Flushing Fantastic’s top unique holiday gifts, and the best places to shop for them in our neighborhood
The holidays are a time for giving, we all know that, but the giving doesn’t have to stop at loved ones. By shopping local we create a giving multiplier, not only bringing joy to friends and family, but supporting and strengthening our local community. And if that’s not enough reason to stay close to home for your holiday shopping, consider this, the variety of stores and cultural institutions in our vibrant neighborhood ensures that we can give memorable gifts that can’t be found anywhere else.
Since the New Yorker Magazine dubbed the Number 7 train the international food express, Flushing, has become renowned for its food. Between Thanksgiving roasted turkey and Christmas hams, holiday food is often heavy and rich. In addition to countless noodle-shops and other light healthy alternative food options, Flushing’s food culture yields some terrific holiday gifts.
Fang Gourmet Tea. 135-25 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11354. (888) 888-0216. With a resurgence of interest in this ancient, antioxidant rich beverage, it’s great to know that Flushing has several world class tea shops. Fang Tea offers a range of carefully sourced and chosen teas ranging from Four Seasons Spring Oolong tea. Package sizes and prices vary greatly depending on the tea. They also have a range of teaware including tea pots and beautiful cups.
Flushing also boasts some outstanding cultural institutions, each of which offer terrific gifts:
Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd, Flushing, NY 11354. (718) 463-7700, has long been a venue for local visual and performing artists to showcase their work. In addition to performances and exhibitions, its gift store offers one of a kind jewelry from local artists, unique prints, pottery, and children’s clothing. Check prices carefully as they often have sales. In addition, they have beautifully crafted jewelry boxes. For those who have wanted to purchase original art seen on exhibition, there will be a holiday market Sunday, Dec 9, from 1-5 pm at the Town Hall.
Queens Botanical Gardens 43-50 Main Street, Flushing NY 11355 (718) 886-3800. The gift shop boasts a wide range of high quality, unique and reasonably priced gifts. Highlights include cute animal china planters. In addition to lions and zebras, there are pandas, pink flamingos and giraffe planters. The gift shop also carries a non drip upside down umbrella, each with a dramatic flower illustration on the inside against a black background. For stocking stuffers try the flower pens and plastic creatures.
The holidays are a time to have fun and get into the spirit of things:
Tonymoly at New World Shopping Mall 136-20 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11354. (718) 353-0551 is just the place for that seasonal festive gift. They offer a pair of socks in a Christmas tree shaped box and a beauty set of fruity hand creme moisturizer and lip balm. This is a perfect place to browse for stocking fillers, Secret Santas, and gifts for teachers.
If you’ve gotten through this list, you may be in need of some regenerating beauty treatments or a good book to curl up with:
Besfren Beauty 165-01 Northern Blvd (718) 321-0070 and 136-89 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11354 offers a range of indulgent beautifying products at reasonable prices. The store carries a LLang Red Ginseng Revitalizing body set that includes body soap and matching body lotion and a Black Sugar Perfect First Serum – Essential (Skinfood) facial moisturizer for men and women. Their St Honore Special Package includes face and body washes and brushes in Roses and Bais; Lime, Basil and Mandarin; White Musk, and Tuberase.
Xinhua Bookstore 3719 Main St Flushing, NY 11354. 718-358-2478. This Chinese bookstore is full of beautifully illustrated calligraphy books that can be appreciated whether you read Chinese or not. The bookstore also handles elegant calligraphy prints. Xinhua shares a space with a florist offering fun gifts such as potted orange trees, and a pharmacy where you can drop off a prescription, then browse the bookshop while you wait to pick it up.
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