West Village/Meatpacking District/Chelsea/Union Square : Lucky Magazine

Ten Thousand Things

Open a nondescript door off the Meatpacking District's main drag and a narrow passageway empties into a cavernous and serene expanse of a store, awash with pieces of driftwood and slate gray brick floors. Besides Ten Thousand Things' own achingly gorgeous collection of delicately strung necklaces, the store carries jewelry by designers like Annette Ferdinandsen and Cara Croninger. 423 W. 14th St. MEATPACKING DISTRICT 212‑352-1333

Aedes de Venustas

"Lair" is the best word to describe this fantasy world of hard-to-find fragrances, lotions, and soaps.
9 Christopher St. (btw. Sixth/Seventh Aves.), 212-206-8674, aedes.com

Products: Beauty, Gifts/Design
Type of Store: Boutique

Artsee Eyewear

A curated assortment of unusual eyeglass frames both vintage and new draws the style-conscious. 863 Washington St. (btw. 13th/14th Sts.), 212-414-0900, artseeeyewear.com

Products: Vintage
Type of Store: Boutique

The Bathroom

Upscale grooming products from the wonderfully obscure to the everyday-recognizable are available at this neighborhood gem.
94 Charles St. (btw. W. Fourth/Bleecker Sts.), 212-929-1449,inthebathroom.com

Products: Beauty, Gifts/Design
Type of Store: Boutique

Catherine Malandrino

France's Malandrino designs lighthearted, exuberant clothes that often mix hard and soft elements: A blousy, lacy top might be accented with studs, or a sleek, satin dress will have a bold pleated panel cascading from the waist.
652 Hudson St. (at Gansevoort St.), 212-929-8710, catherinemalandrino.com

Products: Women's Clothing, Shoes, Bags
Type of Store: Boutique

Comme des Garçons

Not surprisingly, the NYC flagship for this inventive Japanese company is as brilliantly peculiar as it gets: All you see when you arrive is an aluminum-lined, egg-shaped tunnel; enter and it opens into a minimalist paradise purveying the full Comme collection.
520 W. 22nd St. (between 10th and 11th Aves.), 212-604-9200

Products: Denim, Women's Clothing
Type of Store: Boutique

Diane von Furstenberg

When you walk into Diane Von Furstenberg, you know you're going to find beautiful silhouettes: smocked, cropped jackets over full skirts, and filmy dresses under swingy trapeze coats.
874 Washington St. (at W. 14th St.), 646-486-4800, dvf.com

Products: Swimwear, Women's Clothing, Jewelry, Beauty
Type of Store: Boutique

The Earnest Sewn Co.

Designed to recall an old-fashioned general store, denim line Earnest Sewn's roomy flagship features antique factory fixtures and findings. Best-selling jeans, like the super-slim cigarette-leg "Harlan" and the low-rise "Decca," are stacked in weathered wood cubbies.
821 Washington St. (between Little West 12th and Gansevoort Sts.), 212-242-3414, earnestsewn.com

Products: Denim, Women's Clothing
Type of Store: Boutique

Elizabeth Charles

When Elizabeth Charles launched her eponymous shop in 2002, she introduced then-unknown Australian and New Zealand lines like Willow and Lover to New York. In the intervening years, she's been just as relentless in her quest to import the next big thing from Down Under. 639½ Hudson St. MEATPACKING DISTRICT 212-243-3201, elizabeth-charles.com for more information

Ludivine

Specializing in super-refined French brands like Vanessa Bruno, Ludivine Gregoire's West Village boutique has been a massive success with all the like-minded, gamine girls in the neighborhood. Earlier this year, she opened a second, much larger shop on the Upper East Side. 172 W. Fourth St. WEST VILLAGE 646-336-6576; 1216 Lexington Ave. UES 212-249-4053, boutiqueludivine.com