Abitare

I’m a big fan of this cute place. I stumbled across it the other day when I was exploring my new ‘hood. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, but I ended up purchasing a few gifts for my sister and mother (no special occasion). The store is largely white and makes good use of the space (I don’t like cluttered shops where I’m always afraid of bumping into things and breaking them). They have done a nice job of selecting items for the home that are attractive, interesting and modern… from handmade sachets to woven magazine racks to local hand-​blown glasses.

Abitare has the proverbial «well-​edited selection» of design-​y home accessories. It’s a great spot for gifts. I’ve picked up Baggu re-​usable nylon shopping bags ($ 8) and an Alessi parrot corkscrew ($ 45ish), as well as some fancy little soaps and other trinkets.
I would say that the items here are priced well, if not better than the MoMA Store and other similar shops. You can certainly find something cool for how ever much you want to spend.
The ladies who run the store are nice, and they are good at giving suggestions, should you be need a gift for a Mr. Has Everything. There are some thermal coffee pots on my list for Dad this coming Christmas. And I think the paper vases would be great for my brother’s girlfriend (but that might be imposing my taste… she’d probably prefer a gift cert to Sephora).
This place was a life-​saver last Christmas, when I was determined to try and complete all of my shopping within a 6 block radius of Atlantic and Court.

Abitare is one of those irresistible stores that looks way too expensive for normal folk like you and me but nonetheless sucks me in every time I walk by (which is often, considering that the place is practically in my backyard).
The glorious (and odds-​defying) good news, though, is that the prices here are actually reasonable.
If you’re looking for a cool, modern gift, definitely stop by. The merchandise, which includes everything from throw pillows and rugs to notecards and nice-​looking glassware (I’m a big fan of the vases), is well-​edited and interesting.