I *heart* NY, I really do. I also love tat - any kind of kitsch or tacky dust-trapping tourist nonsense - but it tends to drive my better half crazy so this trip I resolved to find some stylish and hopefully even useful pieces instead of yet more snow globes. I stumbled across Fishs Eddy on a pootle down the Gramercy Park section of Broadway one day and went back countless times to ogle the cool, fun and cheap-as-chips homewares.
The 25-year-old store, named after a small hamlet in upstate New York, made its name selling commercial restaurant and hospitality trade glasses and dishware to the public at thrifty prices before adding in its own unique designs which are really cheery and often NYC related so make perfect souvenirs.
I honestly could have brought home at least one of everything, but particular highlights included the plain white pizza slice plates ($8.95), the whole retro Cheer Up range, the artist palette cheese trays ($26.95) and coasters ($6.95), Brooklynese 'Cawfee' mugs ($9.95), polka dot milk bottle jugs ($11.95), and 14oz working glasses ($1.95) with lids (50 cents) - fellow cat owners who made the mistake of thinking it was funny the first time their new kitten tried to drink water from their glass will understand what a brilliant idea this is.
The selection of ticket design plates - dry cleaning, restaurant order, New York pharmacy prescription, parking ticket etc - made their way into my hand luggage along with some tea towels featuring the same designs and a Pocket Change dish to round up all those loose coins boys seem to accumulate after a night out. But I have definite designs on the Manhattan skyline tablecloth, Chrysler Building lanterns and loads more of those working glasses too so I was delighted to see the sign behind the counter advising that yes, Fishs Eddy ship to the UK! For non-UK or US based readers, they also ship to other destinations worldwide so have a look at the Shipping section on the website for details.
Whether you're after simple, affordable quality crockery or quirky homeware pieces, I can't recommend these guys highly enough. Check out their website at www.fishseddy.com or, if you're in New York, visit the store at 889 Broadway at 19th Street, NY 10003.