The writers at offMetro came up with one gift item from a local store in the outer boroughs (plus one online only option! ) that would make their season brighter. Whether you’re shopping for a guitarist, cheesehead, or greenie, these staff picks offer something for every New Yorker this holiday season.
Brendan’s Pick | Stinky’s Cheese of the Month Club | Stinky Brooklyn | Cobble Hill | $65
Stinky Brooklyn is one of the smallest stores on Smith Street, but it’s the only one I could easily spend an entire afternoon in. At any given time, they have hundreds of varieties of cheese on offer, with an emphasis on local dairies from around the area, but of course some French and Italian stinkers, too. The smell of the store alone is worth the trip for any serious cheesehead, but even better is that they’re loose with the samples and happy to let you stand there forever tasting the wide array of cheeses. I can’t imagine a better gift for a foodie than Stinky’s Cheese of the Month Club. Every month, you get three different half-pound chunks of some of the store’s rarest finds delivered to your home (starting at $65). For those who want more of a give-me-it-all-right-now kind of gift, Stinky has an all-made-in-Brooklyn gift basket filled with goodies from local foodmongers like McClure’s Pickles, Brooklyn Brining Company and Mast Brothers Chocolate. Take the F, G train to Carroll Street. stinkybklyn.com
Vince’s Pick | The Recycled Sail Bag | Reiter 8 | Brooklyn | $145
Hand-crafted from used sailboat sails by Katherine Rasmussen out of her Brooklyn studio. If you’re not looking for a bag, check-out her pillows or even luggage tags. Got old sails lying around? Donate them and get a free bag or pillows made out of your sailcloth. Etsy.com.
Lauren’s Pick | Ann Beattie: The New Yorker Stories | Greenlight Bookstore | Fort Greene | Scribner, $19
For the New Yorker who can’t leave home without their nook or kindle in tow, this collection by Ann Beattie, spanning more than three decades of writing, is a reminder of how great literature was meant to be packaged. Not trapped under an electronic screen, but tucked inside a bright red book (perhaps made using 100% recycled post-consumer materials), velvety to the touch. When you finish one of Beattie’s beautifully moving short stories, you want to begin flipping through the next 47. Enjoy fondling the pages, and getting lost in them this winter. greenlightbookstore.com.
Chris’s Pick | Vintage Guitar | Main Drag Music | Williamsburg | Prices Vary
We, the green shoppers of the world, are always looking to think global and act local. In thinking global, I’m reminded of a great Radiohead lyric where Thom Yorke sings, “I wanna be in a band and when I get to heaven, anyone can play guitar.” Imagine an entire world of guitar players all jamming at the big gig in the sky. For us locals, Main Drag in the musical Mecca of Williamsburg can equip you with a whole slew of sweet guitars, drums, basses, amps, mics, and pedals to get your rock rolling. Friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful folks staff Main Drag and carry no traces of any elitist snobbery or rocker attitude that can plague music stores. So local, so delicious, let there be rock! Take the L train to Bedford Avenue. Walk down Bedford to South 1st Street and take a right. Main drag is on the Corner of Wythe and South 1st Street. maindragmusic.com |
Bonus online pick:
Kari’s Pick | Recycled Bamboo Chopstick Basket | Chopstick Art | Online | $35
This sustainable basket woven from actual chopsticks looks like a Campana brothers design. The versatile, flexible shape makes it mighty enough to hold piles of fruit, vegetable, and bread, or stand alone as a chic centerpiece on a table. If you’re feeling really crafty and happen to have a draw full of take-out chopsticks, you could make it yourself. Glue sticks together in two sections and interlace the edges to create a true DIY original.
The co-founder and editor-at-large at offMetro, Lauren is a sustainable travel specialist and freelance journalist with frequent bylines in National Geographic, Bicycling Magazine and Shape. Follow Lauren’s adventures at @laurenmati.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram