Shopping in Greenwich Village: The best stores and boutiques

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.

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.  

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. 

Avant-garde Parisian fashion house Maison Martin Margiela opens its first-ever shop dedicated to its more youthful women’s collection of apparel ($125–$1,295), shoes ($295–$695) and accessories ($80–$195). The 500-square-foot boutique resembles an upgraded version of an old NYC workshop with silver-tin tile walls and carpeted floors that look like cracked concrete—even the quirky sales associates wear white work aprons. Items such as photo-print shift dresses ($190), chunky metallic faux-python flats ($285) and cut-out crewneck sweaters ($230) are practically works of art. To celebrate the opening, limited-edition tees ($145) and tote bags ($490) emblazoned with an NYC-Paris hybrid skyline are available until October.

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).

Sometimes you want a cigar for a fancy, celebratory occasion—and sometimes you just want to look like a badass. This clean, large shop has a range of cigars at different prices in its humidor room, and shopping there is as addictive as nicotine—you might come in for a single Nat Sherman and walk out with an additional three cigars, a pipe and flavored rolling papers to boot.

Owner Carol Kaas offers up whimsical cottage decor at practical prices in her cozy shop, where you’ll find decoupage glass paperweights, plates and trays, all decorated with European marine and bird ephemera culled from 18th- and 19th-century prints. It’s all handmade by Kass’s small team of artisans at a nearby West Village studio.

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.

This Meatpacking District boutique is named after owner Kilian Hennessy (he’s also a descendant to the creator of the top-shelf cognac brand). And much like the ingredients in a great cocktail, all of the fragrances here are totally intoxicating. Apple Brandy (a unique accord of apple liqueur and woods, $235) is a top-seller—it’s inspired by the Big Apple. Ask the staff for a free sample and take it for a test drive.