Shopping in Greenwich Village: The best stores and boutiques

Sweet tooth? A Cuter Cupcake makes high-end treats that are easy on the eye. Once the pipe dream of a design student, the company has now grown into the delivery company we see today.  The designs are, as you might expect, very cute, but sometimes surprisingly complex. There’s an overall cartoony style to the decorations, which appear to come in all sizes and colours – the original box, for example, is made up of four cupcakes with rounded animals that mimic children’s toys. Traditionally items come in boxes of four, however other box sizes (e.g. eight) are stocked, too. You can also request speciality boxes tailored to you or your event, and all boxes are hand-delivered. A Cuter Cupcake also notes that their cupcakes are baked daily for freshness and that their kitchen and products are nut-free.

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.

Ladies and gents looking to add some variety to their wardrobes will love the selection at Star Struck—expect to find everything from well-worn Fleetwood Mac, GNR and Pink Floyd concert tees to vintage Christian Dior silk scarves. Complete your rock-star look with a vintage brass belt buckle and a hat from the extensive collection that includes cowboy hats, top hats in a range of neutrals, goes-with-everything fedoras and even pork pies.

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.  

Here’s where the magic happens: At Jacques Torres’s Hudson Street retail location, kids can peer through the glass wall to the chocolate factory’s floor, where cocoa and sugar are processed into chocolate. (Of course, you can buy it here, too.)

Guilt-free shopping surfaces in the West Village with this nonprofit thrift shop’s second store (the original is in Gramercy). Both donate all proceeds to the United Jewish Council of the East Side (ujces.org), which works to preserve the Lower East Side community. Sift through men’s and women’s clothing ($30–$600) hanging from reclaimed pipe racks, and browse accessories ($15–$400) displayed in an original Tiffany jewelry case. We spotted accessories such as Versace ($60) and Pucci ($80) neckties, Fendi leather handbags ($95) and Givenchy platforms ($100). The threads pack the same designer punch, with 1990s Betsey Johnson grunge dresses ($120) and a ’70s Yves Saint Laurent patterned blouse ($175). An Etro military jacket ($165) and vintage Nick Cave concert tee ($65) are highlights for guys.

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).

This colorful and inviting boutique is all about pampering your pooch with frivolous—yet irresistible—offerings such as a scrumptious biscuit bar featuring all-natural ginger and blueberry-flavored treats ($13 per pound), fancifully illustrated children’s books with tales of canine antics ($10) and evil-eye charms for collars ($6–$10). But what Zoomies is best known for is its sleek house line of apparel. “We make the clothes for the dog, not the human,” says co-owner Angelique Graux. Translation: If you want to humiliate your pup with a frilly tutu, you’ll have to pick one up elsewhere. Along with her partner Susan Bartholomew, a former VP at Dior, the two create chic, serviceable gear; their signature line of reflective, insulated rain jackets and winter coats ($50–$70) are made with a water-repellent nylon shell that keeps dogs of all sizes cool and dry. Zoomies also makes leashes and collars made of leather or nylon ($18–$45), lush fleece blankets ($50) and a small selection of cotton kitty collars ($16) for feline friends.

Nylon messenger bags sporting the skyline label and zippered sweatshirt hoodies are just the tip of the iceberg at this New York-born chainlet. You'll find reasonably-priced items for the entire for the family, including Brooklyn-emblazoned onesies, casual pants for men and graphically printed dresses.

Watch your back, Claire’s: A new dirt-cheap costume-jewelry shop has surfaced. U.K. retailer Accessorize is finally bringing its trendy, affordable designs across the pond to a West Village storefront (with a Union Square location opening November 18). We’re talking chunky, jewel-covered cuffs ($25), cluster cocktail rings ($20) and sequined clutches with British flag designs ($58). Sound sparkly? The store itself is as glittery as it gets, with vintage-inspired dressing tables and classic armoires covered in antique gems. Expect to see more from Accessorize in the future; this is the first of 100 planned stores set to open in the U.S. throughout the next four years. http://us.accessorize.com/