Shopping in Greenwich Village: The best stores and boutiques

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.

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.

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.  

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.

Shortly after Donna Karan launched the Urban Zen Initiative, a nonprofit aimed at expanding holistic health care within NYC hospitals as well as preserving African cultures, she opened this earthy boutique next door to her studio. Natural materials and wood tables from Bali adorn the whitewashed joint, which has evolved in the past year into an organic mix of clothing, furniture and home designs.

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 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.

This San Francisco hatmaker expands with a second NYC location (the original is in Park Slope). Brick walls, a black tin ceiling, a leather lounge chair and Edison-style lightbulbs provide an old-timey vibe—fitting, since the company began in 1895. Even the merchandise harkens to the days of yore, with a wide range of fedora styles for ladies and gents, including short-brimmed leather ($100), satin-banded straw ($50) and summery plaid ($54) variations. Guys can don any number of newsboy caps ($38–$110), while women can get a sweet retro look with all manner of cloches ($34–$140). Goorin does contemporary styles too, as evidenced by wildly printed ball caps ($34) and trucker hats ($25). Gals should stop in for summer’s must-have floppy sun hat ($350–$490), such as our favorite red Panama straw version ($140). 

Need a little pick-me-up? Try some of the spiritual baubles or healing gemstones from Satya that are said to promote inspiration, creativity, inner peace and balance.

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/