Essex Card Shop

A dizzying assortment of cards and office supplies packs this East Village institution, where you’ll find polka-dot Crane & Co. thank you notes (10 for $19), gel-tip pens in a rainbow of colors ($2–$4) and a vast selection of postcards printed with vintage black-and-white photos of NYC ($1). You can also stock up on 3-D decorated cards by Papyrus ($5–$8) and metallic gift boxes for jewelry and other trinkets ($1–$4.50).