with a diverse group of women across the globe from local NYC low-income and immigrant communities along with marginalized communities in the Global South to ethically source and produce products for your furry friends. Founded by pet parents, Jennifer and Santos, Gone To The Dogs prides themselves in creating “well-made and kind-to-the-earth pet goods.”
📍 103 7th Ave, Brooklyn
18. Form + Flow, Long Island City
Form + Flow is a certified Minority-Women Owned Business (M/WBE) by New York City, founded by Shelly Yang. Yang and founding member Nikki Carter strive towards fostering mindfulness practices accessible to the community. Visitors can partake in workshops ranging from Buddhism philosophy to a variety of wellness experiences.
📍 27-01 41st Ave #3, Long Island City
19. A.I.R. Gallery, DUMBO
This impressive exhibition space was founded by a group of 20 women to provide a permanent venue to highlight and uplift women in the art world. It was the “first not-for-profit, artist-directed and maintained gallery for women artists” in the country.
📍 155 Plymouth Street Brooklyn
20. the ness, Tribeca
Aly Giampolo & Colette Dong are the proud founders of NYC’s premier trampoline cardio studio. The inviting space empowers people to practice both physical and mental fitness through a fun and creative way!
📍 406 Broadway Level Three, New York
21. Big Night, Greenpoint
Hosting a party in the near future? Head on over to Big Night in Greenpoint to shop all the necessary party essentials you could ever need. From vintages glasses and stirrers to candles and caviar, they haven’t left out anything!
📍154 Franklin St, Brooklyn
22. Cafe Grumpy, Various locations
Seen in the comedy drama series, Girls, this NYC coffee shop is a female-owned business that has grown from their original Greenpoint store to 11 locations across the city.
📍 Various Locations
23. Metaflora, Online
Metaflora was co created by Marisa Competello, A NYC-based floral designer who has made a name for herself in the field. From her studio, she makes beautiful floral arrangements known for their minimal and artistic designs.
📍 info@metafloranyc.com
24. Pine & Poke, Hudson Square
Hidden behind a door of chocolates is a chic speakeasy offering everything from signature cocktails to savory boards. After grabbing a drink or two, be sure to shop the front of the business that operates as a provisions store, selling 60-80% women/minority-owned products. Find out more here.
📍300 Spring St, New York
25. Fallon & Ava, Online
Sisters and co-founders, Fallon and Ava King are starting a turtleneck empire in the heart of NYC. Their business idea first sparked during the spring of 2020 after returning to their family home where they decided it was time they join forces to empower women through fashion. Operating as the only company specializing in turtlenecks specifically, they hope their timeless apparel can bring poise, elegance and authority to every woman.
📍Find their website here.
26. Sweet Pickle Books, Lower East Side
This unique shop lets you swap your old books for pickles—seriously, it’s no joke! So whether you’re a pickle lover or a dedicated bookworm, this quirky store is definitely one to poke your head into.
📍47 Orchard Street, New York
27. Ovenly, Various locations
If you’re ever in need of a sweet treat, we can’t recommend Ovenly enough. From their buttery scones to their unforgettable breads, you can’t go wrong when choosing from their menu. Our personal favorite: the peanut butter cookie (seriously, one of the best in the city!).
📍 Various locations across Brooklyn and Manhattan
28. Funny Face Bakery, The Seaport & Noho
If your sweet tooth is still craving more, be sure to explore the absolutely draw-dropping cookies at Funny Face Bakery. With two Manhattan locations, one in The Seaport and the other in NoHo, customers can explore lifelike designs on cookies so incredible you won’t even want to take a bite (though they’re delicious, so it’s a must)!
📍6 Fulton St, New York & 319 Lafayette St, New York
29. The Ripped Bodice, Park Slope
This creative bookstore is a hopeless romantics haven! Founded by sister duo, Leah and Bea Koch, The Ripped Bodice is NYC’s premiere romance-only bookstore, offering genres spanning erotica to historical romance and fantasy.
📍218 5th Ave, Brooklyn
30. Books Are Magic, Cobble Hill & Brooklyn Heights
Author Emma Straub, a former Book Court staffer, swooped in upon the shop’s closure to provide Cobble Hill with a much-needed indie bookstore. A variety genres and bestsellers abound, and Brooklynites would not want to leave the shop without a cute tote or tee. Plus, the monthly events calendar is every bookworm’s dream. Much to the delight of Brooklyn Height residents, the lit fic author decided a second shop was needed on Montague Street, and lit lovers can’t get enough of the sweet space.
📍 225 Smith St and 125 Montague St, Brooklyn
31. Brooklyn Craft Company
Whether you’re stocking up on fabric for your next sewing project or thinking about trying your hand at embroidery, Brooklyn Craft Company is the place to venture for goods, classes, and gorgeous surroundings to boot.
📍 165 Greenpoint Ave, Brooklyn