It's the holiday season once again and New Yorkers are starting to feel the pinch of the recession. Let's face it - no one wants to shell out lots of cash for expensive gifts. And no one wants to travel around the entire city looking for the perfect gift. This year, you can find five great gifts right in the City Hall neighborhood, regardless of your budget.
"I would prefer a homemade gift over a retail gift because it shows the person put time and thought into it," local Christian Torres said. As a gift idea he suggested creating decorated cards, which are absolutely free if you already have supplies at home. For the less artistic, the CVS on Fulton Street sells plenty of seasonal cards at a range of low prices. Combine a store-bought card with a homemade cookie basket to show the person that they "really mean something to you," Torres said.
Another inexpensive gift -and one that's selling fast- is the male Teddy Bear Hamster ($15), said Pedro, an employee at Petland. "They're cute and they're cuddly," he said. Although these hamsters require additional care, like a sturdy cage and vitamins, they're the most frequently purchased animal at the store, located on Nassau Street between Beekman and Ann streets.
Conveniently located next door, The Silk Shop features a wide selection of inexpensive coats ($20). A practical gift like a coat is perfect for the freezing temperatures of the upcoming NYC winter. "It's worth it, if it keeps me warm," said Megan Mallory, a junior at Marymount Manhattan College. For just $25, you can tell someone how much they mean to you with a "gift of love" (pictured below), suggested Joe Cardinale, who works at New Dimension. "I could personalize it," he said about the item, "It's always a good sell." But if hearts are too romantic, don't worry. You can find a variety of other personalized items like plaques and trophies in the store, located on Nassau Street between Fulton and Ann streets.
So what's the most expensive great gift of the season? A limited edition box of 36 Godiva chocolates ($50). The box features mouth-watering treats like the "mocha snowflake" - a milk chocolate snowflake stuffed with a mocha filling. And for those of us who can't afford the special holiday box, the South Street Seaport store also sells a little chocolate Santa ($7).
This is New York City, where variety is the flavor of life and modernity is the side soup that goes along with it. And if you're looking for both, then europa café is the place to go. Although sometimes this sleek shop, located on the intersection of Water and John streets, seems too modern for it's own good.
I'm talking about the employees, who act like perfect robots as they prepare your food to perfection, take your money and give you your receipt - all in stony silence. No smiles, no words of greeting and no ability to explain to me what in the world French brie is. Almost in stark contrast to its frigid employees, the décor of europa café features cheery red tabletops and glowing orange lamps hanging from high ceilings. The restaurant, with its tiled floors and clean countertops, sells sandwich wraps ranging from a classic Turkey Club ($6.95) to Balsamic Chicken zesto ($7.95), quesadillas ($5.75), and delicious-looking yogurt cups ($2.65). It also sells small pizzas, salads, fruits, daily-baked desserts, and freshly squeezed orange juice. When I arrived at the shop today, I scanned the room - filled mostly with people in suits - for my frequent lunch companion: Pace University Junior Elina Kolo. (You've met her before, in this previous post.) She had already started on her "lunch special" : half of a sandwich - stuffed with turkey, cheese, tomato, and bright green lettuce - along with a small soup for only $6.75. "My co-workers go to the café across the street because it's a little cheaper," Kolo, who works at The Body Shop, explained to me. "But here, you really get your money's worth."
