Reviews
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Shopping
Radiance Tea House & Books
Mandarin, Food and Drink, Shopping
I am a sucker for any tea or coffee shop that sticks the word “books” in its business name. Radiance Tea House & Books, located in midtown Manhattan, is Chinese-owned. You can enjoy a meal there, as well as buy…
Kinokuniya Bookstore
Japanese, Bookstores/Libraries, Shopping, Kids
This enormous three-level Japanese bookstore is centrally located in the middle of Manhattan. Kinokuniya’s wares are not confined to books. The store also sells magazines. It sells comics (lots). It sells stationery. It sells gift items. A café…
Greek Music & Video Superstore
Greek, Bookstores/Libraries, Shopping, Kids
The Greek Music & Video Superstore in Astoria has a lot more than just Greek music and videos. They have Greek religious objects, Greek books for children, Greek flashcards, clothing with Greek on it, and more!
Rio Market
Portuguese, Food and Drink, Shopping
Rio Market sells many Brazilian products: food, beverages, cosmetics, etc. It includes a travel agency and a restaurant as well; together, they take up a large swathe of the Astoria block on which they reside. A Brazilian customer leaving…
Fang Gourmet Tea
Mandarin, Food and Drink, Shopping
At this Flushing shop you can buy fancy teas for all kinds of ailments, sit and drink tea at low tables with your friends, buy fancy tea sets, or (something I did) ask a lot of questions. The…
Älskling
Arabic, Dutch, English, French, General, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Shopping, Kids
Älskling, which means “darling” in Swedish, sells baby clothes online in dozens of languages. When I first encountered this product in an Upper West Side shop some years ago, I was fortunate enough to be given a tour by…
New York Mutual Trading Company/Japanese Culinary Center
Japanese, Food and Drink, Shopping
This is a big, beautiful East Side showroom, a gastronomically seductive space, for lovers of Japanese cuisine. Of which I am one. It is there courtesy of a Moonachie, N.J.-based company called New York Mutual Trading. …
CafePress
Arabic, Dutch, English, French, General, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Yiddish, Shopping, Kids
According to its website, CafePress has “the world’s largest selection of artist-designed t-shirts, clothing, accessories, housewares and gifts.” I have included this company here because they happen to sell numerous foreign-language items, such as mugs, hoodies, posters, clocks, and…