Shopping in Greenwich Village: The best stores and boutiques

Murray’s Cheese has been New York City’s most famed and beloved, vast and varied dairy purveyor since it first opened in Greenwich Village decades ago. Today, it has additional locations in and outside of Manhattan, as well as availability via large retailers throughout the United States.  Here at home, you can still consult Murray’s top cheesemongers at its charming Bleecker Street shop, Grand Central outpost and Long Island City locale for samples, including proprietary cave-aged varieties prepared right here in town. They’ll also help you match your picks to charcuterie, jams, spreads and crackers for a veritable feast you can source all in one spot.   You can even learn a bit of the trade at Murray’s downtown flagship via burrata and mozzarella-making classes, or lessons on wine and cheese pairings. The classic address also hosts a mac and cheese pop-up, replete with that titular item, sandwich melts and cheese flights, among other menu items. 

The PPB's main focus is on couples looking to invigorate their sex lives with props, potions or costumes. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the store carries a huge number of toys, starting with cheap bullet vibes and topping out with $100-plus extreme dildos. The company's been in business since 1972, which makes Pink Pussycat a trusted name for dommes and submissives alike.

You’ll be transported to Paris once you step inside this opulent bath-and-body shop. Rich burgundy carpets, gilded wallpaper, a gloriously huge chandelier and a mahogany desk that serves as the checkout area set the stage for the luxurious fragrances ($50–$300), candles ($20–$400), lotions, and soaps from brands like Diptyque and Annick Goutal. Curiosity cabinets house many of the store’s exclusives—the West Village outpost is the only location in the country to sell several items, including candles by Les Secrets Ladurée Paris.  

This stationery store—with exposed brick, cheerful floral wallpaper and a pink overhanging lamp—exudes West Village charm. It’s owned by sisters Amy Swanson and Beth Salvini, whose family has been in the printing biz for three generations, and nearly everything is designed in-house and produced on an old Gutenberg-style press. Aside from note cards and stationery, GLP also offers notebooks, rubber stamps, labels, gift tags and striking wrapping paper ($3–$5 a sheet).

By law, SoHo Trees—with nine tree-stand locations and one huge SoHo store—can’t officially open until after Thanksgiving, so hold off on heading over until then. When it does open, go wander among the trees and decorations to pick and choose—or have the store take care of all the trimming and shipping for you. You’re also welcome to just wander around and pretend you’re walking in a winter wonderland.

In operation since 1965, this friendly West Village institution sells all manner of fetish attire, as well as books, sex toys, magazines and plenty more.

Every weekend, more than 40 independent clothing and accessories designers set up shop at this bazaar, giving patrons the chance to buy a variety of unique wares direct from the makers at up to 30 percent off what they'd normally retail for in stores.

Look for the deep blue awning on Bleecker Street and venture inside to scope out high-end paraphernalia from brand names like Sheldon Black, Medicali and JBD. The clerks are reputably knowledgeable and can service all your tricked-out pieces and one-of-a-kind accessory needs. Make sure to ask about Illadelph Glass products—they’re beautifully crafted and come in many different iterations.

Find more than 140 traditional Scandinavian candies—including the boat-shaped raspberry jelly hallon batar and the salty black licorice kanverade haxvral—at this sleek, whitewashed shop in the West Village. The storefront also carries pantry items (Swedish meatball mix, crisp bread and cloudberry jam) and designer ceramics.

This West Side tattoo and piercing studio has attracted visitors from across the world, drawn to a team that has built up a bit of a reputation for their work. A quick look at Red Baron Ink’s Instas (they’ve got dedicated accounts for their tattoos and their piercings) gives a pretty good indication why.  Much of that reputation has been established through their tattoo expertise, with 11 in-house artists offering everything from traditional to realism, blackwork, neo-traditional and Japanese. And, well, anything you want, basically. Right now they’re looking to really get the message out about their piercings, which look pretty awesome to be fair.  The small but mighty two-person team of Elizabeth and Xavier boast more than nine years’ experience with piercing and professional body modification. There’s a very solid roster of jewelry suppliers including market leaders like BVLA, Modern Mood, Tether and Tapawa. Expect some seriously beautiful pieces here. Definitely worth checking out.