Go Local: Brooklyn's Best Shops with The Locavore

Brooklyn Shopping Guide with Caroline Weaver

• 🛍️ Caroline Weaver, author of "The Locavore Guide to Shopping NYC", guides listeners through Brooklyn's local shopping scene.
• 💡 The series "Go Local" aims to encourage holiday spending that supports local communities.
• 📈 Weaver notes shoppers have started earlier this year due to consumer anxiety about availability, with her own store sales up 60% over last year.

Nature and Home Goods

• 🪴 Tula House in Greenpoint offers a wide range of plants, handmade pottery, and plant care products, suitable for both plant experts and beginners.
• 🏠 Upstate Stock in Williamsburg manufactures and sells knitwear, candles, incense, and pantry items, emphasizing New York State manufacturing.

Unique Boutiques and Gift Shops

• 🎁 Awesome Brooklyn is highlighted as a versatile gift shop with items for all ages, including candles, cards, furniture, records, and books.
• 💎 Charmed in Bay Ridge is a women-owned boutique featuring jewelry, handbags, candles, pajamas, and sweaters.
• 📚 Community Bookstore and Terrace Books in Park Slope and Windsor Terrace are praised for their curated selections and knowledgeable staff.
• 📸 Photodom in Bushwick is a hub for film photography enthusiasts, offering camera rentals, film development, and unique film products.
• ♻️ Green in Brooklyn is a woman-owned boutique and refill station focusing on ecological goods, jewelry, and gifts, supporting local and women-owned businesses.
• 🎨 Brooklyn Craft Company in Greenpoint offers a wide selection of fabrics, yarns, and crafting kits, along with classes for various crafts.

Specialty Stores and Unique Finds

• 🕯️ Apothecake in Red Hook offers custom candle making and unique home fragrances, with a sister store, Joya Studios, known for artist collaborations.
• 🧸 Little Green in Park Slope is a colorful and quirky kids' store featuring sustainable toys and unique brands.
• 🎲 Pizzazz in Cobble Hill is a classic toy store offering a wide variety of toys and gifts for children.
• 🍫 Joe Mart on Avenue R is a long-standing, family-owned business known for its handmade chocolates, especially the dark chocolate almond bark.
• 🏃 Teamwork is a Brooklyn-based, Black-owned running club offering training plans and group runs.
• 👕 Seed in Bed-Stuy is a concept store with a cafe and greenhouse, selling clothing, books, and unique items for teens.
• ✨ Tangerine in Williamsburg offers a minimalist, fashion-forward selection of clothing, accessories, and beauty products from New York City-based brands.
• 🛠️ Tools for Working Wood is a family-run business specializing in historically informed woodworking tools, many manufactured on-site.
• 🎁 Wonder Mart in Greenpoint sources unique products from New York City and New York State-based makers, offering ceramics, home goods, and items for kids.
• 🎨 Leroyy's Place in Park Slope features art, toys, and quirky items with an 80s/90s vibe, including hand-painted pet rocks and plush toys.
• 🐶 Mr. Friendly and Gone to the Dogs in Bed-Stuy are modern pet stores offering unique collars, leashes, and fair-trade pet toys.
• 🃏 Art of Play in Brooklyn Heights offers beautifully designed playing cards and games, ideal for host gifts.
• ✍️ Analog Stationer in Prospect Heights is a small shop with a selection of pens and stationery.
• 🚲 Bikeport in Brooklyn offers custom cargo bikes, a bookshop, and old records.

Supporting Local Retail

• 💰 Weaver emphasizes that shopping at small, independent stores offers fairer pricing and better quality compared to big-box retailers.
• 📉 Independent retailers often lack large marketing budgets and shareholder obligations, allowing for more honest pricing.
• 🧩 Small stores are adept at curating stock based on customer needs and seasonality, though they may not always have every item available like larger chains.