Sick of sending fruit baskets? Here are four new gift ideas for clients or staffers in New York.
1. Ideal for out-of-towners or fans of art books, Taschen's New York, Portrait of a City is a collection of hundreds of iconic images of New York from the mid-19th century to the present, including the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, the aftermath of September 11, the gritty days of Times Square, and immigrants arriving at Ellis Island. Released this month, the book includes images from more than 150 photographers such as Alfred Stieglitz, Jacob Riis, Weegee, Berenice Abbott, and Andreas Feininger. Accompanying the photos are quotations and references from relevant books, movies, shows, and songs.
2. Brooklyn-based Twig Terrariums creates desk-friendly moss terrariums and "other small worlds." Owners Katy Maslow and Michelle Inciarrano use antique, vintage, and new glass containers to house vignettes of greenery, stones, and miniature figurines ranging from cows to people to fairies. Each one is unique, and prices vary with size. Larger terrariums can cost up to $300, while smaller ones go for $50. Custom pieces are available, and delivery to a home or office in New York is $25.
3. At Beau Ideal Editions in Brooklyn, Jill Lee hand screens paper goods look note cards and stationery. For a personal touch, she offers cards with a whimsical illustrated letter of the alphabet that can stand for a person's initial. A box of six cards is $28 and a dozen is $40. Custom work is available as well; prices vary.
4. Anna Gordon's bakery, The Good Batch, specializes in Dutch stroopwafels, thin, waffle-like sandwich cookies filled with caramel. Starting August 23, she will offer gift packages of stroopwafels in classic, cocoa-caramel, and Honey Bear (peanut, oat, and honey). Prices range from $5 to $18, and samplers go for $25 to $50. Delivery is available throughout New York; pricing varies.
