• C. Wonder

  72 Spring St., nr. Crosby St.; 212-219-3500

  The high-energy shop can be a bit overwhelming for a first-timer—Top-40 tunes blare, shop clerks dance; the décor is neon-striped and patterned. But past the preppy clothes and costume jewelry is a gold mine of well-priced and versatile gifts such as John Derian–esque jewelry dishes, crystal wine-stoppers, melamine trays, mother-of-pearl cheese knives, and ikat notebooks. Price tags range from $8 for printed coffee mugs and note-card sets to $98 for wool throws. Plus, much of the packaging is pretty enough that you needn’t add more than a bow.

From the 2012 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine