[My Favorite Park Slope...] Places To Buy Housewares

Because I love housewares, I have -- not one -- but a few favorite stores for kitchen supplies and home decor: an expensive place that's more fun for window shopping, a place that's cheap when I can get my ass over there, and the place where I usually end up shopping.

For Window Shopping: Tarzian West For Housewares

Packed packed packed with beautiful things and also, unfortunately, people!  This very small store on the corner of 2^nd Street and 7^th Avenue (across from Tarzian Hardware), can sometimes feel like a household goods version of the Park Slope Food Coop. Aim to browse there during off-peak times so you can really cruise the merch, and you will be mesmerized. I become entranced by the bright colors of Le Creuset, the shiny shelves of kettles, the selection of contemporary floor mats -- from bamboo to sophisticated synthetic. They carry tons of high quality bake ware, and recently I’ve noticed a plethora of large heavyweight cutting boards made from gorgeous natural woods.  And, oh! The Riedel wineglasses, the gleaming martini shakers, the seductively packaged corkscrews and those damn nice drinking glasses! Makes me want to throw a party every time! OK, so the place is not cheap, which is why it’s nice to have additional options.

For Getting the cheapest housewares, if only I could get my ass down there and don’t mind being followed by the 17 year-old Russian girl they hired to watch for shoplifters:  Save on Fifth

Save on Fifth is a large discount store. It's a place where you discover cheap and good solutions to a host of annoying household problems you didn’t even know you had. A collapsible canvas laundry hamper that I can squeeze into my closet! Super cheap Rubbermaid garbage containers -- I can get three and sort my fucking recycling! Full-length mirrors -- with frames -- for only $11! Wow, now I'll know what I actually look like when I leave the house. It's also the best place to buy fans and heaters and other small appliances that can be expensive elsewhere. There are also loads of seasonal stuff that you can get year round, like insulated bags for the beach, and umbrellas. Oh, and don’t forget to look up at the tops of the shelves. You’ll find plastic storage containers and crates, shopping carts, and God knows what else up there. I could go on and on, just like their aisles.

Where I actually Shop: Laytner’s Linen and Home

The Laytner family has a store on the Upper West Side that has been there for decades. Having grown up in that area, I can tell you that to survive that long, they had to have BAH-GINS (It’s very nea-ah Zabar’s!), and KOALA-DEE. Their current motto is “Lower Prices for People with Higher Standards," but when they first moved to the Slope a couple of years ago, they courted the local demographic with a sign that read: “Who You Live With Is Your Business, How You Live Is Ours” (or something like that). It’s much bigger than Tarzian, and a more peaceful place to roam. They're also cheaper. Laytner's has plush towels, high thread count sheets, duvets, throws, robes in tasteful colors and a small selection of comfy sofas, chairs, and tables. This is a fun place to visit if you really want to get down to feathering your nest.