Street x Street: 9th St.

You know the drill: we dissect the city block by block.

In the spirit of Back to School week, I thought I’d share with you one of New York’s best kept secrets. Ninth Street, for the NYU-ers who dare to venture past First Avenue and into Alphabet City, is a goldmine.

As an alumna of the violet institution, I’ve walked up and down this unassuming street plenty of times. Whenever I pass by, while happy, sad, rich, or poor, I always stop to ogle at the ever-changing window displays. It’s become both a comforting and cathartic ritual.

Ninth Street holds a special place in my heart. It was here my best friend and I pretended to shop for $500 antique mirrors we were too broke to afford. It was here my sister and I bought matching emoji rings. And, it was here, and still is here, that I buy my boyfriend the occasional card. Romance, eh?

So, without further ado, I welcome you to my East Village haven.

Cadet @ 305 E 9th St. • Pinkyotto @ 307 E 9th St. • Mud @ 307 E 9th St.

Cadet is a menswear line that captures the “spirit and nostalgia of post-war America.” Whether you’re shopping for a friend, a loved one, or yourself, you’ll definitely find a collection that champions clean lines and crisp aesthetics.

Shopping at Pinkyotto is like picking through your best friend’s closet. They curate a a combination of Uptown fancy and Downtown chic.

Paige, our Marketing Director, swears by Mud‘s Iced Chai Lattes. She doesn’t have them from anywhere else.

Verameat @ 315 E 9th St.

Verameat is the jewelry store where my sister and I got our emoji rings. Owner and jewelry designer, Vera Balyura, individually handcrafts each ring, earring, bracelet, necklace, and brooch from 100% recycled sterling silver or 14 karat gold.

Meg @ 312 E 9th St.

I love Meg. I love the store so much that right before closing hours sometime in the middle of March, I came here to buy a beautiful ancient greece-inspired silk dress for my uncle’s wedding in July. The purchase set me back a bit, but the dress was so worth it.

duo @ 337 E 9th St.

duo features modern clothing and accessories. They house a lot of independent designers and vintage selections.

Cloak & Dagger @ 334 E 9th St.

The clothing at Cloak and Dagger is both curated and designed by Brookelynn Starnes. She has styled for fashion houses like Valentino Prada, and Zac Posen and has also styled celebrity clients. She focuses specifically on intimate details, self-designed patterns, and luxury fabrics.

Flower Power Herbs and Roots @ 406 E 9th St.

Please walk into Flower Power just to smell the place. They’ve got shelves and shelves of homeopathic herbal remedies. Oh, and telling you how nice and accommodating their staff are is telling you the understatement of the year. So nice. SO nice.

Pink Olive @ 439 E 9th St.

The stationary at Pink Olive is to die for. There is everything from journals to flash tattoos to even confetti bombs. There’s also an extensive collection of cards that is so unique it puts Hallmark’s to shame.

The Upper Rust @ 445 E 9th St.

Ah yes, the antique store with antique-y things I can never afford. Everything here looks perfectly staged for a closeup on Instagram. Hey, Ker, if you’re reading this, the promise still holds. I’ll buy us that ridiculously expensive floor length mirror whenever I save up enough money!

What did you think? Will you be visiting Ninth Street between First Avenue and Avenue A anytime soon? Let me know because I want to hear what you about it!