Most designated souvenir shops offer generic items for tourists, like Statue of Liberty miniatures and yellow taxi cab models. Many of these souvenir items can be purchased from independent street vendors as well. However, an NYC souvenir doesn’t strictly mean NYC themed novelty. When you purchase from one of the shops listed here, you’ll be purchasing a piece of the city. If you’re worried about disappointing someone whom you’re gifting the souvenir, we’ve included where you can find tourist merch – the NYC themed toy cars and miniatures.
Exit9 Gift Emporium
With locations in the East Village and Brooklyn, Exit9 offers a quirky, curated selection of gifts that reflect real New York character — not the plastic Statue of Liberty type. You’ll find locally designed t-shirts, puzzles, home goods, and funny NYC-centric items that make great souvenirs without feeling generic. It’s ideal for picking up something clever, unexpected, and genuinely memorable.
Fishs Eddy
Located near Union Square, Fishs Eddy is a legendary home goods store with a strong NYC identity. Its shelves are full of charming, retro-style dishware, including mugs and plates printed with subway maps, bridges, and New York landmarks. The shop strikes a balance between vintage whimsy and practical design — perfect if you want to bring back a useful, distinctive souvenir.
Artists & Fleas
Artists & Fleas is a rotating marketplace of local creators, with outposts in Chelsea Market and Williamsburg. Here, you’ll find handmade jewelry, original art prints, vintage fashion, small-batch soaps, and more — all made or curated by New Yorkers. It’s one of the best spots for picking up something that feels tied to the creative pulse of the city, not mass-produced for tourists.
Strand Bookstore
Just off Union Square, Strand is a literary institution, famous for its “18 miles of books.” Beyond rare finds and new releases, Strand has one of the city’s most recognizable souvenir lines: its branded tote bags, mugs, notebooks, and T-shirts. These items carry a certain cultural cachet, especially for anyone who appreciates books or design, and they travel well in a suitcase.
Museum Gift Shops
The museum shops at the Met, MoMA, the New York Public Library, and others offer some of the most tasteful souvenirs you can find in the city. These include high-quality art prints, stationery, scarves, jewelry, and architecture-themed gifts that reflect the museum’s identity and New York’s cultural depth. They’re ideal for people who prefer elegant keepsakes over novelty items.
Russ & Daughters
More than a century old, Russ & Daughters is an iconic appetizing shop with a small but standout line of branded merch. Their tote bags, smoked fish-themed goods, and deli-style souvenirs are cool without trying too hard. You can pick up shelf-stable food gifts here too — things like everything bagel seasoning or rugelach that actually taste like New York.
Junior’s Restaurant & Bakery (Times Square Location)
Famous for its dense, creamy New York–style cheesecake, Junior’s is a staple for dessert lovers. The Times Square location also sells branded mugs, coffee, and packaged sweets — perfect edible souvenirs. Expect a full diner menu alongside the desserts.
Zabar’s
Zabar’s is an iconic Upper West Side gourmet market known for smoked salmon, bagels, coffee beans, and Jewish baked goods. Beyond food, it offers branded merchandise and well-priced kitchen items. It’s a quintessential stop for food-lovers and cultural souvenir hunters.
Where You Can Find Tourist Merch
Grand Slam New York (1557 Broadway, Times Square)
One of the largest and most recognizable souvenir stores in Times Square, Grand Slam stocks everything from T-shirts and hats to miniatures, mugs, and novelty socks. It’s loud, cluttered, and touristy — exactly what you expect, and open late.
I Love NY Gift Shop (220 W 42nd St, near Port Authority)
Located just off Times Square, this street-level shop offers all the traditional souvenirs: foam Statue of Liberty crowns, NYPD/FDNY-branded gear, and small-scale replicas of NYC icons. There are multiple stores with this name — they generally carry the same stock.
NY Gifts & Luggage (131 W 34th St, near Macy’s Herald Square)
Right near Penn Station and Macy’s, this storefront is easy to miss but packed with the typical selection — perfect for last-minute gifts. Expect racks of I ♥ NY shirts, tote bags, and shelves filled with small yellow taxis and snow globes.
Gifts of New York (Various Locations – e.g. 530 5th Ave near 45th St)
A small chain of souvenir stores found throughout Midtown, especially along Fifth Avenue. These are reliable for affordable magnets, mugs, and miniature skyline statues, and they’re easy to spot when walking between landmarks.
Broadway Souvenirs (686 8th Ave, between 43rd & 44th St)
A few blocks west of Times Square, this store is packed with Broadway merchandise, but also carries all the standard NYC souvenirs. It’s a convenient stop for tourists heading to or from the theater district.
You’ll find the brightly lit shops of Midtown, overflowing with foam crowns, miniature cabs, and enough “I ♥ NY” shirts to outfit a small nation. These places are easy, fast, and undeniably touristy — but sometimes, that’s exactly what you want.
Nonetheless, there’s a network of stores that are uniquely tied to the city’s culture: independent gift shops in the East Village, a book lover’s paradise off Union Square, a dishware emporium that turns subway maps into art, and food institutions that have been feeding New Yorkers for generations. These places offer something different — souvenirs with context, history, and local flavor.
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The Street Sign
The Street Sign points the way to where things are — the parks, restaurants, museums, and everything else. These guides are built to save you time and energy. Need a plan for an NYC outing? Follow The Street Sign.
