Best gift shops: Astoria

Andrew Purdom opened his home-goods shop three and a half years ago, and he’s filled its shelves with items that span from reasonably priced glassware by Stölzle (a German crystal company, $10–$12) to $100–$200 pieces of furniture, like shelving units and accent tables. The majority of the stock focuses on gifty goods like handmade jewelry, a wide selection of scented candles, cookbooks (Top Chef: The Quickfire Cookbook) and quirky tomes published by Chronicle, including Citi Field, a pop-up about the Mets’ new ballpark.

Clean up your act at this 200-square-foot “soaperie,” which got its start in owner Vivian Dritsas’s kitchen after she took a soap-making class in 2005. Here, vegan, all-natural products abound—including lip balm, organic shower gel, soy candles and, of course, handmade soap— created on the premises with Dead Sea minerals and coconut and olive oils. Dritsas also creates custom orders, which she can ship directly to you, as well as party favors and centerpieces for bridal showers and other events.

Site NYC owner Mackenzi Farquer outgrew her tiny 400-square-foot shop, so she changed the name, moved up the block to a space more than triple the size and stocked everything she always wanted to in her ideal lifestyle store. She’s added women’s clothing ($30–$200), accessories ($20–$200) and furniture ($15–$1,200) to the mix of giftable home goods ($5–$300). Unique finds include Lockwood leather wrap bracelets ($10), BB Dakota open-back sweaters ($105) and Paper Source fox-emblazoned drinking glasses (four for $21).